The marketing of B2B services is difficult.  Everyone thinks that B2B purchasing decisions are primarily governed by the bottom line.  Companies are expected buy from the service provider who proves they install a computer system, clean carpets, or do whatever better, faster and cheaper.  Customers are expected to be looking for more “bang for their buck” or a ” higher return on investment.”  This can be disheartening to a marketer of services, and it’s where many service marketers fail.

As a marketer of services, you’re making a big mistake if you think your customers are only interested in price.  If you think that price trumps all, then you believe that the services your company delivers are pretty much the same as your competitors.  Your key differentiators are probably: Smart People! Great Customer Service! Successful Track Record! Those who are second-rate marketers churn out masses of sell sheets, brochures, and campaign materials that all say the same things, look remarkably alike, and are BORING, PREDICTABLE and DESTINED FOR THE TRASH BASKET.  Boring isn’t limited to printed materials, it’s also all over the Internet.  It’s all those email newsletters you delete without reading and every website that you can’t remember you visited.

Your potential customers are looking for a reason to buy from you.  It’s often difficult to differentiate between service providers; you need to make it easy.  Figure out what truly sets your organization apart.  Ask some of your best customers why they initially selected your firm and why they continue to buy from you.  You’ll hear some interesting things, and then you’ll find a pattern.  It won’t be all about price.  Use this information to define your brand and inform your go-to-market strategy.   And remember: BORING IS BAD.  It causes the best marketing strategies to fail. It wastes precious resources.   And it means the sales team has to work harder.  BORING IS AN ENEMY OF YOUR BOTTOM LINE.

Market smart and stand out from the crowd.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 10th, 2009 at 10:29 pm and is filed under B2B Marketing, Marketing, Services Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.