Get the key ideas from
Selling the Invisible
A Field Guide to Modern Marketing
Services represent a significant and growing portion of the modern economy, yet marketing them remains a mystery. Selling the Invisible (1997) serves as a guide for promoting the intangible. It outlines how to set up a marketable service company, and how that business can then be advertised and promoted.
- Anyone who provides a service
- Anyone who owns a service-based business
- Marketing or advertising professionals
- Anyone interested in marketing or advertising
Harry Beckwith had a successful marketing career before going on to become an influential speaker on sales and marketing topics. He gives lectures to employees at large national companies as well as to students at Ivy League universities, and is considered one of the best public speakers in his field. He has written five best-selling titles, including Selling the Invisible and Unthinking.
Go Premium and get the best of Blinkist
Upgrade to Premium now and get unlimited access to the Blinkist library. Read or listen to key insights from the world’s best nonfiction.
Upgrade to PremiumWhat is Blinkist?
The Blinkist app gives you the key ideas from a bestselling nonfiction book in just 15 minutes. Available in bitesize text and audio, the app makes it easier than ever to find time to read.
Start free trialDiscover
3,000+ top
nonfiction titles
Get unlimited access to the most important ideas in business, investing, marketing, psychology, politics, and more. Stay ahead of the curve with recommended reading lists curated by experts.
Start free trialJoin Blinkist to get the key ideas from
Get the key ideas from
Get the key ideas from
Selling the Invisible
A Field Guide to Modern Marketing
- Read in 19 minutes
- Audio & text available
- Contains 12 key ideas
Synopsis
Services represent a significant and growing portion of the modern economy, yet marketing them remains a mystery. Selling the Invisible (1997) serves as a guide for promoting the intangible. It outlines how to set up a marketable service company, and how that business can then be advertised and promoted.
Key idea 1 of 12
It’s difficult to market services because they’re intangible and their quality varies.
In many ways, services are very different from physical products. For example, they can't be seen or touched, nor can they be mass-produced. This makes them very difficult to market effectively.
Traditionally, the product being sold plays a large role in marketing, but in the case of services the "product" is largely invisible. Marketing is easier when there’s a physical product to sell, as customers like to see what they are able to buy. This is why companies with easily identifiable products – for example, Porsche – concentrate on image-heavy advertising where the product takes center stage.
Obviously, companies that sell services such as dry cleaning or insurance can’t display their “products” in the same way. Therefore, they are forced to rely on more abstract advertising techniques.
For example, the US firm Travelers Insurance has no physical product to display, so they’ve created an image of their company in another way: they chose an umbrella as their logo because it symbolizes protection.
Another difficulty with marketing services is that the quality of the “product” isn’t always consistent. Unlike physical products, where the standardized manufacturing procedure can be rigorously monitored, the quality of services can vary depending on elements such as which staff member serves you. This variation makes services difficult to market effectively.
For example, if a member of staff is rude to a customer, then it doesn’t matter how good the marketing is, that customer will be wary of choosing any service from that company again.
Key ideas in this title
- It’s difficult to market services because they’re intangible and their quality varies.
- Ensure your service exceeds customer expectations.
- Make your service stand out by being different, bold and innovative.
- Don’t get stuck in the planning phase – instead, be proactive and be ready to take action.
- Make sure that every area of your business, from employees to branding, forms part of your marketing strategy.
- Customer choices aren’t always rational – irrational factors like prestige and familiarity can also influence behavior.
- Position yourself for success by narrowing down the focus of your service.
- Low-cost and middle-market pricing are risky strategies to take; high-end pricing is often the safest strategy.
- To be successful, turn your company and the service you provide into a brand.
- Stories are powerful and convincing things – turn your message into a compelling story about your service.
- Final Summary
- Actionable ideas from this book in blinks
