Building Customer Trust: Marketing Services Vs. Products

Author: Lynne Saarte | Posted: 17-04-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 5 |

I went to a new dentist about three months ago. As soon as I made the appointment with them I received in the mail a greeting card welcoming me along with a picture of the entire staff and a brief paragraph describing the practice. I walked through the door to their office in a good mood already, and was greeted with various plants in the corners, an aquarium composing the far wall of the waiting room, and soft, comfortable chairs. The women behind the counter greeted me with a smile. The whole experience was pleasant, and after the appointment was over I received a thank you card about a week later. I intend to go there again.

Everything, from the greeting card, to the comfortable look of the office, to the friendly smile behind the receptionist’s desk was evidence of successful marketing. The quality of the job he did was also exactly what I had expected, but then, I think most would agree that going to the dentist isn’t always just about the quality of the service being provided. Given how many have a specific fear of the dentist, calming the person down can be just as important as how well their teeth are cleaned.

All of this leads to the unique differences between marketing a specific product in comparison to a service. Quite often I receive catalogs and booklets in the mail advertising various products, and when it comes to selling a computer or an article of clothing the catalog is rather effective. If I’m buying a computer I like to know what the specifics are, something a catalog can tell me. Sure, I want the person behind the counter when I pick it up to be friendly to me, to be nice, but ultimately the product is what I’m going to be happy or unhappy with. But would a dentist use catalog printing as an effective way of advertising their services? Could a stock advisor send you a booklet and get your business, or are you going to want to meet the person before you put your trust in them?

Marketing a product can be as simple as letting a customer see what they’re getting and effectively providing it to them. This isn’t a particularly lengthy interaction. If the product is well-priced and high quality you’re going to keep doing business with them. The product is what makes or breaks a person’s interaction with the business. But when it comes to jobs based around a service, you’re selling more than just the service being provided. You’re becoming close to the customer, getting to know them and allowing them to get to know you, and because of it you need to handle marketing yourself in different terms. Printing greeting cards allows them to know you care about having them as a customer, just as sending thank you cards shows them you want to continue this business relationship. Could Best Buy send out greeting cards to every customer they have? Of course they couldn’t, and so they utilize catalog and booklet printing instead.

No matter what business you run, think first about the exact nature of what you have to offer the customers, and consider what the best way to market yourself will be. Every business needs marketing, but understanding the best path, and understanding the differences between marketing a product vs. a service will do wonders to secure a customer base.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit:
Catalog Printing, Booklet Printing, Greeting Card Printing

Rate this Article:

Article Tags: Online Printing Company, Booklet Printing, Catalog Printing, Greeting Card Printing

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/online-business-articles/building-customer-trust-marketing-services-vs-products-389011.html

Print article

Send to friend

Publish this Article

Author feedback

About the Author:

Lynne Saarte is a writer that hails from Texas. She has been in the Internet business for some years now, specializing in Internet marketing and online strategies.

Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Add new Comment

The Importance of Good Catalog Writing
By: Lynne Saarte | 22/04/2008 | Online Business
important elements to consider when making your catalog or booklet

How Direct Mail Marketing Can Go Wrong
By: Lynne Saarte | 29/02/2008 | Online Business
looking over the pros and cons of direct mail marketing

Make the Most Out of your Catalog Real Estate With These Tips
By: Janice Jenkins | 27/11/2007 | Online Business
incorporating the art of persuasion in your real estate catalogs

What is Multilevel Marketing?
By: Janice Jenkins | 24/04/2008 | Online Business
what multi level marketing is all about and how it is an effective strategy for marketing

The Personal Touch of Printed Catalogs Over Online Catalogs
By: Janice Jenkins | 20/09/2007 | Online Promotion
the endless possibilities that online catalogs can bring to your business

Why Sending the Right Promotional Tools to the Right Audience Makes a Difference
By: Janice Jenkins | 03/12/2007 | Online Business
the right promotional tools can spell a world of difference in having a successful business

Effective Use of Catalogs in Trade Shows
By: Kaitlyn Miller | 04/12/2007 | Marketing
Do you think you’re not getting enough attention and profits even with sensational trade show giveaways every year? Are you throwing away your budget every time you join a trade show, only to end up with more rejected tokens instead of your clients keeping them?

