The Difference Between a Product and Service - How to Market a Service

http://smartmarketinggroup.com/timeblocks.htm
Les: What is the obstacle you're running into most?

Lorna: Well, I would love to hear your perspective on the difference between marketing a service and a product. Because you can return a product you can't return a service.

Les: There's a thing that they both have in common, that most people forget. It's called the WIIFM factor. When you go out and buy something, why do you buy it?

Lorna: I buy for several reasons, sometimes i Need the item, sometimes I have extra money, or something that I would love to have.

Les: The reason I ask that question, is because most people's communications are selling features, not benefits. What WIIFM stands for is "What's in it for me?" And that is what most communicators fail at. Consumers are not interested in WHAT you're selling, but how are yuo going to make them more successful, richer, better looking etc. But if it is not focused on the benefits, it falls on deaf ears more often than not. And this goes the same with service, if I'm going to spend money on a service I want to know how is it going to make my job easier. When you talk about training, it is not something you can put your hands on physically, but it will enhance the value in life.

Where ever there is a problem, there is an opportunity. Talk from the perspective of the audience you're trying to influence and that comes from training.

You're in a business to teach them to be proactive, instead of reactive. There's a thing called the 4 rules of Smart Marketing and you're dealing mainly with the first rule. People are afraid of change, but change is constant. And if you don't change, you short change your life. You need to explain to people that "I'm going to teach you how to be open minded, I'm going to teach you have to be more acceptable of change. It's not so much product verses service, it's presentation. And the presentation isn't in a powerpoint, it is "Am I talking from the perspective of the audience?" And that is one of the biggest mistakes that I've seen over the last 5 decades.

And you can ask your clients to list the benefits of why people will buy from you.

Lorna: Well, I have done that and I've discovered that that is where they really do have a problem identifying the benefits. Then they all clam up and they believe that you if you speak of the features of this thing, they think you must be stupid if you can't see the benefits. Why are you asking me? You have the work in front of you to see the benefits.

Les: Well there's an answer to that. In order for someone to grasp the message, you have to be redundant. Studies have shown that consumers have to see your message 17 times before it registers.

Lorna: That many?

Les: Yeah

Lorna: Wow

Les: Maybe even worse today with all the clutter that's out there. And that's the way I would come back to people. Hey, there are a lot of people out there that won't grasp the benefits as quickly as you "mr. genius" does. You have to make sure that is it your goal to show how smart you are, or is it to sell your product or service?

One of the things I've learned over the years, if people are objecting you, ask them questions that you already know the questions to. It will make them think.

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