Training the Next Generation

The world is changing fast and, as it has in the past, the future belongs to the young.  The professional services industry has seen an influx of young talent, especially in the areas of marketing and business development. 

While they might be technologically superior to the boomers they work with, have the next generations received the training in marketing and business development that will make them the new superstars?  Higher education still teaches the disciplines that makes them competent in their chosen field of practice.  However, the curriculum in these schools does not include much in the areas of marketing and business development.  For example, Marketing 101 never convinced an owner to hand over a million dollars for the design of a new building.

Do the best schools of architecture, engineering or law feature courses for future practitioners to develop the skills needed to build business at their firms.  Do marketing schools for the non-professionals spend much time in the professional services arena or is there a more general, one size fits all approach to their students?

The Generation Y and Xers come into your organization with different expectations than boomers did.

In fact, while most professional services firm passed on their marketing and business development secrets to the next generation, today a “smart gap” might exist.  The economic downturn and loss of talent through cutting resources has something to do with it.  The ability of multiple generations in the workforce to speak the same language is another.  The new generation might already believe they have a better way of doing things and don’t need the “old school” approach. 

Generation X has been defined as the “latchkey” generation.  They are cynical to say the least.   They also challenge authority and question everything.  On the positive side they are adaptable to change and are independent. Generation Y has been defined as the “internet generation”.  They are hopeful, but they also had parents who provided everything for them.  They were the protected generation and the beneficiaries of “soccer moms”.  Gen Ys need supervision but they are great team players, have a
“can do” attitude and thrive on multi-tasking.

Everyone knows there are generational differences.  How does this impact your organization when it comes to marketing and business development?   They have been working in your firms for the last 10 years and you have survived.  You have probably taken the “if it is not broken, don’t fix it’ approach.  If it is working in the areas of marketing and business development, congratulations!  I know from experience that not everyone is patting themselves on the back.

 
How do you create effective learning experiences for these people that will resonate with improved performance?  Marketing and business development is still about the people connection business.  The next generation of leaders in your firm needs to understand why technology must be tempered with “old school” proven methods.  Whatever approach you take, here are some things you need to know about GenXers when it comes to training: 

·         Immediate and meaningful rewards

·         Avoid micromanaging

·         No BS

·         Promote development –What is in it for them

·         Create choices about how and when training gets done

 There are different needs when it comes to training Gen Y employees:

      ·         Develop a mentor program

·         Value outside training organizations

·         Include social media and technology in training programs

·         Value an interactive experience as well as diversity

 

Why do clients buy your services?  The answer to this question is at the root of any training program for your employees as they embark into the business development and marketing disciplines.  However new skills are never learned until attitudes and behaviors change.  Maybe it is time to take a different approach to how the next generation will lead and prosper your firm.  You can no longer hand someone a bunch of project photos, a 30-second elevator speech and expect them to succeed.

The 2013 Paradigm Shift in Selling Professional Services

You have passed the mid-point of 2013 and what is happening to your resolution to capture more business this year. This article is intended to create a framework for evolving your 2013 marketing and business development strategies to encompass changes in markets and client preferences.  There is still time for your firm to achieve success in 2013.

I propose five themes that impact every engineering, architecture, CPA and law firm.  The combined effect represents the 2013 paradigm shift in selling professional services.

1.       Sun Tzu Meets Social Media

The Art of War has been the subject of numerous business books over the past 30 years.  The strategies and tactics employed by General Sun Tzu have been used by countless professional services firms to defeat competition, gain new clients and win business.  Firms today who are expanding their social media presence can benefit from another reading of this book.  Sun Tzu believed that strategy was not simply working through an established list, but rather that it requires quick and appropriate responses to changing conditions.  Changing conditions are the essence of our markets today.   Developing new relationships with prospects is probably the best outcome for using social media to sell your services. Using the Art of War as a map in developing your social media strategy will help guide you to success in winning more business in 2012. 

