Marketing Professional Services

Consulting

• Marketing Audits

When a firm’s marketing system isn’t producing the results desired, sometimes the reasons aren’t completely obvious.  Sometimes the firm’s success rate is less, and they believe they need help in better proposals and presentations.  Yet the problem could be that the firm is sitting in declining markets.  Or, the firm may create brilliant proposals and presentations … but may not be cultivating a strong relationship beforehand.  (Clients have been known to give one firm’s ideas to the firm with whom they’re most comfortable, as that becomes a “win-win” for the client.)

An audit’s duration varies with firm size and the number of people involved in its marketing efforts.  Typically, one to three days are required to interview people and review material.  The result:  a report that highlights what the problems are, why those are the problems, and what the firm needs to do to correct the situation.

Marketing audits are conducted by Dr. Rose, Ms. Duncan, or both … if needed.

• Strategic Market Planning

Firms with the highest profit and lowest cost of sale are usually firms sitting in the strongest growth markets.  “A rising tide lifts all ships.”  Rather than “How much will your services cost?” clients will ask, “How quickly can you do this work for me?”  The process for identifying the best markets for your firm – and for detailing the specific steps to take to yield a flow of work from those markets – has three phases …

 

1. A client focus group

We all carry enormous sets of perceptions about all sorts of things.  Your process begins with a three-hour focus group of 15-25 clients – with no two of the same type – and “knowledgeable third parties.”  You’ll see an enormous array of potential growth markets … which is then narrowed, using proven criteria, to those markets which do, in fact, have the most future potential.

2. Market verification

Because some focus group participants think a specific market will be “hot” doesn’t make it so.  For the select group of markets that do seem to have the most potential for your firm, you’ll now increase the “level of confidence” through both statistical research and through in-depth interviews with a variety of people in each market.  Once the “story” of the market’s likely future condition becomes stable, that market’s actual future performance becomes quite predictable and reliable.

3. Tactical action planning

In a retreat with key personnel, you’ll learn what the future performance of your select future markets will be.  You’ll be guided to a selection of markets that are both strong and fit comfortably within your firm’s culture.  Then you’ll shift to sets of specific tactics you can use to either penetrate a new market or strengthen your position and your returns from your existing markets.

Firms that execute the tactical plans that emerge from this process tend to enjoy a strong flow of desired new business, with both technical and financial satisfaction.