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| March 15 , 2005 | The
Newspaper of the NYSSCPA |
Vol.
8, No.5 |
Marketing Your Firm
By Peggy Urso, Marketing Manager
In this era of increasing rules and regulations and myriad compliance considerations, new business development may not be at the top of your priorities list. But it should be.
If you haven’t already, the sooner you recognize that your firm is part of a broader marketing culture, the better off your business will be. In this environment, clients may leave your firm for the promises of another, but if you are alert and lay the proper groundwork, you’re more likely to retain your current customers and attract new business.
For this to happen, you need to commit to spending the necessary time, energy, staff resources and money on marketing your services, your distinctive firm qualities and your commitment to client satisfaction. It’s a competitive environment. You need to make an appearance and leave your mark. You need to be out there telling your story, before someone else tells theirs.
Through the efforts of all your firm employees, from the partners to the receptionist who answers the phone, communicate what your firm stands for. There are many ways to do this: new business presentations, educational seminars, company newsletters, sponsorships (educational, sports, community-wide) and serving on a local nonprofit board. Understand the needs of the marketplace, and respond to them. Understand that time spent on marketing is not a waste of billable hours, but the tool to bring you more billable hours down the road. Encourage a one-firm culture in which clients belong to the firm, not to individual partners.
Most professions market themselves. Bankers, lawyers, dentists and doctors all recognize the benefits that come from positioning themselves in the public eye. Through a marketing program, guided by a marketing plan, you bring your firm to the attention of potential clients, informing them of the services your firm provides, the professional culture your organization embodies, and the successes your firm has achieved. Marketing helps your firm stand out from the pack, and that’s exactly what you want to happen.
