Written by: Vickie Sullivan | October 17, 2023
What a Bartender Taught Me About Marketing Intangible Services
On the last leg of our summer trip, we landed in a hotel bar in Gallup, New Mexico. While waiting for our dinner, a wedding finished up and a big crowd headed to the bar that was staffed with only one bartender. How she handled that crowd taught me a good lesson about marketing an intangible thing, such as experience.
As I watched the bartender, I also started thinking: When a buyer compares me—or you—to a less-experienced option, how do I differentiate the impact of my experience? How do I describe the value of an intangible thing that everyone says they have?
My answer: By having a conversation about when things go wrong.
Seasoned pros are not thrown when something unexpected happens to them. They know how to quickly respond. They go beyond their role to not only avert disaster but also to make things happen. In the excitement of talking about methodology or outcomes, however, the impact of your experience gets pushed to the sidelines.
In crowded markets, you can’t assume future clients will see the value of your time spent on the front lines. With your marketing, it isn’t enough to outline your background or tell your origin story and hope folks understand the value of being battle tested. It’s up to you to show how your experience — your intangible service — can help them.
What I learned watching talent in action: Experience shows up when curveballs are thrown. Consider telling more of those stories both in your content marketing and in your sales conversations.
Listen: Content That Highlights the Value of Your Experience
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