{"id":23510,"date":"2012-10-14t05:35:34","date_gmt":"2012-10-14t09:35:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/48e130086c.nxcli.net\/?p=23510"},"modified":"2024-09-01t14:49:23","modified_gmt":"2024-09-01t18:49:23","slug":"the-four-cornerstones-to-building-a-marketing-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.g005e.com\/2012\/10\/14\/the-four-cornerstones-to-building-a-marketing-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"the four cornerstones to building a marketing culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

what it takes to win in a professional services marketing 3.0 world.<\/strong><\/p>\n

by bruce w. marcus<\/em><\/p>\n

building a marketing culture is a process that requires\u2026.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. top management support<\/li>\n
  2. good marketing professionals<\/li>\n
  3. marketing education of appropriate firm professionals<\/li>\n
  4. a sound and professional marketing structure within the firm<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    let’s look at each.<\/p>\n

    1. management support<\/strong><\/p>\n

    merely to have the managing partner say, \u201cok, let\u2019s do it\u201d is not enough. whatever the management style \u2013 lead by example, exhort, mandate \u2013 it\u2019s not the same thing as being able to understand and then explain why marketing activities are essential for the growth of the firm; that people will be rewarded for marketing activities; that a measure of non-billable hours applied to marketing is not only acceptable but cherished; that marketing activity is a factor that contributes to measuring partners, associates, and other professional staff compensation. top management support means inculcating into the firm the concept that in all professional activities, the client is at the core. top management support means more than acceptance of marketing \u2013 it means leadership.<\/p>\n

    \"bruce<\/a>
    bruce w. marcus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    good marketing professionals<\/strong><\/p>\n

    someone once said that if you\u2019re smart enough to be an accountant, you\u2019re smart enough to do your own marketing. sure. and you\u2019re probably smart enough to be a nuclear physicist \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t make you one.<\/p>\n

    marketing may not be nuclear physics, but it is a profession with its own practices, experiences, skills, and techniques. the good marketing professional is trained in the tools and mechanics of marketing, in its ideas and concepts, in its highly focused point of view. experience tells the marketing professional what may work and what may not work. if the marketer is imaginative and deft in using imagination, you get a program that\u2019s thoughtful and specifically relevant to your needs. and the good marketer understands your profession and its needs.<\/p>\n

    the good marketer understands the distinctive nature of accountants, and is capable of working well with them. he or she has more than a passing understanding of the legal or accounting profession — how it functions, how it serves clients, how the firm is structured, and the professional wishes of the partners and staff. and understands as well the character and personality of the accountant. as a professional, the good marketer belongs to, and is active in, aam \u2013 association of accounting marketers, benefiting from the experience of peers, and contributing as well.<\/p>\n

    the good marketing professional is also a teacher, who knows how to impart the meaning and techniques of marketing skills to accountants who are not themselves trained marketers. the good marketer is a leader, capable of leading professionals in marketing activities and concepts, and of managing marketing staff. as a communicator, the marketer must establish and maintain a good working relationship with the partners and staff, and keep them informed of marketing activities and aware of each professional\u2019s responsibilities in the marketing program.<\/p>\n

    remember, the tools of marketing are available to everyone. what counts, then, is the experience and imagination the marketer brings to those skills. its more than the sum of the skills and mechanics, it\u2019s the artistry with which they\u2019re used. when you\u2019re hiring a marketing professional, then, don\u2019t hire the mechanic \u2013 hire the artist.<\/p>\n

    the professional\u2019s role<\/strong><\/p>\n

    the marketing professional can build the marketing program that enhances name recognition and reputation, and that can project the accountants\u2019 skills and special capabilities, but ultimately, the client has to meet the person or people who are going to perform the legal or accounting service. the bond between client and practitioner — the trust needed in a professional relationship — is a personal relationship that no salesperson can engender for a professional.
    \nbut the marketing activities that the accountant can do, particularly under the aegis of the marketing professional, are essential. for example\u2026<\/p>\n