The Difference Between Corporate Identity and Logos
By: Kaitlyn Miller | 27/04/2008 | Marketing Tips
On many websites now, you can create an avatar to represent you. An avatar is basically a caricature that you can tweak to look as much like you as possible, without being an actual picture.

Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Q&A Powered by:

Latest Online Business Articles

Know How Patience Can Pay Off
By: Lynne Saarte | 16/05/2008
having the patience and waiting for the sales to come to you is the secret to marketing

No Advertising is Too Cheap
By: Janice Jenkins | 16/05/2008
why you need to a lot a higher budget for your advertising

Effective Ad Copy Know-how
By: Janice Jenkins | 14/05/2008
what kind of ad copy will appeal to your customers?

What are Transaction Processing Solutions?
By: Paul Jesse | 14/05/2008
Online transaction processing is a very crucial part of any online business. It is an electronic ledger of all the business transactions carried out by the online merchant account.

Tips for Building a Solid Networking Circle
By: Lynne Saarte | 14/05/2008
how well networking works for you by using simple tactics when forming your networking circle

Forex Trading Education
By: Noor Mohamed | 14/05/2008
Online money making is not a new concept. More and more people are now open to the idea of making money online. There are only very few genuine money making ideas and forex is one of them. We are living in a world which is changing every day. Yesterday’s luxuries are no longer luxuries but, necessities. With this changing trend we love to make more money.

How to Start an Ebay Business
By: Noor Mohamed | 14/05/2008
Ebay has for years have changed the lives of millions. Ebay has made more millionaires than any other online opportunity. Ebay made the concept of home business and online business a real success. It is world’s biggest market place online. You can sell almost anything here. Starting an ebay business is easy too. Learn how.

Creating Flyers That Get Results
By: Janice Jenkins | 13/05/2008
some measures you can take to ensure you create kick butt flyers that get noticed by potential customers

More from Lynne Saarte

Know How Patience Can Pay Off
By: Lynne Saarte | 16/05/2008 | Online Business
having the patience and waiting for the sales to come to you is the secret to marketing

Tips for Building a Solid Networking Circle
By: Lynne Saarte | 14/05/2008 | Online Business
how well networking works for you by using simple tactics when forming your networking circle

Finding Your Advertising Style
By: Lynne Saarte | 12/05/2008 | Online Business
one way to make advertising less of a chore and more enjoyable for you as a business owner is to find your advertising style

Don’t Forget Your Loyal Customers
By: Lynne Saarte | 12/05/2008 | Online Business
all it takes is a reminder for your customers to feel like doing business with you again

Do You Have it or Not?
By: Lynne Saarte | 08/05/2008 | Online Business
employing the benefits of brochure printing is a great way of generating business if you have one professionally made

In Business, Cheap is not Always Good
By: Lynne Saarte | 07/05/2008 | Online Business
attracting more customers by focusing on their emotions

5 Tips for Effective Booklets
By: Lynne Saarte | 06/05/2008 | Online Business
what your booklets should have to make them more effective

The Rules About Using Unconventional Materials for Your Business Cards
By: Lynne Saarte | 02/05/2008 | Online Business
when to use and when not to use conventional materials for your business cards

Online Business Services

- Printing Services Services

- Time & Attendance Solutions Services

- Furniture Systems Services

Article Categories

Article Marketing

Article Notepad

Stop Duplicate Content

Term Papers

Need Help?

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below

Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved.

Building Customer Trust: Marketing Services Vs. Products

Article Comments

Related Articles

Got a Question? Ask.

Latest Online Business Articles

More from Lynne Saarte

Need Help?

Site Links

Webmasters

Business Info

Sign up for our email newsletter