2.       Training Improves Business Development Outcomes

Training has been down across the board for professional services firms over the last four years.  There are two primary reasons why most firms don’t embrace business development training.  Management believes, “we have been there and done that and it wasn’t effective.” When professionals tasked with selling are told about another training program, their response is, “here we go again.”  The response is related to the process and approach taken by most firms.  The process of bringing in a consultant in for one or two days to train key staff and motivate them is not always effective because behaviors and attitudes are not changed.  The enthusiasm fades in a couple of days and people go back to the way they have always done things.  Business Development Professionals does two things differently.  First, we research the company and give the people attending the class a homework assignment prior to the training.  Since it takes 30 days to build a habit, we are now providing a 30-Day Training Reinforcement tool.   Those two differences along with our customized approach to training, are the keys  to our value proposition.

3.       It’s 2013, Do You Know Where Your Value Proposition Is?

A number of years ago McGraw Hill ran a print ad promoting their magazines that featured a businessman sitting on a chair in an empty room.  The text read, “I don’t know you, your company, or  its services.  Now what is it that you are trying to sell me.”  Do clients see you as distinct from your competitors?  In order to be on the top of your clients’ minds, your message needs to be important to them.  Finally, your clients and prospects need to believe that you can deliver on your promises.   In a recent survey of business-to-business clients, the overall value a firm could deliver was rated number one while cost of services was ranked third on the list of selection criteria.  A solid value proposition virtually eliminates fee from the selection criteria and removes your firm as a commidity.  Has your value proposition ever changed?

4.       Do You Nurture a Business Development Culture?

Almost every professional services firm believes that everyone is responsible for marketing.  This is actually code for everyone is responsible for selling and business development.  Does everyone in the organization know what your marketing strategy is and what lies ahead in business development?  Most firms have a weekly “marketing” meeting where only the marketing/business development staff and a few principals attend.  Your internal newsletter might announce new projects, but what about everything that is in the pipeline?  What if one of your IT guys happens to live next door to a key decision maker of a firm in your pipeline?  Couldn’t he help move your strategy forward? 

The other part of the business development culture is in the area of internal communications.  Most firms are proud to claim that marketing begins with how the receptionist answers the telephone.  That was how it used to be.  Today, the telephone systems at many firms go directly to individuals or voicemail.  Do you give everyone a script for the personal message on voicemail?  Is there any training for how people should answer their phones?  The bottom line is helping everyone in the firm take ownership of their role in the business development process.

5.       Giving Thanks to Clients

We just finished the holiday season and many firms spent a lot of time and resources in planning what gifts they would give their clients.  Some firms invited them to a special party or dinner where they were recognized.  These things are great, but are the "one and done" thank you events effective?  Every firm does it, so it becomes the cost of doing business.  For the past eight years I have been bringing a monthly breakfast and dinner to a homeless shelter.  During the Christmas season a few years ago, the director told me that a lot of churches want to do something for Christmas.  She appreciated the help, but reminded me that her residents need something to eat every day.  Clients need to be thanked more than once a year as well.  There are a lot of ways to do this and don’t need to cost a lot of money.  If your firm gives back to the community in areas like Habitat for Humanity or other non-profit assistance programs, find out which programs your clients are active with.  Instead of simply giving a financial donation in the client’s name, consider sending people to the next project.  We have all heard that it is the thought that counts in giving.  Your people interacting with your client’s principals on a community project is priceless.

How does this all come together to illustrate the paradigm shift in selling professional services? In our training programs we like to identify the markets the firm is involved with prior to the engagement and their assessment of each market for the next 12 months.  Higher education, healthcare, governmental, corporate, and K-12 are the markets we have concentrated on.  Our experience in the parking industry spans across all of these markets.  We have seen clients looking for specialists or niche firms to provide services as well as larger firms offering all the required services in-house.  Here is where we see the paradigm shift for selling professional services:

Existing Paradigm	Paradigm Shift
Sell to the client through a rainmaker	Multiple decision makers touched by many
Marketing performance lacked measurement	ROMI requires measurement and strategic focus
In-House staff training  as needed	Corporate BD culture demands outside expertise
Value Proposition as a marketing tool	Value proposition as a key client decision criteria
Client loyalty drives repeat business	Competitors’ strategically attacking
Social Media: an experiment	Social Media: A selling tool
Economic trends cycle markets differently	Culture, socio-economic impacts changing markets

Finally, we welcome your feedback and comments about this article.  Our 2013 Fall seminar and training programs will be built around the content of this article.  Please contact us, if you want to start a conversation about the services we can provide your firm or whether a seminar is planned for your city.

