In many spheres, superior service products are readily created by development specialist skills, application of extraordinary knowledge, and skilful marketing.
However, in other areas, distinctive and better services are hard to create and promote. The term "commodity service" describes these markets where it is difficult to build substantive differences.
If your professional expertise lies in an area which is commoditised, you can either accept the difficulties as insoluble, or you can choose to develop product superiority.
(Let's face it, if bottled water can be successfully branded, marketed, and differentiated into a whole swag of successful and profitable products, any expert professional ought not doubt their own opportunities.)
If you are working in a classic "commodity" area, surround your core work product with a host of possible service benefits:
- more convenience
- better accessibility
- close applicability to a particular industry or business
- increased speed
- better value
- more completeness
- comfortable fit and ease of dealings
- superior warranties
- better after-transaction follow-up
- meaningful value added back-up.
This is far from an exhaustive list and definitely non-specific.
Searching for ways to differentiate or improve your services will be worthwhile, especially if you cluster possible improvement areas. A series of even apparently minor benefits can add up to meaningful difference.
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