Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to use a range of strategies to plan and implement the marketing of services.

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to individuals working in a marketing supervisory or management role within a marketing team responsible for the marketing of services. They may work in small, medium or large enterprises and in a variety of industries, including service industries. The services to be marketed could be professional services, services to consumers and business customers, and services linked to tangible products. The unit reflects the fact that the marketing of services differs from the marketing of goods; and that services have distinctive characteristics with implications for a strategy.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Identify strategies for the marketing of services

1.1. Research services  and their characteristics  in a specific industry context

1.2. Identify marketing mix as it applies to services 

1.3. Evaluate consumer behaviour in services and implications for marketing strategies

1.4. Identify factors  influencing customer satisfaction with services

1.5. Identify range of strategies to market the service  appropriate for the organisation

2. Select strategies for the marketing of services

2.1. Analyse market trends  for service delivery and identify opportunities to market the services

2.2. Identify previous service marketing strategies in the organisation, and analyse successful strategies and areas for improvement

2.3. Select most appropriate service marketing strategies and activities  which fit with the organisation's strategic and marketing plans

3. Plan and develop activities for marketing of services

3.1. Record service marketing objectives and purpose

3.2. Calculate costs of service marketing activities

3.3. Select methods to report and measure effectiveness of service marketing activities

3.4. Develop effective service level agreements 

3.5. Assign responsibilities to team members for service marketing activities

3.6. Record the strategy plan for the marketing of services marketing and present to relevant stakeholders

3.7. Assemble required resources to implement the service marketing plan

4. Implement and monitor marketing strategy for services

4.1. Schedule work on each services marketing campaign element according to lead times required for different media, and marketing plan for services

4.2. Brief staff and suppliers on their budgets, time lines, roles and responsibilities, and legal and ethical requirements

4.3. Implement service marketing activities according to marketing plan for services

4.4. Identify and use evaluation criteria and evaluation methods  to determine effectiveness of marketing, and make required modifications

4.5. Analyse success indictors of marketing campaign and record performance according to organisational reporting requirements

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• creativity and innovation skills to identify new opportunities for marketing of services
• learning and analytical skills to:

• evaluate effectiveness of services marketing
• apply this learning to contribute to the organisation's outcomes

• literacy skills to write reports with complex concepts and ideas
• numeracy skills to:

• calculate costs of service marketing activities
• set marketing budgets

• planning and organising skills to schedule the marketing strategy
• research skills to research trends, customer requirements and appropriate strategies for marketing
• verbal communication skills to present strategies to relevant personnel

Required knowledge 

• aspects of consumer behaviour specific to services marketing
• components of a service guarantee
• marketing mix as it applies to services
• methods of measuring effectiveness of marketing activities
• range of marketing strategies appropriate for services
• range of services and their characteristics
• special aspects of consumer behaviour in services marketing
• trends in service delivery and marketing

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

Evidence of the following is essential:

• development of a services marketing plan providing information on the:

• objectives of the plan
• type of service marketing strategies and activities to be undertaken
• budget
• methods to measure effectiveness
• responsibilities

• analysis of an implemented services marketing strategy.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure access to:

• a workplace or simulated work environment
• office equipment and resources
• relevant organisational documentation.

Method of assessment 

The following assessment methods are appropriate for this unit:

• analysis of responses to case studies and scenarios
• review of a portfolio of evidence documenting research, planning and implementation of a services marketing plan
• oral or written questioning around aspects of services marketing
• assessment of reports.

Guidance information for assessment 

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Services  may include:

• financial
• health care
• hospitality
• logistical
• personal
• professional
• social
• travel
• utility.

Characteristics  may include:

• challenges with evaluation
• heterogeneity
• high involvement and personal nature
• importance of time factor
• intangibility
• lack of customer ownership
• lack of inventories
• perishability
• simultaneous production and consumption
• use of different distribution channels
• variability of service encounters.

Marketing mix as it applies to services  may include:

• people
• physical evidence
• place
• price
• processes
• product
• promotion.

Factors  may include:

• attributions for service success or failure
• consumer emotions
• other consumers
• personal factors
• price
• quality of service
• service features.

Strategies to market the service  may include:

• building reputation
• customer relationship management (CRM)
• distribution systems
• internet marketing
• pricing strategies
• promotional program, e.g. advertising, displaying results of using service, indirect promotion
• relationship marketing
• service blueprinting
• service encounters - social and physical elements
• service quality.

Market trends  may include:

• changing demographics
• growing culture of convenience
• growth of information society
• increased foreign competition
• increased internal competition
• outsourcing non-core functions
• reduced government regulation
• technology changes.

Activities  may include:

• adjusting pricing to influence demand
• advertising through a range of media
• instituting total quality management programs
• offering service guarantees
• providing tangibility through physical appearance of the facility
• training employees on service provision.

Service level agreements  may include:

• customer duties
• disaster recovery
• performance measurement
• problem management
• termination of agreement
• warranties.

Evaluation methods  may include:

• customer focus groups
• post-transaction surveys
• relationship surveys
• research on lost customers
• review of customer complaints.

Unit sector 

Competency field 

Business development - marketing

Co-requisite units