Top 2011 Blog Posts that will Help You Excel in 2012

We all go into battle every day. Some of the lone wolves think they can do this by themselves. Yet, marketing professional services is a team sport. Think of your efforts as creating a collective and relying on the team for the skills they bring to the table. This post is intended to help you help the team. In doing this, you will excel next year.  2011 is almost at a close, and it’s that time of year when most of us reflect on the year gone by. What’s worked? What hasn’t? What should we start thinking about for 2012? Here at the Insight for Marketing blog that means taking stock of blog posts and topics from the year to find out what topics and issues are speaking to all of you.

Proposals 2012: How to Win More Clients

In the event that the coming year is the time for you to throw a business proposal or two out there on a regular basis, keep several factors in mind.

Six Reasons Why You Should Hire a Consultant

Whether you should be looking at a consultant for marketing, business development or in the case of this article, public relations, the reasons for retaining outside services are the same.

Senior Managers are Biggest Roadblock to Effective Internal Communication, Survey Says (originally published on May 25)
Challenges with senior management is the reason many internal communicators pull back from what they believe to be the appropriate course of action, according to a recent survey by the Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC). Among those surveyed, 45 percent said senior managers are a major block to progress in key areas of their development. (Read more.)

What is Branding and what does the mind have to do with it?

Not sure if you saw this already, but Fast Company magazine and Mechanica released a joint survey titled the Branding Forward Project in which 623 marketers participated. Lots of interesting findings, many of which showed a divide between proponents of traditional marketing approaches and those favoring new marketing techniques.

5 ways B2B companies can benefit by listening to social media conversations

When we read about the importance of listening, monitoring and being active in social media, it is typically in reference to B2C companies. Social media is almost seen as “sexy” and a “must-have strategy” for B2C success, yet we tend to hear less about how important real-time listening and social media monitoring is for B2B companies.

Leadership Communication: 6 Steps to Handle Tough Conversations (originally published on March 2)

Having tough conversations and communicating difficult topics is part of a leader’s job. But just like you plan for contingencies in your business, planning how you will communicate difficult messages can improve the ultimate outcome. It is seldom easy to share difficult news, but thinking through your approach in advance definitely can improve the process.

In addition to the variety of topics posted above, you migh want to take another look at the Insight for Marketing posts over the last 12 months.  The information varies from building sales, to creating marketing plans and investing in social media.  Finally, we always appreciate your feedback and questions.  If we can be of any further service, please contact us.  We believe in free speech and our preliminary conversations are always offered without charge.

What Architectural School Didn’t Teach You: Taking Control of Selling Professional Services

Do you know any architects who grew up wishing they could be used car salesmen?  Did you know any engineers or lawyers with a similar wish?  As a rule, one reason people are drawn to professional services is because of their desire to be as far away from sales as possible.   

The above cartoon reflects the attitude of how most people working in professional services feel about sales.

As I was thinking about this dilemma in professional services, I remembered how Monster.com approached this subject about a year ago. I was amused by their  television commercial that showed children stating what they wanted to be when they grew up.  It was a change from normal responses and included children who stated they wanted to become “Yes men and women,” “forced into early retirement”,  and “avoid risk at all costs” to mention a few.  The ad pointed out the reality of career choice decisions that often don’t turn out the way we planned.

I have delivered messages to people living in a homeless shelter that talk about how nobody ever thinks they will grow up to be an addict, homeless, or broken.  When we are young, we aspire for greater things, noble professions, and careers with substance. Then life happens and we are forced to expand our comfort zone.

