Marketing and business development toolkit for 2016

Marketing and business development toolkit for 2016

February 10, 2016 | Posted in: Business Development Strategy | Tags: business development trends

What activities and approaches should be in your professional services firm’s marketing and business development toolkit for 2016?

We’ve created a handy infographic comparing old and new tools. Old ways are not necessarily the wrong way, but there are newer – and often more effective – activities that are worth considering, and which might just prove the right way for your professional services firm.

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(Click on image to open full-sized version. If you can’t view the image, scroll down for the text version.)

Infographic designed by JMA Visual Communications Consultant, Alison Garling.

Marketing and business development toolkit infographic in words

Old way	vs	New way
Branding & rebranding		Positioning
Attempting mass appeal – everything for anyone		Niche specialist appeal as a visible expert
Scattergun approach to see what sticks		Deliberate, planned, measurable campaigns & pursuits with RoI attached
Feeling it’s crass to ask for work		Adapting best practice sales techniques for a professional services setting to win work
Basic, static, brochure-style websites		Dynamic, SEO & content rich websites
Mass market print advertising		Shareable digital content & education marketing
Hardcopy newsletters		Blog posts
Whitepapers		Thought leadership videos
Relying on the “old boys network”		Mentoring & BD skills training programs for early career professionals
General print brochureware		Highly tailored capability statements & client service plans
Hourly rates		Alternative & value-driven pricing options
Boozy lunches		Targeted educational breakfast seminars
Interruption marketing (unsolicited direct mail & cold calling)		Inbound & permission education marketing to create need recognition & qualified leads
Billable hours targets		Activity as well as financial goals
Paid sponsorship		Speaking gigs
Paid directories (Legal rankings & Yellow pages)		Being found & connecting on social media
Written references		LinkedIn endorsements
No client feedback program		Published client survey results
Promotional merchandise & gifts		Corporate social responsibility
Christmas cards		Donations to charity
Difficult to read slabs of text		Data visualisation & infographics

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