Selling professional services? Not my job!
When selling professional services, you can’t simply leave it all to the marketing manager. For any marketing program to work properly, it needs to be supported by an appropriate business development, practical marketing, or sales program (call it what you will). Converting a prospective client into a new client, and potential work into actual business, […]
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Perceived advantage in professional services
Maybe you’re one of those fortunate professionals who has such a stand out service to offer that it’s clearly technically superior, demonstrably better, and so reported by objective analysts and high-profile “industry authorities”. You and your firm have no trouble attracting, winning, growing and retaining right-fit clients. More likely, the professional services you offer – […]
Continue ReadingRevenue and marketing audit to set your firm up for success
Phew! It’s over. Another financial year is complete. Was it as successful as you had hoped? What are your plans for the next 12 months? If you don’t have answers to these questions, now is the perfect time to do your revenue and marketing audit, and get focused for the year ahead. Set your firm […]
Continue ReadingPricing lessons from a Big Six pricing specialist
With the ever-increasing debate around hourly billing and alternatives, and savvier and more demanding clients, professional services firms – and in particular, law firms – need to get smarter about how to manage pricing if they are to remain profitable. It seems inevitable in some areas of law (insurance, property) that it’s simply a race […]
Continue ReadingBetter business development conversations
Hard sells simply don’t work in professional services; most of us don’t like being “sold” to. As we’ve discussed before, building brand and marketing activities are only the backdrop to real business development conversations and interactions. Unfortunately, when it comes to winning work from prospective clients, many professionals open business development conversations using material unlikely to […]
Continue ReadingHow to get more work from existing clients
When trying to develop new business in professional services, always go to your existing clients first. Why? Because they already have a relationship with you and they believe in your service. Many firms mistakenly overlook existing clients when they try to source new work. The return on investment from targeting your existing clients who know […]
Continue ReadingGenerate new business with positive WOM
Having advocates for your firm, services, and people is extremely powerful. Positive Word-of-Mouth (WOM) is a highly effective and low cost way to generate new business for your professional services firm. Our Winning Work in a Digital World research results indicated that word-of-mouth or personal relationships were the second-highest source of new business enquiries for […]
Continue ReadingIs your firm website working for you?
Last year, our research into digital marketing and business development indicated that only 13% of Australasian law firms have websites that are highly effective at generating new business enquiries. At its best, this is what your professional services firm website should be doing. Form or substance? If you think your professional services firm website needs […]
Continue ReadingWhy second place can be better than first
Back in 1962, car hire company Avis was struggling. They had only 11% market share, and hadn’t turned a profit in 13 years. Under the direction of new CEO Robert Townsend, the company launched their famous campaign theme of being number two in the market, with the slogan “We try harder”, drawing positive attention to […]
Continue ReadingTender planning: don’t hit go before you’re ready and set
Does this tender planning scenario sound familiar? Excitement builds the first couple of days after an RFT release; there are even attempts to draft responses, but then professional work takes priority and the tender project quickly loses momentum. By the time someone reinvigorates the project, the deadline is looming and the task is even more […]
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Feature article
Breaking up with a client
Breaking up is hard to do. Especially when you’re considering a break up with a client in the professional services context. Many professionals spend so much time winning or delivering client work that they don’t take time to think about the quality of their service relationships. The arrangement may work for the client, but does […]
