Unlike selling products, promoting a service-based business means betting on yourself and your team to deliver the kind of service that your target market expects. Both are challenging, but making people believe in your ability makes service-oriented businesses all the more complicated. Plastering the benefits of a product in a brochure gives the customer a factual look into why the products matter. It’s different from services. You have to sell yourself. How can you convince your target market to believe in someone they haven’t met?
Promote Your Skills
Don’t just promote your business. See to it that you promote your skills, too. If you’re great at using staining rags to stain wood, then make sure your audience knows about this. You’re promoting your business in woodwork and at the same time, letting potential customers see that you know what you’re doing. You’re not just a fly-by-night business. You’re different from your competitors that claim to be good at these skills, too. In a service-oriented business, the first thing you have to do is make people believe in your abilities.
Excel at Customer Service
You’re in a service-oriented business so, of course, you should be great at providing service to your customers. Your past clients should attest to that. Reviews, recommendations, and ratings are the things that customers want to see from the website or social media pages of a service-oriented business.
Reel in Customers with Incentives
Everyone’s offering the same services as you. What makes you different? Why are they going to try out your air-conditioning cleaning services, for example, when they’ve been with the same company for years? The best way to convince customers is to offer incentives. They can get promotional discounts for trying out your services for the first time. You can offer an introductory price for the first 10 customers who consult with you. Customers aren’t only in a hunt for a great product or service. They also want discounts, promos, and freebies.
Ask for Testimonials
Consumers are smarter now. They can’t be swayed by advertising or promotional materials. They want real stories. They want to hear from your customers in the past. That’s why it’s essential to ask existing customers to leave a testimonial on your website. You can sweeten up the deal for them by offering them discounts the next time they avail of another service.
Be in the News
How can you draw attention to your business? While many go down the traditional route of marketing the business through paid ads, you can differentiate your business by earning media mileage. Being featured in the news is one of the best ways to advertise your company. People tend to believe the things that they read and watch in the news. It’s one way to show your customers that you’re as good as advertised.
Capital expenses tend to be lower with a service-based business. What costs more are the money and resourcefulness you have to pour into advertising your services. But once you’ve built your reputation and clientele, it’ll be easier to continue providing the great service that your business is hopefully known for.
