The Seven Ps of Marketing
As well as the traditional four Ps (Product, Pricing, Promotion and Placement), services marketing calls upon an extra three, making seven in total and they are known together as the extended marketing mix. These extra three are:
People: Any person coming into contact with customers will have an impact on overall satisfaction. Whether as part of a supporting service to a product or involved in a total service, people are very important because, in the customer's eyes, they are generally inseparable from the overall service . As a result of this, they must be appropriately trained, well motivated and the right type of person. Other customers are also sometimes referred to under 'people', as they too can affect the customer's service experience, (eg at a sporting event).
Process: This is the process involved in providing a service and the behaviour of the people involved, which can be crucial to customer satisfaction.
Physical evidence: Unlike a product, a service cannot be experienced before it is delivered, which makes it an intangible item. This, therefore, means that potential customers could perceive that there is a greater risk when deciding whether to use a service. To reduce this feeling of risk, and improving the chance for success, it is often vital to offer potential cnew ustomers the chance to see what a service would be like. This is done by offering and providing physical evidence, such as case studies, testimonials or demonstrations.