Because services are not touchable, marketing communications for services achieve more than market services. Communications render services more tangible, and offer prospects something firm to consider.

As a result, marketing communications for most services drag around a heavier burden than communications for products. A bright red Porsche 911 convertible, for example, speaks loudly and beautifully for itself. Very few services shout for themselves at all.

We implicitly give trust to most products. We trust that our new tyres won’t blow out, our white sugar will taste sweet, and our aspirin will soothe our headaches without bad side effects. But we are far less trusting and certain about most services.

We worry that our lawyers and web designers will work more than necessary, and charge more than necessary. We are concerned that the latest weight loss service will fail, just like the three we have tried before. We worry that our home renovators will extend their budget and finish weeks after they agreed to. We worry that the collection agency we engage for our service will harass our clients worth keeping and collect only a small part of our outstanding receivables.

So unlike communicating about products, talking about services must make the service more tangible and real, and must soothe the worried prospect. It’s not like selling Porsche automobiles.

For more information about services marketing and making services more concrete, visit Rob Johnson’s Twitter page. Sponsored by Rob Johnson of http://seocairns.seovoodoo.com.au/