Marketing Today and tomorrow

I read a great article in a recent issue of the New Jersey Law Journal that is every bit as appropriate for the world of accountants as it is for attorneys for whom it was written. Basically it reminds the law firms that they need to be more strategic and innovative in their marketing approach. The use of the same old "tools" from the marketer's "tool kit" such as brochures - talking about how great you are - or a static website that hasn't been updated in months- are no longer effective.

Firms often ask how they can improve their ability to “cross-sell or cross- serve” to existing clients. The first thing that firms need to do if they want to be effective at this, is to accept the idea that cross selling, or cross serving, (which has a slightly softer, more appealing tone) to a client does not mean that they are introducing a laundry list of possibilities to a client just to generate more revenue for the firm.

Business owners crave information, especially when the data helps them make educated decisions about their own company. In order remain successful, they need to see how they stack up against competitors. The great part is that you do not need to be a large firm with an extensive budget to share industry facts with your clients. This is an excellent tool for small firms to use when trying to find ways to add enhance client communications.

At a recent meeting of the New Jersey Professional Services Marketing Group, we were all reminded of the importance of leveraging today’s (and tomorrow’s) technology to help brand our firms and maintain a meaningful presence with our targeted audience. As baby boomers retire, the next group of leaders and owners is going to conduct business and gather information in very different ways than the current generation. The printed newspaper is fast becoming obsolete while bloggers are gathering loyal audiences and a global platform that journalists could only dream of in previous years.

Several years ago I heard a well-known New Jersey architect say that the most important tool in his marketing arsenal was the use of personal thank you notes! The first thing he did immediately after meeting with a prospect was to send a note - or an email - thanking the business owner for making time to see him. he did this because he knew it would take him a few days , or perhaps as long as a wek or more, to put together a formal proposal and he wanted to diminsh the time in between that first visit and the next contact with the prospect.