People who aspire to be engineers, architects, lawyers or CPAs have passion for the profession and talent for honing the skills that are required to succeed.  Selling, however, is not one of the attributes on top of the minds of people seeking a career in professional services. Many firms won’t even use the word “sales”.  They prefer to use business development or marketing, as if these two disciplines were interchangeable.  Management understands the need to maintain comfort zones, if the professionals are going to excel at what they do best. However, management is also more interested in the bottom line.

The great architecture, engineering, and law schools don’t teach classes in selling professional services or marketing professional services.  It isn’t because professionals don’t sell. In fact, changes in all of these professions have caused many more professionals to spend time selling.  They didn’t sign up for it.  Many inherited it.  For others it was a management decision because a person was “good with clients.”  Selling isn't taught because it is not technically a needed skill to practice the profession. 

Today, most firms need their professionals to be proactive in nurturing clients and acquiring new ones.  Does your firm have a sales training program like the one I discovered at an architectural firm I was consulting with?  It was client-centric.  Meaning that management wanted its project managers to get the next job from the clients they were currently working with.  It was a goal without tactics or tools to be used by project managers to move the next project forward.  Another firm came up with a plan to boost profits by having project managers spend one extra day cold calling potential clients when they were in a town working on a project.  In theory, it was fantastic.  The people who know the firm’s services the best, including some industry experts, simply call on clients similar to the one who is being visited and the projects will roll in.  Unfortunately, the project managers didn’t buy into the idea and no one ever scheduled an extra day to do the cold calling.  Management took a lot of heat on that one.

This is an example of “give someone a fish and he eats for a day. Teach the person how to fish and he will  eat for the rest of his life.”  Management thought by empowering project managers to stay an extra day, they were providing incentive for project managers to sell more work.  Were they given a template showing how to make contact calls?  Were they given instruction on how a cold call differs from a project meeting?  Were they taught basic sales techniques and how to handle objections?  Were they asked their opinion of the idea? The answers to these questions are no, no, no and are you kidding.

Some people have an advantage over the majority who lack selling skills.  Charisma, outgoing personalities and life experiences that included selling make it easier for some professionals to accept a limited role in selling. However, even the project executive who can sell ice cubes to Eskimos and is totally at ease in a selling environment still needs to be given some other tools.  When your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.  After all, the Eskimo who was sold ice cubes might have really needed the refrigerator/freezer.

Charisma, for example can go a long way, but might stall out when these selling issues come into play:  psychological, personal, political, business outcomes, risk, reward, credibility and trust.  My book, “Everything You Need in Selling Professional Services, You Learned in Youth Sports, describes the basics every professional needs to sell their services.

The economy, global markets, government regulations and increased competition have created a new paradigm for selling professional services.  Since the hallowed halls of higher education aren’t teaching courses in these disciplines, where do you go? Trial and error or baptism by fire are two options.

Visit Business Development Professionals and see another answer.  For many firms it is THE answer because of the custom nature of its training programs.  It might be your answer as well.  The search is free and only takes a couple minutes of your time. 

Pressure Points in Selling Professional Services

A client asked me earlier this summer, “What do you do when a potential client stalls on making a decision to use your services?”  Most professional service firms have been in this position at one time or another.  Sometimes it is real and other times it stems from the timing and urgency we manufacture. 

We often put our time ahead of the clients timing. So, my response to this question was, “Why do you feel the client is stalling you?”  I heard a number of reasons why this client was not pulling the trigger on the job that my client felt he was best qualified to provide.  He even emphasized that he had made this point several times over a variety of meetings.  It was then that I told him there are pressure points in selling a client, new or old.

Basic first aid has taught most of us how to use a tourniquet.  When someone is bleeding from an arm or leg, the blood needs to be cut off or the person might die.  The use of a tourniquet can be tricky.  If you squeeze too hard and no blood goes to the limb, the limb might die.  If not enough pressure is applied, the person might bleed to death.

Marketers of professional services need to think about the application of a tourniquet when they deal with clients.  In other words, you need to know the pressure points of their condition and your solution.

Press too hard and the project is dead to you.  If you don’t put enough pressure on the right hot button at the right time, the project might flow to a competitor.  It is often a delicate balance, especially when dealing with a new client.

