Professional Services Marketing

Citation

Reynoso, J. (2010), "Professional Services Marketing", Journal of Service Management, Vol. 21 No. 5, pp. 727-728. https://doi.org/10.1108/09564231011079110

How the best firms build premier brands, thriving lead generation engines and cultures of business development success

It is always useful to find books written about business‐to‐business services, in particular those about professional services. Professional Services Marketing is a good collection of practical, hands‐on experiences regarding marketing practices in the business context. The book is organized in 23 topics, which are presented in short sections. Each of them full of practical ideas, recommendations, steps to follow and tools based on extensive consultancy experience. Authors provide data about their own consultancy projects in different parts of the book, putting down to earth those propositions and recommendations. In many sections, they use bullets to present contents using brief descriptions.

The first four sections of the book refer to the marketing benefits for the firm, including the importance of marketing planning and marketing strategy. A web link to obtain an excel spread sheet as a practical tool for marketing planning is provided. It also addresses six “don'ts” in marketing strategy, criticizing some common mistakes companies do to achieve “terrible” marketing strategy. It then identifies seven levers of lead generation and marketing planning, as a collection of quantitative indicators to transform a simple target into retained customers with increased revenue and growth rate.

The next three sections touch upon different issues. Fees and pricing are discussed first. Then it covers four common mistakes companies make regarding competition, arguing they worry too much about it and claiming firms should instead focus more on the client. It then presents three main challenges companies face in moving towards a “get it done” type of culture.

A third building block consists of seven sections about branding. It starts answering the question “what is a brand?” It provides definitions, benefits and effects of building a service brand. It then goes to discuss three elements of well‐defined crafted brand messaging: resonance, differentiation and ability to substantiate. All these based on the strength and delivery of value propositions. Authors also emphasize the importance of uncovering key brand attributes. Nine practical questions about markets and customers are provided to find the strength of the value proposition. Each of the questions is answered giving useful information to find those key brand attributes uncovered. It then continues talking about the firm as the brand itself. Competences, assets and capabilities are discussed as the basis for the value proposition. It presents a service brand strategy model. Another practical tool provided is called RAMP (up your brand). This acronym refers to the importance of customers being able to recognize, articulate, memorize and prefer your firm's brand. It then criticizes the importance many companies give to the idea of being unique and different, and it then challenges other five marketing maxims. Building brand and marketing messages is another topic included in this part of the book. It provides recommendations for marketing initiatives about graphic design and corporate communication.

After the discussion of these topics about branding, authors then argue about two key factors for becoming a thought leader. The quality of intellectual capital on the one hand, and the exposure of this capital to the market, on the other. Eight pillars of the quality of intellectual capital are presented.

The following sections consist of eight topics about generation of leads. A lead is understood as a potential target. The effectiveness of lead generation methods is discussed, as well as outbound communication and research methods, including their description and common errors. Some questions are addressed here. How to transform a potential buyer into a client? What do they have to say? The key issue is how to generate them as leads. In this respect, a practical guide for getting qualified leads includes: budget, authority, need, time frame, fit. The importance to demonstrate value to customers is also pointed out in lead generation, giving good practical tips, in particular, the use of offers and experiences to sell; to get the lead. Then, a section refers to the need of the firm to be present in the mind of customers over time and to keep existing relationships for sustained lead generation. The value of targeting the best prospects is then discussed, giving tactical suggestions to know the market and to build profiles of targets. In this respect, selling with integrity is important. Another practical approach included in the book is the use of the RAIN acronym. Rapport, aspirations, impact and new reality are key issues to transform sellers into “rain” makers (a term used in sales); those who bring big fees into service firms. The final two sections of the book refer first, to networking, relationships and value. It is argued that it is all about the relationship, as the result of networking, based on trust. It then finally, talks about selling with hustle, passion and intensity, discussing the challenges to do it.

The book ends after these 23 short sections. Undoubtedly, each of the key topics covered provide good tips written in a very practical way for the benefit of readers. A final integration and conclusion, however, is not included which could be appreciated by those interested in exploring the topics discussed in this reading as part of a more conceptual framework. All in all, the contents provided in this book about the marketing of professional services is a good and useful source of ideas, tactics, methods and tools for many of us who read Journal of Service Management, who also conduct consultancy projects on services.