November 18, 2010

A Tale of Two Stories: Product Business vs. Service Business

A new online article from Inc. Magazine offers suggestions on how to turn a service business into a product business. The article got me to thinking about the stories these two different kinds of businesses tell to gain more customers.

Product You Can Touch

Let’s start with the product business. Say Company X develops a “Super Product.” Something we can’t live without…something that makes us happy…something to improve the quality of our lives. The key point is the Super Product is a thing. Consumers relate to the Super Product because they can hold it in their hands.

It is a simple story to tell. The marketing team at Company X creates a campaign around the benefits of the Super Product. When our team at Point Across Media produces videos for companies that make products, we show plenty of happy people using the product.

Service Is About Relationships

The service business story is different. Company Y offers a service to help you. Like the Super Product, Company Y’s service is designed to make your life easier or better. But when you hire someone to provide a service, you are hiring a person.

Service businesses sell relationships. Testimonials from satisfied customers are especially effective for marketing a service business. Videos for companies that provide a service are built around their customers. We usually feature real people who benefit from the service.

Video is an effective marketing tool for both product and service based businesses. Video lets potential customers experience your company. Showing customers using your product or hearing customers rave about your service is a great way to grow your business.

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