What do client pressure points look like?  It might be time for a brief review:

       ·         Funding available for the project
       ·         Key decision makers and their influence
       ·         Context of what happens after a decision is made
       ·         Consequences of a bad decision
       ·         Outside distractions—family, friends, organizations
       ·         Personal outcomes of a successful project
       ·     The client’s vision

Obviously, there are other pressure points that can be involved in client decisions, but the above account for the majority.  It is not enough to be at the top of the client’s mind today in order for you to secure new business.  When the client allows you to engage in conversation, it is important to know how these pressure points intersect with the services you are offering.

If you put all the pressure on the client’s vision, what happens to the other points?  You see the medical shows on television when someone is admitted into the emergency room with multiple wounds and the doctor is having trouble stopping all of the bleeding.  Most clients are like that patient.  They do not need a single tourniquet.  They need a skilled professional who understands the client’s history, passion, problems and challenges.  Someone who does not apply pressure to manipulate, but to help solve a problem.  The doctor understands that not all of the bleeding is critical to saving the person’s life, but does know where the critical areas are.  Do you know the critical pressure points of your clients?

If you have been the victim of stalling clients, you might simply need a quick strategy tune up.  The SMPS LinkedIn group had a discussion topic last week that asked the question about a process for moving a project forward.  The core of this question is really the focus of this message: How do you apply the correct pressure to the proper pressure points and move a potential project to your firm as a real project?  It is realy as easy as 1,2,3.

Business Development Professionals has a unique training program for firms seeking answers to this question.  The stalling client that was mentioned at the beginning of this post gave the project to my client last week.  With all the buzz about social media, new age marketing and relevant business development strategies, all business is still about people understanding the needs of people.  My approach is simple: Blend old school personal dynamics with social media and professional services pressure points.  The client tourniquet process is priceless. In one day you will change your approach to marketing and business development forever.   

The Multi-touch Approach to Selling Professional Services

There are many approaches to selling professional services. However, the nature of the business makes a first contact close nearly impossible. If selling the client on your next project requires a multi-touch process, what touches are most effective?  Some firms might not think of marketing and business development this way, but at the core it is.  I am not talking about traditional marketing where the firm promotes its unique value proposition, previous experience or specific expertise.  It is not simply being part of Twitter or LinkedIn either.  Although networking is an ingredient, it is not just participating in allied industry events that create the effective client touch.

Start with your next appointment to visit a client or prospective client.  This could be the first touch, if it is done properly.  The goal is to create demand for your services. The intent is not to sell a solution, but to have a 20-minute conversation.   Instead of focusing on an individual consider all of the buying influences—Technical, User, and Financial. This takes the same amount of time as traditional client meeting efforts, but is more productive because it generates results.  What we need to understand is that our clients are very busy and even if we craft the perfect pitch to an individual, it could be the wrong time, the wrong person, or even the wrong message. Uncovering a client's need in today’s hectic and busy world requires a different outlook and process. We need to switch from a hunting approach to a farming mentality.  When the economy was in full gear, the rifle approach worked because of all the low handing fruit.  Today, seeds need to be planted and watered in order for client growth to occur.

Time is the commodity your client is asked to give up.  Therefore, you need to separate selling the appointment from selling the solution.  Your goal is to be client-centric and provocative enough to receive a ‘yes’ for the first meeting. If the client gives up his and his leaders time, then your meeting has to be meaningful.  This is where you must switch gears from traditional marketing.  What do you know about this client? What do you know about the individuals you want at the meeting?  Preparation is key. Combine the answers to these questions with a tailored message.  Take the results of the first meeting to create a program of 6 to 9 additional touches. 

Social media and traditional marketing now come into play with tailored messages.  It can be a tweet of information to follow up the meeting, a LinkedIn message, email, letter or custom literature.  The process is intended to make the client more interested in using your firm than you are in selling them on the next project.  Cookie cutter marketing has no place in this process.  For example a press release sent to mass media can be tweaked to fit the needs of this client.  A project sheet can be altered to reflect the specific expertise your client will benefit from.  Create 3 x 5 cards with the client’s custom information to take with you to industry networking events.  After the small talk, point out that your firm has been taking action on the ideas presented at the last meeting.  Ask the client what he thinks about the information you are presenting.   Feedback has now put your client in the middle of the process.

