this is ‘professional services marketing 3.0.’ by bruce w. marcus professional services marketing 3.0 today, we are entering a new phase of marketing, in which marketing is not only integrated into the practice, but actually helps shape the nature of … continued
high performing single-owner firms now focus on digital strategies.
with more than half of solo practitioners planning to step up their marketing activities going into busy season, they will be intensifying their efforts in networking for referrals, spreading word of mouth and providing the best service they can to current clients, according to a new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 analysis.
the complete 179-page study, “marketing and business development strategies at accounting firms – 2012 survey report, with commentary and analysis,” is available for purchase from 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 parent bay street group llc. the study shows trends within the profession, but also distinguishes between high-performing firms and low-performing firms, based on time-tested proprietary 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 criteria. in this study, high performing firms are far more likely than low performing firms to enjoy marketing successes. the data for this report was gathered over the course of more than two years and includes the responses of about 588 practitioners. the margin of error is plus or minus about 3 percentage points at a 90% confidence level. click here to learn more.
hint: the secret weapon is communications skills.
by bruce bailey
guild accountants
while the victor in war is he who wins the last battle, every battle and every outcome is significant (even the battles you lose – we often learn more from our losses than our wins!).
about three years ago we looked at our war for clients by assessing: the nature of our troops, their skills and training, the battlefields on which we would operate and the armaments we would carry.
it doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive.
by becky livingston
social media is everywhere, much like the web site craze back in the mid 90s. so, what is a cpa to do about it? you don’t have time to monitor all the various social media sites available today. you aren’t tech savvy to know which ones are the easiest or best to work with. and, you may not have the marketing expertise to know which platform will keep your services current in the eyes of your clients.
and dozens of possible solutions from staffers…
at a recent staff workshop, there was a brainstorming session to answer some key questions about what constitutes excellence in client service. four questions were placed on the table:
1. how can we make it easier for our clients to do business with us?
the painful journey to a new era.
by bruce w. marcus
professional services marketing 3.0
in the years following bates, accounting firms began a long and difficult process of learning how to market.
accountants were still so steeped in the no-commercialization ethic that they tried to resist any form of marketing. they couldn’t, because other firms had started doing it, and were winning clients.
“the roi on social media is that you’ll still be in business in five years.”
but it depends on your taste for risk. by jean marie caragher capstone marketing there are at least four types of opportunities your firm can pursue in considering new niche growth, each with its own level of risk: 1. market penetration. … continued
and why it’s not product marketing.
by bruce w. marcus
professional services marketing 3.0
the adjectives and comparisons and superlatives so common in product marketing have no place in professional services marketing.
the boast, even when there seems to be a foundation for it, rarely works. but professional services marketing can work when it’s designed to: read more →
for instance: can your firm deliver? by jean marie caragher capstone marketing niche marketing is the decision to use a mix of marketing tools to address a specific target: a niche in the market. using the information gathered in your marketing … continued
three things to know before jumping in. by jean marie caragher capstone marketing you can’t start thinking about selecting a niche until you have a firm grasp of your firm’s current situation. that’s why you need a marketing audit of … continued
it’s not the product marketing they teach in college.
by bruce w. marcus
author of professional services marketing 3.0
accountants have historically not been concerned with the market. they are concerned with being good accountants, and meeting their own personal needs for professionalism. they are concerned with merely getting clients. that was sufficient pre-bates, but not now, because it’s not a competitive approach in a seriously competitive environment.
it’s competition, not technology, that’s driving change in the accounting profession. and it’s just as scary.
by bruce w. marcus
author of professional services marketing 3.0
there seems to be a general impression that the changes in accounting that created the modern firm resulted from the blast of technology that began to enter the professions in the early 1980s. not so.