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What is Services Marketing?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Services marketing is a form of marketing that focuses on selling services. They can be tricky to sell, and the marketing approach for them is much different than the approach for products. Some companies offer both products and services and must use a mixture of styles; for example, a store that sells computers also tends to also help people select computers and provide computer repair. Such a store must market both its products and the supporting services it offers to appeal to customers.

When people market services, the goal is not to get customers to buy a product but to get people to do business with a particular company, often in a specific location. For example, a restaurant offers a service: it provides food to customers, both on-site and in to-go form in many cases. When the restaurant markets itself, it must convince people that it is preferable to other restaurants and that its facility is worth the trip.

A restaurant is a service business that could benefit from services marketing.
A restaurant is a service business that could benefit from services marketing.

As with the marketing of products, the marketing of services covers issues like what is being offered, what the price point is, how it compares to similar things, and why people should choose that particular iteration over other options. With services, which are often intangible in nature, consumers must also be convinced through marketing that it is something they need that will have some sort of benefit.

There are different approaches which can be taken in services marketing, depending on how a company wants to position itself and what kind of messages it wants people to take away from the marketing. A company might want to project itself as reliable and trustworthy if it offers a service like security, or fun loving and adventurous for travel planning. In all cases, people must be shown why it is that they would want to pay for what the company offers.

Marketing schools usually discuss various techniques that can be used in services marketing. People may also develop their own techniques as they practice marketing in the real world and learn more about what people look for, how they shop for services, and what makes them appealing. Often, the goal is to establish a personal relationship with customers so that they will return to the company in the future rather than taking their business elsewhere. The loyalty is often to the quality of the service, rather than to a specific brand or image, and this makes selling it somewhat different than product marketing, in which it is the value of the product that is important.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

Breakthrough

Marketing professional services is a totally different process from product marketing. A lawyer or an accountant will market their business differently from a product based business such as a restaurant or an office supply store.

Professional services must be experienced. They cannot be seen or felt and require a totally different approach when it comes to creating a marketing plan.

Many professional service providers offer complimentary consultations which allow the prospective client the opportunity to experience the service as well as the provider.

As a certified life coach, I offer complimentary strategy sessions so a prospective client can experience my coaching, but also so I can determine if the prospective client is someone I would like to work with or not.

BrickBack

Sunny27-I know that makeup artist do this often. After they apply the makeup on you they also tell you about the foundation and various colors they used.

In addition, they usually give you information on the skin care too. The skin care is important because it is the most effective way to get you to come back to them.

If you get hooked on the skin care line, they know that you can only get it through them. This is why they usually promote skin care in most cosmetic counters because it ensures repeat business.

When starting a new business it is best to use a professional service marketing company that can provide a variety of marketing services including press releases and promtional ideas.

Sunny27

GreenWeaver-Service marketing strategies can also include discounts on future services. For example, in many hair salons when you receive the initial service of a haircut, the receptionist will often offer you a discount on a future service that is unrelated to the hair cut.

For example, they may offer a discount on a facial or some type of spa treatment to entice you to return. Some places offer samples of other products that you might use.

For example, when you go to a dentist, they will usually offer you coupons or samples of other products that the dentist currently sells that you might want to consider. This is a way for the dentist to expand his or her business, by offering more to its customers.

GreenWeaver

Oasis11-Service marketing strategies can differ. It is best to do a through market analysis which includes the use of surveys and focus groups in order to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the business.

This allows the company to build on its strengths and improve what was lacking. Sometimes companies will seek a competitive analysis in order to understand their competition more so that they could be seen as a better alternative.

Service marketing articles can be placed on the internet and select print markets in order to draw attention to the business. Business service marketing is key.

oasis11

Service marketing strategies include ways of positioning a firm in the marketplace with respect to its competitors. For example, a new high end restaurant might advertise in local business trade magazines in order to gain presence with the business community.

Developing website marketing services are also essential in creating a business brand and providing legitimacy for the restaurant.

Service marketing articles in the form of press releases in the local paper or restaurant reviews can also bring about attention to the upscale restaurant.

Articles featured on the internet need to adhere to search engine optimization measures in order for the article to be well ranked among the search engines and read by more people.

Hiring a graphic design firm to offer website marketing services can be a wise investment. These firms can also design a company logo and produce business cards and collateral that will help people remember the name of your business.

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    • A restaurant is a service business that could benefit from services marketing.
      By: Kablonk Micro
      A restaurant is a service business that could benefit from services marketing.