No two services are exactly the same
They can’t be, they are delivered at different times by different people, circumstances alone dictate that they must differ.
When you ask a director/partner of a service company, “What makes your service different?” you often get an unclear response.
“Honestly, nothing. We’re all pretty much the same.”
Well, that’s wrong.
Every service is different, and creating and communicating differences is central to effective marketing.
History shows that everything can be made different. For years ketchup, flour, pickles and sugar used to come in huge tubs and were sold as commodities in corner shops. Then Heinz and others came along and turned these apparently indistinguishable commodities into distinctive brands, making billions along the way.
If buyers can perceive differences in different ketchups, flour, pickles and sugar – all of which are almost identical both biologically and chemically – then people certainly will perceive major differences in services. Services comprise unique components: people – no two of whom are the same.
Two services cannot be virtually identical in the people they attract, the work they inspire, the information and training they pass on, the rate at which they learn or the efficiency with which they work. It is not unlikely; it is impossible! Human beings are too different and their interactions in different environments only magnify those differences.
What’s more, prospects perceive services as different. We have all walked into a company and immediately detected forces at work. Enthusiasm, energy, optimism – these are all palpable qualities within the first few seconds of entering a company’s reception. You can actually read the DNA of a company from the receptionist and discover it replicated throughout the organisation.
Every service is different. Identifying and communication those differences and creating new ones are central to successful service marketing.
If you can’t see the differences in your service, look harder!
Or speak to me on 0161 278 2788.
