1. Price

2. Promotion

3. Product

4. Place (distribution)

5. People management

6. Processes

7. Physical evidence (how a service is received).

In the second of our pieces based on a Chartered Institute of Marketing report called Services Marketing, the above are the so-called 7 Ps of best-practice service sector behaviour.

So, how can mind your Ps, exactly? How can you ensure clients are getting what they want and deserve?

Innovation

This is required to create new directions and to achieve competitive advantage through new processes and technologies. The ability to innovate new services is a success factor in both rapidly changing markets and economic downturns. Innovation and creativity can be managed by keeping the organization modestly sized (this helps with overheads, too) and by turning the management team’s spotlight on new opportunities.

Segmentation

The nature of most services can be differentiated to appeal to a variety of market segments, each with the same core needs but with marginally different requirements, in order to satisfy slightly differing secondary needs. If your clients include local authorities, say, you might well segment this market along socio-political lines, with interesting results).

Imagination

Because of their intangibility, services are unable to be protected by patent. Consequently, it is easy for new and existing services to be imitated, thereby providing competitive pressures. If you run out of ideas, you’ll run out of clients.

People

Employees are an important source of new ideas, but if they believe new ideas will create extra workload for them, they’ll keep schtum. As a result, your organization will be stymied in its bid to meet clients’ needs. Plus, productivity and expertise is diminished when an individual leaves, making employee retention pivotal in keeping customers and clients happy.

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