Marketing a tangible product – something that can be seen, touched, tasted or experienced in some way – is typically straight forward. You can show the product, demonstrate its value and benefits, perhaps give the prospect a “sample” of some sort, and so forth. 

But how do you sell an intangible product or service, something that can’t be seen or demonstrated? The reality is, if you’re selling business services or life insurance or some other intangible product or service, explaining what you’re offering – and demonstrating its benefits – can be challenging. 

Here are six ways to market intangibles and help make them seem more desirable to your prospective customers: 

1. Create trust – Because your prospective customers can’t take your product for a “test drive,” finding ways to create trust is especially important. An accountant, for example, can use her marketing materials to create trust by listing her credentials, sharing testimonials, explaining her methodology and demonstrating her expertise.
2. Humanize the benefits – Make an emotional connection with your prospects by demonstrating the benefits of what you sell. A wellness coach can focus on how good you’ll feel after completing the program. A house cleaner can show how happy working parents feel when they come home to a clean house.
3. Share case studies – Case studies are powerful. By explaining exactly how your company has helped other people just like the prospect, they make your product more relatable and understandable. If possible, be sure to include specific metrics, such as how much money you helped the customer save.
4. Provide useful tools – Help prospective customers see the value in what you offer by providing useful tools, such as an online calculator that shows people how much they need to save for retirement or a checklist that helps them compare your service to your competitors’.
5. Keep it simple – Intangible products and services can be perceived as being difficult to understand. Unfortunately, a person who is confused will often avoid making a purchase decision. To avoid this problem, do everything you can to make your product or service appear simple and understandable.
6. Use metaphors – If people have a hard time understanding what it is that you’re selling, try using a metaphor to describe your service or the problems it solves. For example, when interest rates are falling a mortgage broker can say that “refinancing your mortgage is like giving yourself a raise.”