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    Bringing in new clients is essential to the health of every Professional Services business. As competition grows more intense, companies of all sizes are recognising the need to find innovative ways to stand out and be competitive.

     

    This article has been edited since October 2017 

    Traditionally, Professional Services companies have looked to referrals, networking and events to bring in new business. However, as the buying behaviour of prospective clients has changed and with traditional methods proving to be less effective, companies are turning to inbound marketing to reach a much wider audience and boost the power of referrals.

    Here are 4 ways to drive business growth:

    1. Stand out so prospective clients can find you

    Prospective clients are now in control and they are much more likely to start with doing an online search to find and evaluate your company before asking their contacts for personal references. It’s not enough anymore to simply rely on being available in the real world when needed.

    orange-quotation-marks-hi.png If your company is not found during online research, then you quite likely won’t be found at all.

    Prospective clients are researching their issues and possible solutions online for themselves based on guides, educational material, helpful blog posts and much more. They are also turning to social media and peer networks for recommendations and feedback. In addition, they are investigating various company websites and making a shortlist before even talking to you. On average, buyers are typically 60 per cent of the way to a decision before actively engaging with you. 

    2. Consider the type of Professional Services organisation you are

    Depending on the type of services you deliver, inbound sales and marketing can assist your brand and help you grow. Here are a couple examples:

    Law firm - If you’re one of five companies being considered, which would the prospective client prefer to work with? One that’s average and only promotes its lawyers on the website, or one that offers informative guidance and expertise that values the client’s needs?

    Financial Services firm - An advisory firm needs to be doing more than just promoting the experience of their advisers. Prospects who are looking for an adviser, need to see the organisation as a thought leader when they come to the website. They may like to watch an informative short video about potential solutions before they give you their information so you can follow up and convert them into paying clients.

    3. Provide relevant and informative content at the right time

    When you develop and publish content establishing your organisation as a thought leader, you give your prospective clients the valuable guidance they need to build trust in your company.

    In many ways, what you need to do to reach modern clients is not significantly different to what you’ve been doing for many years. You’re still showing prospective clients why you’re the right firm for them, you’re now just doing it in a different network, online, and with content that attracts new business through relevant and informative information.

    There are huge opportunities for you to easily achieve your business development goals by applying inbound techniques. Inbound marketing creates a way for your business to offer value to prospects without explicitly selling to them and allows you to help them at each stage of their research and consideration. This is usually done through social media and appealing content such as blog posts, white papers, podcasts, social media posts, eBooks, case studies and much more.

    By producing quality content (based on customers’ interests, goals, challenges, and questions), you can certainly attract inbound traffic, which you can further convert, close, and delight over time. 

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    4. Use an integrated approach

    The way people do business has changed and to stay ahead you need to adapt too. Yes, referrals are still incredibly important for Professional Services organisations, but it is necessary to look for additional ways to demonstrate your expertise and build relationships with people before they’ve made the decision to contact you (or one of your competitors!).

    Coupling your product, service and experts with relevant and informative content that is tailored to the client’s wants and needs will help them to make an educated buying decision on their terms. Organisations that follow an integrated approach including the most effective traditional business development and marketing processes mixed with inbound methods will be best situated to win.


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    Ann Pocock
    Post by Ann Pocock
    February 28, 2019