| Unless a service provider is marketing his or her services to a new startup business, most attractive prospective clients already have a relationship with another service provider. "We use XYZ firm and we are quite happy with their services" is a response professionals often hear. So how does one "sell" to that prospect? What are you able to communicate to this prospect that will stimulate his interest to want to know more about how you can help him and his business?
The place to start is with understanding the prospect's retention criteria. Knowing specifically what the prospect wants - what his buying criteria are - makes the marketing of services all the easier to achieve. The following are certain criteria service providers need to understand to increase their potential for securing business from prospective clients - even those prospects currently represented by someone else.
Major Criteria
Experience: One of the most important criteria the prospect wants to know is whether or not you or those who will provide the service have done this specific type of work before. The more effectively you can communicate your depth of experience in similar, if not identical work, the greater the chance the prospect will have an interest in knowing more about your capabilities. Since one of the initial sources of information a prospect often reviews is the provider's CV or biography, that document needs to communicate one's work history as it relates to the type of work the prospect needs. Communicating one's education, admissions, professional memberships, and certain personal data are important, but they do not answer the question:" Do I think you can help me and, therefore, do I want to know more about you?"
The more experienced the service provider, the more versions of his or her biography should be available. The CV should be tailored to the needs of each specific prospect and since prospects and their needs vary, so should the biography. One of the primary objectives for submitting a CV is to stimulate the recipient to want to meet face-to face. If the CV does not stimulate prospect interest, there may be no second step in this process - no face-to-face meeting.
Expertise : Of equal importance to the prospect is expertise - the capacity to draw upon one's knowledge of legal or accounting issues to resolve problems the prospect faces. One method for communicating expertise is to describe creative strategies or unique approaches to successfully resolving a client problem that may have saved the client time or money. A one-page case history identifying the client by name (with the client's approval - if you cannot use the client's name, referencing the industry will suffice ), a brief description of the matter or problem the client faced, one-paragraph describing a unique approach utilized to resolve the problem or matter, and a brief description of how the client benefitted will go long way to demonstrate one's expertise.
Purchasing Criteria
Size/Geographic: While certain prospects retain a firm because they believe the matter at hand requires a "name" firm, or because the sheer size of the scheme may require numerous professionals in multi-offices, most prospects do not hire firms; they hire service expertise, normally provided by one or a few fee earners. For those prospects, the size of the firm is irrelevant. Marketing the "firm" to such a prospect is not only a waste of time, it indicates a lack of knowledge of the prospective client. To some prospects, size will be important; to others, emphasizing the large number of professionals in the practice could be a detriment. Match the emphasis you communicate regarding the size of the practice and the number of firm offices with your understanding of the prospect's need for both.
Technology: Service professionals with unique technology resources gain competitive advantage. A client of mine was able to secure major work from one of the world's largest petroleum producers by effectively communicating the service firm's expertise and experience in the use of notebook computers with the need the prospective client had for litigation attorneys with this resource. A firm with every litigation attorney using notebook computers to readily access needed information gave the firm the edge needed to win this major work.
Conflicts: Even though a prospective client is represented by another service provider is no reason to disqualify that prospect for future business. Conflicts happen.The goal for the service professional is to position himself or herself in in "first position" should a conflict arise.
Value of Services Rendered For Fees Paid: Prospective clients ask themselves: "Am I going to receive good value for the fees I will pay these professionals?" Service providers, therefore, need to effectively communicate their ability to provide quality service for the fees they propose. One of the most effective methods for communicating the value the service professional will provide is to offer the names of several clients who will say great things about the service professional. "Here are the names of three clients I encourage you to contact. Please ask them what they think about the value I provide", is a statement any service provider should be willing to offer prospective clients.
Service professionals should have a minimum of three clients who will communicate great things regarding these service provider characteristics: 1.) quality of the technical work product; 2.) quality of service delivery, and 3.) working relationship - "Do I want to work with you?" is a question prospects ask themselves after the previous criteria have been answered. Service providers need to have clients who will enthusiastically endorse them as people with whom the client enjoys working.
Understanding and effectively responding to the prospect's buyng criteria will increase one's potential for new business, even among those prospects represented by other service providers. |
