Advertising - Should You Be Advertising Your Services?

You provide reliable and quality service. You know that if more people knew what you do, you want to increase sales. So most likely to advertise in the media for potential clients to read about you. However, no response. Why?

If this scenario is familiar to you probably has several causes.

1 Maybe your ads are not designed well - poor layout, inadequate bids, so

2 Maybe you chose the wrong media space or time.

3 Maybe you should not be advertising your services.

Now I know there is much to consider when writing your ad - creating "killer headlines, long copy versus short copy argument, the use of white space, etc. - and I can give you some tips on how to buy media . But I'm not getting into it today. I'm going to talk about the third place - maybe you should not advertise

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But wait! (I hear you ask) ... Why should you advertise your business?

Simply put, some services are not appropriate to advertise in the usual way. Most advertising is to stimulate action, usually a purchase or decision to place an order. If you sell a 'product' that is relatively easy to achieve. Customers know what they are buying. There is usually some kind of benchmark, or product criteria customers use to judge whether your product will do what they want.

But when it comes to services, many potential customers (or clients - I use both terms interchangeably) may not be able to do the same kind of judgments. This is especially the case for services where the specific outcome is difficult to predict, or where there is a large degree of emotional involvement or risk buyers in the decision making process.

Think of it this way. Services can be broadly categorized under the following headings:

* People for the processing (eg, hairdresser, medical)

* Possession of processing (eg, computer repairs, dog obedience training)

* Knowledge Processing (eg education, entertainment)

* Information Processing (eg, accounting, investment consulting)

Generally speaking, owning and people processing services are more tangible than knowledge or information processing. For possession and people processing services, clients can see / touch / feel the outcomes, and even they can be personally involved in the delivery of actual services. In addition, financial services generally contain higher levels of personal contact (intensity or frequency) between the provider and the customer.

So, for more tangible services, clients often have more reference points on which to base future decisions about the purchase.

If your business provides services to the less tangible and more variable, then the outcome of media advertising May not be the best answer for you. For your type of service users would be very interested to understand "how" you deliver your services and will need to develop an appropriate degree of trust in you before they decide to use your services. These criteria can not be fully met through advertising alone.

So you need to do to get more work?
Here are some ideas:

* Running your service to an excellent standard - beyond mere customer satisfaction

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* provide information to educate your potential customers.

* Develop sales processes to identify real problems to solve.

* Make sure you address the real problems and risks of their clients.

* Meet the clues customers use to decide whether you will use.

* Creating a network of affiliated providers who may refer prospects to you.

* To develop mutually beneficial joint promotional activities with reputable firms in complementary areas.

Please do not understand my message. Advertising can be very productive. If you can clearly state specific benefits (ie outcomes) and overcome the initial concern to potential clients, then advertising May work for you. Because possession processing services such as mowing the lawn can easily be found. For the average lawn user can recognize and understand what they are buying.

However, if your business provides relatively intangible services that bring results depends on various factors, then media advertising should not be high on the list of marketing activities.

(c) 2004 Marketing Nous Pty Ltd