You always want your firm to be at the top of the client’s mind.  The multi-touch process not only keeps you at the top of the client’s mind, but also positions you as the firm that understands their business needs.  This will get you to the meeting where solutions can be discussed.  Some firms might consider this a long journey for presenting a solution to a client.  However, you don’t want to present the client with just any solution.  If the solution comes before you know all of the needs, one of the decision makers will be able to shoot it down.  The journey also develops trust and allows you to learn more about the client as you move forward.  In fact, you might be surprised that as you near the 10^th touch, the client asks you for a meeting.  The journey that turns your firm into a client magnet is priceless.

www.businessdevelopmentpros.org

Did the Recession Change Your Marketing and Business Development Strategies?

Recession is the elephant in the room for many professional service firms.  While some have withstood the stormy blast of economic trials and uncertainty since 2008, many have not.  Layoffs in the industry have changed the face of companies across America.  Business plans and strategies have been modified, put on the back burner or tossed out.

Firms that took the road to lower fees without understanding the true value of their services are faced with more dramatic decisions as the economy improves.  Can they simply raise their fees to pre-recession rates without clients noticing?  Will firms that kept fees the same while concentrating on core services be able to once again expand services to meet growing market demands? Layoffs and unemployment in the industry have been at all time highs.

If you are familiar with the architecture firm, BLT, you know how they have survived.  A recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer identified how this firm withstood the challenges of the past three years.  As the recession caused several major clients to cancel or put on hold major projects, the firm was forced to layoff valuable employees and close offices.  Despite the cutbacks, the firm hired a new marketing and business development manager who convinced them to move forward with an updated, relevant business plan.

Changes were made and they weathered the storm.  A couple of the projects that were put on hold have been brought back to life and the firm is on its way to positive growth.  The firm’s marketing decision helped, but more important to clients was the involvement of principals in project delivery.

Principal involvement is more than showing up at interviews to close the sale.  Principal involvement has to begin at marketing and business development and encompass all aspects of project delivery.  Management must not be simply a cheerleader for the sale, but be in the trenches when the idea of a project is hatched in the client’s mind.  There are many firms that follow this model.

Perhaps it is the elephant in the room that caused some to change focus.  When the economy was humming, management and principals were “too busy” to spend time on marketing.   When the low hanging fruit ceased to exist,  it was too difficult to switch gears and jump start the marketing and business development machine.  To make matters worse, many of these firms had been forced to lay off marketing and business development professionals.

If you live on the east coast, you felt an earthquake yesterday.  For professional services firms, this was similar to the feeling they felt three years ago when their markets started to collapse.  However, when you look around today, everyone is going about their business as if nothing happened yesterday.  The market earthquake is a different story, but will the recovery cause a "nothing seems to have happened" attitude in professional services firms?  Things are different.  Professional services firms, including architects, lawyers, CPAs and engineers are operating differently.

Only one question remains: What have you learned from the experience of the last three years?  BLT put the experience to use in building a stronger firm.  Others need the help of advisors, with specific emphasis on marketing and business development.  It is time, if it hasn’t already happened, to change the corporate culture to one of business development and marketing.  When the attitude is “ we are never too busy for marketing” and principals have the skill sets needed today to be business development advocates, then behaviors will change. 

If you have been thinking about how to take the first step on the next journey, simply taking the step is what you need to do.  Doing nothing only allows the elephant to keep wandering across your office floors.  Even baby steps are better than no steps at all.  Business Development Professionals has a lunch time program that centers staff on the corporate mission with emphasis on marketing and business development.  The 2012 marketing plans are starting to be developed.  "How to Create a Client-Centric Marketing Plan to Acquire, Retain and Grow Client Value" is a keynote presentation as well as a half-day workshop designed for professional services firms looking to improve the return on their marketing investments.  We offer a number of other customized programs to help firms of any size with their business development and marketing programs.  Finally, if now is not a good time for training and development, when will there be a good time?