There are two clinics, offering the similar treatments at similar prices. One has a full waiting room by 10am and the other is constantly looking out the front door.
This is usually to do with understanding the 7Ps of services marketing.
Whether you run a hospital, hotel, bank, salon or any business that offers an experience, understanding these will change how people think about you. Let’s break them down.
What are the 7Ps of Service Marketing?
So you’ve searched ‘what are the seven ps of service marketing’. In short, they’re Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process and Physical Evidence. The first 4 are from the traditional 4Ps. However, as services are different to products, 3 more have been added.
As services can’t be touched before purchase and can’t be returned, often the customer is present during the service. The marketing mix has been expanded to include these factors.
What is the difference between 4Ps and 7Ps of marketing?
This is a very common question to ask:
The 4Ps of marketing (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) were created for physical products such as soap, shoes and smart phones. So the difference between 4Ps and 7Ps of marketing is adding the 3 extra factors of People, Process and Physical Evidence.
With a shampoo bottle, who stocks it on the shelves doesn’t matter. However, with a haircut, who is holding the scissors matters a lot. Therefore the 7Ps of services marketing are a better option for any experiential business.
What are the 7Ps?
Product
The product in services marketing refers to the service you offer and everything around it. In a hospital this would be the treatments, specialist doctors, diagnostics and post-treatment. In a hotel it would be the room, breakfast and check in.
What exactly are we offering and what problem are we solving?
Price
The price you charge communicates a message. Charging too little may make people think you’re not high quality. Charging too much can put people off. The price of consultation, packages, insurance and payment affects how people perceive you.
Place
Place refers to where and how people can find you. This could be your physical location, website, booking app, WhatsApp and Google listing. Many people will find you on their phone first.
Promotion
Promotion is how people know you exist. Whether this is through social media, paid search, content, reviews, word of mouth and community events. Effective promotion will educate people. A clinic that explains procedures well will gain more trust than one that just shouts about their discounts.
People
This is often the deciding factor in whether you win the sale. Whether it’s the doctors, nurses, receptionists, waiters or bank tellers, they are part of your service. Getting a friendly welcome from the front desk can be just as important as the treatment.
Process
The process refers to how your service is delivered. People don’t like confusion. A simple and easy process makes people feel respected. A complicated process makes people feel like a red flag.
Physical Evidence
As people can’t touch the service before purchasing, they will want to see some evidence. This could be clean rooms, professional signs, a nice website, online reviews, certifications and even your uniforms. This is why people, process and physical evidence in service marketing are important to focus on. These are often the 3Ps most businesses neglect.
Why are the 7Ps important in service marketing?
As services are built on trust, there are lots of little cues that give people trust. Using the 7Ps gives you a checklist to ensure they’re all covered. If they all work together people will feel confident. If even one falls down it can affect the rest.
An example could be a restaurant with amazing food (product), but a confusing booking process (process) and un-friendly staff (people). Rarely will they win due to the food.
Examples of the 7Ps
Let’s look at some examples of the 7Ps of service marketing.
7Ps of service marketing in healthcare / hospitals
Product: Specialised care, diagnostics and preventative check-ups.
Price: Clear packages and insurance advice.
Place: Easy to find and book online.
Promotion: Educational videos, patient stories and Google reviews.
People: Caring doctors and training in front of the house.
Process: Quick waiting times, simple payments and follow-up reminders.
Physical Evidence: Clean facilities, accreditations and trustworthy websites.
7Ps of service marketing in hotels / restaurants
People: Housekeeping and front of house team.
Physical Evidence: Lobby, images online and guest reviews.
Process: Smooth check in/out.
7Ps of service marketing in banks
Banks sell trust. Product: Range of accounts and loans. Process: Fast administration. People: Relationship managers that explain things clearly. Physical Evidence: Branch and secure mobile app.
These examples show that the 7Ps of marketing are the same, however depending on your industry you’ll be using them differently.
How to use the 7Ps in your service business
A simple starting point is:
Honestly assess each P. Score each on a scale of 1-10 from the perspective of your customer.
Focus on improving the lowest P. Often this will be Process or Physical Evidence. These are both easily improved.
Ask real customers. Rather than having a long meeting, a quick feedback call will teach you more.
This is the basics of the marketing mix for service businesses. You don’t need to improve everything straight away. Just identify your weakest link and improve it.
Don’t forget local SEO!
A common mistake service businesses make is not focussing on local SEO. This is because the 7Ps won’t work unless the right people can find you. Most services will be local.
When someone searches for a dermatologist near me or “best dental clinic in Madurai,” Google will decide who comes up. To improve your local SEO:
- Claim your Google Business Profile and fill in all the details accurately including opening times, images and services.
- Get real reviews and respond to all.
This helps improve your Place, Promotion and Physical Evidence. Having a strong Google listing will be your online front of house. For hospitals and clinics it will often determine who gets called.
How D-Medva Can Help With Your Healthcare Brand
Understanding the 7Ps of service marketing is one thing. But putting them into practice can be difficult when you’re busy with treating patients.
This is where we can help. We are a healthcare marketing and branding agency that specialise in helping hospitals, clinics and doctors in India reach the patients they need. We don’t treat healthcare as any other industry. Patients are making decisions about their health and your marketing should reflect this.
What to expect from us:
- Honest communication to build trust. We won’t pushy sell.
- Quality work with a clear strategy. We’ll create a brand, improve local SEO, content and digital campaigns that reflect your speciality and city.
We’ll look at your entire service journey from the initial Google search to the follow-up. This means all 7Ps will work in your favour. If you’d like more guides like this, check out our blog.
FAQs
What are the 7Ps of service marketing?
They are Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process and Physical Evidence. They are an extended marketing mix for service businesses.
What is the difference between 4Ps and 7Ps of marketing?
The 4Ps are for physical products. The 7Ps add People, Process and Physical Evidence as services are provided by people, are experiential and can’t be touched.
Why are the 7Ps important in service marketing?
They help you see all the points where customers will form an opinion about you. Improving all 7Ps will build trust which is what you’re selling as a service business.
Can the 7Ps be used in hospitals and clinics?
Yes! The 7Ps of service marketing in healthcare are particularly useful as patients will look at the doctors, process, cleanliness and reviews before booking.
Is there a 7Ps of service marketing PDF?
Many universities and marketing sites will offer free PDFs. But this is just a summary. The true value comes from applying each P to your business.
How does local SEO relate to the 7Ps?
Local SEO improves your Place, Promotion and Physical Evidence by making it easy for local customers to find you, see your reviews and trust your listing.
Final Thoughts
Going back to the 2 clinics. The busy one was likely not luckier or cheaper. They made people feel safe throughout their entire journey.
This is what the 7Ps of services marketing are all about. Ensuring nothing in their journey makes them question you.
Start with one P this week. Improve it. Then the next. Over time you’ll build up trust. This is what will fill your waiting rooms, hotel rooms and bank branches.
If you’re a healthcare provider looking for a partner that understands this, visit D-Medva to see how we can help your practice grow with honesty, quality and care.
