top firms know the nine tenets of a healthy, sustainable growth-minded culture.
by bruce w. marcus
professional services marketing 3.0
the firms that want to grow and thrive must be turned into marketing machines – to have a culture that understands and supports a marketing effort.
a firm may be said to have a marketing culture when its professional staff:
- understands and recognizes the role that marketing plays in firm management and development.
- understands and respects the professionalism of the marketing professional and the marketing staff.
- recognizes the relationship between what they do and the needs of the marketplace.
- understands and accepts its role in the marketing process.
- understands and accepts that non-billable hours spent on marketing are an investment in the future of the firm, and are not simply non-billable hours.
- participates in specific marketing activities.
- retains and supports competent professional marketing staff.
- structures the firm to develop and pursue a marketing program.
- and ultimately, is managed by people who understand and enthusiastically support the marketing effort.
a firm that meets these criteria is one that will compete successfully, function profitably, and grow.
firms may have their rainmakers – the partner who could go into a revolving door alone and come out arm in arm with a new client. but in today’s competitive marketplace, one or two rainmakers are not enough – if only because the competitive firms have three or more rainmakers going after the same prospective clients that you want.