How to Develop Your Marketing Skills | Sales & Marketing Training
Everywhere I go, professionals ask, “Why should we market now? We have more business coming in the door than we can handle. Our phone is ringing off the hook.” Why would you want to motivate your partners and staff to help grow your firm if you are already busy?
What Smart Partners Say?
Here’s what the top partners of many leading firms tell me.
“Now is the best time to train the future owners of our firms to grow the practice. We have the cash flow to invest in marketing and training.”
“During good times, we must become very selective as to the new clients we take. We must restrain ourselves to accept only the cream of the callers.”
“During good times, we can afford to outsource some of our low-end clients and add clients who are more profitable and fun to work with.”
“During good times and staff shortages, some of our competitors are not giving the best in client service. Some of these clients can be persuaded to come try us out.”
What Smart Associates and Staff Say?
“By learning to market, I can have more control over whether I make partner or not.”
“If I just stay in the ‘back room’ and do the work, I will only be one-dimensional as a professional and won’t be contributing fully to the firm.”
“The easiest way to get to do the kind of work I like, instead of whatever I happen to be assigned, is to develop the work myself. Besides, I like to think that certain clients are ‘mine.’”
“As staff, my own job security and bonuses are better if I work for professionals who are doing well.”
“Things are more interesting around here when there are new clients with new problems instead of the same old stuff.”
“When I make myself more valuable by cultivating relation- ships with clients and handling routine stuff myself, I feel better about myself AND I get more recognition and rewards.”
Conclusion
Take a cue from our profession’s leaders and develop your personal marketing skills. When you become a professional who can also market, you will be the master of your destiny.
