5 Best Practices To Generate New Business

"We've had success, but I believe we could do so much better," said the vice president of marketing as he looked over the documents laid out on the boardroom table. We had spent the previous two hours analyzing the results of the firm's marketing and business development programs from the trailing 18 months. "There is no doubt that we can generate interest," he continued, "but it's our close rates that suffer. Got any ideas?"

6 Lessons For Making Your Band Work With The B-To-B Buying Cycle

While radio ads and cool logos can lure consumers to buy a coffee, the same doesn't hold true for buyers of professional services. These professional buyers have complex and methodical processes and may take several years before signing a contract.

How Poor Quality Online Video Can Hurt Your Brand

"We developed these videos for just a few hundred dollars apiece," said the vice president of marketing, "but we've gotten less-than-positive responses from clients and partners who've seen them. What do you think?"

Lead Generation Or Client Acquisition: Which Do You Need?

"I just don't think we're doing this social media program right," said the vice president of marketing, with a strained look on her face. "I've had my top people blogging, and we've all joined social networks. Frankly, it's been more of a reunion, catching up with old friends and colleagues, than a business development success. I'm beginning to think this is a waste of time. The results are much lower than we expected."

Podcasts: Powerful Marketing And Sales Tools

I pushed open the restaurant door, stepped into the waiting area, and looked for the prospective client with whom I'd set the meeting. He approached me first and extended his hand. After being seated and ordering lunch he said to me, "It's amazing. You sound just like your podcasts." It seemed as if he already knew me, which was a strange feeling because it was the first time we'd met in person.

Thought Leadership: Why Every Professional Services Firm Must Demonstrate It

"This is what I'm talking about," said the CEO, waving his firm's latest advertisement in the air. "We spent over twelve grand on this ad and got not one lead out of it." He slammed the trade publication down on the table. His very successful professional services (PS) firm had hired an award-winning ad agency to help them go to market. Six months into the campaign he was frustrated and called me in to assess what was going wrong.

6 Steps For Creating Thought Leadership Your Prospects Will Want And Want More Of

The Executive VP laid them out on the boardroom table, one by one, seven of their most recent white papers. "We spent weeks developing these" he said, a worried look crossing his face. "Downloads get worse every day. But the real problem is that no one mentions them in the sales process any more. Frankly, I think our sales force is losing confidence in them. What should we do?"

Control Your Firm's Destiny: The Power Of Building A Professional Services Brand

Benjamin Franklin played a critical role in the American Revolution. He traveled to France as an old man and secured money, munitions, and military expertise. Without these, it is unlikely colonial militias could have prevailed against a far more organized and fortified opponent. So how is it that a doddering old man pulled off this brilliant feat of diplomacy and foreign aid? Was it his eloquence? His intelligence? His personal suave? No. It was his reputation.

The 6 Elements For Building A Strong Professional Services Brand

I stepped off the elevator into the fourth floor lobby, an attractive environment with plush leather chairs, an oak reception desk and a large logo on the wall. I walked into the conference room, where a long wooden table with high-back chairs stretched out before me, and I waited for the CEO. When he entered the room, he got right to the point.