{"id":32143,"date":"2013-12-29t15:19:07","date_gmt":"2013-12-29t20:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/48e130086c.nxcli.net\/?p=32143"},"modified":"2024-09-01t14:48:56","modified_gmt":"2024-09-01t18:48:56","slug":"eight-tips-for-staying-one-step-ahead-of-the-competition-and-maybe-the-client-too-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.g005e.com\/2013\/12\/29\/eight-tips-for-staying-one-step-ahead-of-the-competition-and-maybe-the-client-too-2\/","title":{"rendered":"eight tips for staying one step ahead of the competition (and maybe the client, too)"},"content":{"rendered":"
by bruce w. marcus<\/em> learn to question everything you do. ask yourself the question, \u201cthis is the way i did it yesterday. is it the best way to do it today?\u201d you\u2019ll be amazed at the answer.<\/p>\n in every aspect of life, there is nothing \u2013 not an article, not a process, not an event \u2013 that is unaffected by something else. that\u2019s why everything you do \u2013 large or small \u2013 will ultimately change, whether you choose it or not.<\/p>\n is change a marketing tool? absolutely, if understanding and dealing with it puts you a step ahead of your competitors. and remember, evolution is constant, and change is coming \u2013 whether you participate in it or not. change is not an option, when the old way is made obsolete by competition.<\/p>\n and so the response to the changing needs of the marketplace, and the need to compete, completely altered the nature of the practice \u2013 and continues to do so. in three and a half decades, there has been a substantial evolution. it\u2019s a microcosm of the evolutionary cycle. it continues today.<\/p>\n while evolution can rarely be accelerated, nor its ultimate destination be accurately foreseen, there may be ways in which it can be accommodated. accommodation is essential, simply because control of events, when possible, mitigates unpleasant surprise.<\/p>\n several things beyond outright behavior modification can make it possible for both professionals and marketers to participate in the change process:<\/p>\n 1. learn to fathom<\/strong> those elements, both economic and social, that are currently changing. for example, new technology, including the new social media. even if you don\u2019t plan to participate, learn it. you\u2019ll understand a great deal of the dynamics of new aspects of society and the economy. you\u2019ll spot trends.<\/p>\n 2. don\u2019t insulate yourself<\/strong> from the marketing process if you\u2019re a professional, or from the nature of accounting if you\u2019re a marketer.<\/p>\n 3. if you\u2019re a marketer,<\/strong> try to understand the accountant. this means the people \u2013 the accountants \u2013 as well as the process. the attitudes, the points of view on the clients, the way they think, their values. don\u2019t try to turn them into marketers \u2013 marketing is your job \u2013 but rather teach them how to be participants in the marketing process. as a marketer, you\u2019re not going to change the professionals, but you can educate them within the context of their professions. for example, some years ago, at a major accounting firm, i wondered if an audit could be used as a business management or planning tool. the answer was more arcane than practical, but i learned more about auditing than most non-accountants usually know, and the auditors learned more about marketers and marketing than most of them knew at the time.<\/p>\n 4. if you\u2019re an accountant,<\/strong> you don\u2019t have to be a marketing professional if you don\u2019t want to, but you should know enough about the process to be able to participate in it as appropriate, as well as to understand the marketers and how their minds work. ultimately, in a successful marketing program, you\u2019re going to have to participate in the process and in bringing the prospect into the fold. learn how to do it well. it\u2019s a process well within your training and experience.<\/p>\n 5. read the trade media<\/strong> \u2013 both the appropriate accounting magazines and business intelligence services (like 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间) and the publications serving the industries the clients are in. not just for the news, but for the trends.<\/p>\n 6. when you spot a trend<\/strong> \u2013 particularly one that veers from traditional professional practice (such as moving from hourly billing to value billing, or keeping associates or accountants who are talented but not partner material) \u2013 don\u2019t make snap judgments. not only are these strong trends, but even if you\u2019re not ready to bring them into your practice, they may eventually be right for you.<\/p>\n 7. if you can\u2019t innovate<\/strong>, at least learn to respond to external factors that can affect your practice, your firm and your clients.<\/p>\n 8. competitive intelligence<\/strong> is important. you should be aware of other firms and what they\u2019re doing that you\u2019re not \u2013 but should be. or that may eventually be right for you.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n click to buy<\/p>\n bruce w. marcus is a pioneer in professional services marketing and coauthor of \u201cclient at the core.\u201d this is adapted from his new book, \u201cprofessional services marketing 3.0,\u201d available for purchase here<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n copyright 2011. used by permission.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by bruce w. marcus professional services marketing 3.0 learn to question everything you do. ask yourself the question, \u201cthis is the way i did it yesterday. is it the best way to do it today?\u201d you\u2019ll be amazed at the … continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1340,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2271,5],"tags":[79],"class_list":["post-32143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marketing","category-outlook","tag-marketing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nprofessional services marketing 3.0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n