Because services are intangible, marketing communications for services do more than sell services. Communications make services more tangible, and offer prospects something firm to consider.

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

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

We worry that our lawyers and auto mechanics will toil on our behalf more than necessary, and bill more than is warranted. We worry that the latest weight loss service will fail, just like the five we have tried before. We worry that our home renovators will extend their budget and finish weeks after they promised. We worry that the collection agency we engage for our service will harass our customers worth keeping and collect only a small part of our outstanding receivables.

So unlike communicating about products, communicating about services must make the service more tangible and real, and must reduce risk for 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/