Product. Service. Or you?

Product, service or you? How to market the thing you’re actually selling.

The thing is, a product, a service and a person are bought in completely different ways. People buy products with their eyes. They buy services with their trust. They buy people with their gut.

If your marketing doesn't match how your customer makes the decision, you're shouting into the wrong room.

So let's break it down.

Selling a product: make it easy to say yes

A product is tangible. People can see it, compare it and usually check the price in seconds. Your job is to remove every reason to hesitate.

1. Nail the problem, not the spec. Nobody wants a 1,200gsm board. They want a sign that survives a wet week outside. Lead with what it fixes.
2. Know who it's for - and who it isn't. "Everyone" is not a target market. Pick the customer who needs it most and talk only to them.
3. Show it working. Photos, short videos, before and afters, in use not in a studio. If people can picture it in their world, half the selling is done.
4. Get the proof in early. Reviews, testimonials, numbers, logos of people who already bought. Products live and die on social proof.
5. Make buying frictionless. Clear price, clear next step, no hunting for a contact form. Every extra click loses someone.
6. Follow up. Most people don't buy on first sight. Email, retargeting and a well-timed nudge do the work your first post couldn't.

Selling a service: sell the outcome, prove the process

A service is invisible until it's delivered. Your customer is being asked to trust you with money, time and often their reputation. So your marketing has one job: make them feel safe.

1. Sell the result, not the hours. "Monthly LinkedIn management" is a task. "A sales team that walks into meetings already known" is an outcome. Lead with the after.
2. Show how you work. A clear, simple process takes the fear out of buying. Three or four steps, what happens when, what they need to do. No mystery.
3. Case studies are your shop window. Real client, real problem, what you did, what changed. Numbers if you have them. This is the closest a service gets to a product photo.
4. Teach generously. Blogs, posts and guides that show you know your stuff. Giving away the "what" builds trust - people still pay you for the "how" and the "done for me".
5. Make the first step small. A discovery call, an audit, a short workshop. Asking someone to commit to a year with a stranger is a big ask. Asking for 20 minutes isn't.
6. Stay in touch. Service sales cycles are long. A regular newsletter keeps you front of mind for the moment they're finally ready.

Selling yourself: be findable, be consistent, be you

Whether you're a founder, a freelancer or a sales lead, people buy from people. And before they ever reply to your email, they've looked you up. What do they find?

The channels that actually work:

• LinkedIn - the non-negotiable for B2B. Fix your profile first (headline that says who you help, not just your job title), then post consistently. Opinions, lessons and behind the scenes beat polished brochure content every time.
• Email newsletter - the only audience you own. Algorithms change, your list doesn't. Even a small, engaged list beats a big, non-engaged following.
• Short-form video - your face and voice build trust faster than anything you write. It doesn't need to be slick (you can definitely see that from mine). It needs to be real.
• In person - events, trade shows, coffee. Still undefeated. Your online presence makes the room warmer before you walk in.
• Speaking and podcasts - borrow someone else's audience. One good guest spot can do more than a month of posts.

The rules that matter more than the channel:

1. Pick two and do them properly. Being average everywhere loses to being memorable somewhere.
2. Have a point of view. "Great insights!" never made anyone famous. Say what you actually think, unless its rude, abusive or just plain nasty.
3. Be consistent. Same face, same voice, same message, week after week. Familiarity is what turns a stranger into a buyer.
4. Talk to one person. Write every post for your ideal client, not for your peers or your mum (sadly my Mum’s not on LinkedIn but if she was she’d be my biggest cheerleader even though she doesn’t understand what I do).

What ties all three together

So in short, you're almost never selling just one of these.

Product businesses still need a trusted face.

Service businesses still need something tangible to point at.

And every business is, at some point, selling the person behind it.

The smartest marketing works out which one the customer is really buying first - and leads with that. The rest follows.

Not sure which one you're leading with? That's exactly the kind of thing we unpick at FAAFO UK. Sign up to our newsletter for a monthly dose of no-fluff marketing or book a chat and let's work it out together.