Our business, unlike other consulting practices, is project-based. Consequently to grow we are always in new business mode. As busy as we get with our clients, we are always seeking the next project. Behind serving clients, new business is my number two job. Yet it is the most important activity to the success and growth of our firm. I want my investment in marketing to pay big dividends.
Consequently, we must market our services with the same skill and discipline we provide our clients. How we engage with prospective clients is a big clue as to how well we will serve them when they become clients. All of this has led me to some interesting observation on how we as a firm, and as a profession, gain greater understanding as to what motivates a prospective client to do business with us..
WHAT CLIENTS WANT
Now from a prospective client’s point of view, the issues they face and how they engage marketing partners is framed by these facts:
- the average tenure of a CMO is less than 24 months
- only 21% of CEO’s believe their marketing executives are effectively managing their strategic business imperatives
More than ever, clients are pressured for measurable and immediate results from their marketing investment and from the work of their marketing partners. If the work fails, somebody loses their jobs. It is only natural that such pressure brings a lot of fear and short -term thinking into the structures that govern the marketing mix. These metrics grow in importance not only to benefit the client’s business, but also the client’s job security. GIven these pressures, from my experience, clients want to know three things before they engage a marketing partner:
- who are you?
- how are you different from the 76,000 other marketing service firms in the US?
- what does that mean to the success of my business?
Client’s want their partners to have a real point of view on marketing and brand building, on driving sales and growing a business. The simple truth is, clients regard strategy and creative as a means to an end. Most people in our business believe that IS the end. Clients want a desired outcome, the deliverables simply provide a method for getting there.
Clients are just the same as consumers. When there is a problem with the air conditioning system, you seek a specialized pro, not a handyman. If your BMW needs a tune-up, you go to the BMW dealer, not the local mechanic down the street. Inherently, marketers want specific experience from their marketing partners. They want to work with people who are up to speed and may even have more knowledge base than they do. Clients are generally reluctant to buy in to the notion that an agency’s expertise translates to any category. Whether this is correct is not the point, but it is an important fixed perception in their minds. Clients are becoming less willing to risk their future with marketing partners who are not highly specialized in a specific discipline, a specific category or specific demographic.
WHAT WE WANT
PULL specializes in brand consulting. We want to be recognized as the go-to firm for this highly specialized discipline. Of course within this space, we serve clients in diverse product categories. We believe that diverse category experience brings more specialized brand development value to our clients. And it makes our day more interesting. We seek clients who value our expertise and contribution to their brand strategy and how it is to be expressed verbally and visually across key customer touch points.
Our value proposition (point of view) to clients is embedded in our name and in our positioning. Every client we work with seeks the same outcome: more pull and influence with their customers, to grow the financial value of their brands. In an era of me-too products and marketing clutter, this expertise is not in abundant supply. Being of great value to people and hard to replace will differentiate us from the other 75,999 alternates available.
