If you’ve ever spent a night in a hotel, you probably remember how each glass was individually wrapped so you were assured your lips would be the first to cross its spotless surface. Why is that important?

These days, it’s not just enough to provide a quality service. You have to make that quality obvious if you want the competitive edge—much like the way housekeeping makes their presence obvious by folding the toilet paper and wrapping each glass.

Unfortunately, it’s not always easy.

People Buy With Their Senses

When you’re purchasing an object—whether it’s a new car from your local dealer or a piece of fruit at the grocery store—you can immediately judge its quality.

Not only can you see quality with your eyes, you can sense it in other ways, too. You can run your hand over the car’s squeaky clean surface or feel the fruit for bruises. You can breathe in that new car smell, or smell the fruit’s peel to tell if it’s ripe.

Services—such as room keeping—don’t come with that option, because we can’t see the service being performed before we buy it. And in many cases, we aren’t be able to judge the service’s quality even after it’s performed.

This makes consumers nervous. They’re worried they’re going to pay too much, or get swindled without even realizing it. It’s the same apprehension you feel when you agree to have some expensive car repairs done, not being able to tell if they’re really necessary.

Proof Of Quality Yields More Sales

If you provide a service, putting customers’ fears at ease increases your likelihood of making sales. Hotels have discovered long ago that physically wrapping each glass emphasizes cleanliness by making it more obvious. You can do something similar.

My dog groomer finishes each haircut with a little bow or bandana, so my dog Bailey looks extra-special when she leaves.

My mother, a watercolor artist, keeps a list of juried shows entered and awards won on the back of every painting. That way, future buyers will know exactly where their art has been shown and how many awards it’s won.

How can you show proof of quality? Do you have examples from other business owners that you can share? Leave your tips in the comments section below—I can’t wait to read how other business women are utilizing this tool.