Selling the Invisible

Selling the Invisible – Harry Beckwith

Most marketing books focus on physical products, but in today’s economy, services make up a huge and growing share of what businesses sell. Selling a service, something customers cannot see, touch or try before they buy, presents unique challenges. In Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing, marketing expert Harry Beckwith offers practical insights into how to meet them.

Beckwith, founder of a marketing firm that worked with major companies, argues that service marketing begins with the service itself. If the service is not excellent, no amount of advertising will save it. From there, he explores how customers really make decisions about services, explaining that they often choose based on trust, perceived quality, familiarity and small details, because they cannot easily judge the service in advance.

The book is organized into short, punchy sections, each presenting a lesson, observation or tip. Beckwith covers topics such as research, positioning, pricing, branding, naming, communicating clearly, building relationships, handling first impressions and the importance of every interaction with customers. He emphasizes simplicity, focus and the power of a clear, memorable message.

His advice is illustrated with real-world examples and anecdotes, and written in a lively, conversational style that makes it easy to read and apply.

Insightful and practical, Selling the Invisible is a classic guide for service providers, consultants, professionals, small business owners and marketers who want to attract and keep clients.