Published in Professional Marketing 1st April 2004
Are you one in a million who chose a professional services career because you loved selling? Do you worry because you’re not the best at bringing in new clients? The process of selling to create new clients immediately creates ‘FOF’ with most partners in professional service firms. ‘FOF’ or ‘fear of failure’ encourages most of them to find something to do that is much more within their comfort zone. The professional has a tendency to defend their actions and not admit errors of judgement.
Selling and marketing are not exact sciences – there will be failures!
The difference between ‘Creating New Clients’ and any other ‘selling’ book is most likely the combined authors 60 years experience within a professional services environment – you can’t talk it if you haven’t walked it! The book offers great value to anyone who has to sell their expertise in what is now a highly competitive field.
The opening pages look at the psychology of the professional and explains why selling does not come easy to them. Today’s professional not only has to sell themselves, but also has to become the creator and provider of the service. They feel uncomfortable with ‘foot in the door’ tactics. They spend their lives being paid to get it right, and see potential client rejection as a failure. All services must be sold morally and with good intent!
What’s on the menu?
The ‘starter’ introduces the PACE Pipeline methodology and explains how to identify actions which will guarantee work from both existing and potential clients, followed by how to plan and manage activities in a balanced way in order to stimulate the flow and grow the business.
The PACE Pipeline is defined as ‘The opportunities for future business flow generated by accumulated efforts and activities’.
The word that occurs again and again is ‘activity’ – and lots of it! No good creating a Pipeline if nothing is going to go through it!
Growth is achieved by creating a plan of activity and continuing to measure and manage ALL of those business development activities.
The ‘main course’ sets out to explain the process of creation:
- How to define the right prospects for your firm mix (defined prospects – are they of the right calibre and are they ‘winnable’?).
- What are the trigger factors that make them change providers?
- How to begin and manage an effective marketing contact campaign with those defined prospects.
- Making appointments with those prospects.
- PACES – the steps to successful selling and understanding the prospective client.
- Selling – the art of persuasion – what attributes skills and processes are required to ‘sell’ successfully?
- How to manage the selling process.
- Strategies which win new clients.
- How to protect existing clients from the competition.
The ‘dessert’ (if you’ve still got room) comes in the conclusions with a question and a suggestion, which I believe (after marketing professional services for 14 years) are the essential ingredients for success. No practice can or will incorporate all the ideas, practices and skills contained in the book, but which will become ‘normal’ practice in your way of working? Your everyday practice?
Pick a couple of ideas that you think will have immediate positive impact and start them right away. Choose small changes in behaviour which will lead to success. With success comes positive feelings and changed attitudes. Armed with these the next steps become much easier and more effective.
This book is a comprehensive review of the process of winning new clients and outlines the skills required for success – it should be read by everyone in practice who is, or will be, required to build or develop a client base, and that’s not just the partners! The last word must really be ‘Just DO something and do it TODAY’!
For more information about this book [click here]
[ Back... ]
© 2008 The PACE Partners LLP London England
