Know-How Exchange : Strategy

I've found that if you get busy and quickly produce some market research about the firm, they're likely to wake up.

Survey existing and past clients.

Research brand awareness and perception in target categories, etc.

Often, very often, there's a huge gap between truth and the firm's beliefs. I've found this to be especially true in personality-dominant businesses where the egos at the top (lol, no, I mean "the people at the top") have so much time, attention and money invested in the firm that they can't see past all their prior work - work which should never be discounted by the way.

Also, after these research data are known, a meeting agenda of Where We Are And Where We Want to Go is in order.

Discuss the value of the various marketing components you're envisioning - Positioning Statements, Value Propostions to your segmented markets; PR? Advertorials? Custom B2B newsletters? Custom follow up mail to clients? Relevant and current articles and interviews in the business press? etc...

In some ways, you'll have to proceed much as an outside marketing consultant would. Work in stages, present findings, present some proposals, show reports on work in progress and status, etc.

It's also reasonable to assume the some of your work might include preparing talking points that the partners and other staff use at various meetings with prospects, clients and past clients, as well as for use in any/all public speaking moments. Rehearse the people saying the words. I know this sounds somewhat sophmoric, but it's a very workable process, and personalizes the marketing needs and competency of those you're rehearsing.

As a side note: Get some results early. They don't have to be home runs, but incremental gains that won't interfere with the larger issues you'll need to work on.

Your counterpart professionals – lawyers, while not the most adept marketers, they do have a national organization (Legal Marketing Association) just for marketing professionals who market lawyers. I have spent time marketing accounting services and find much of the information from LMA applies to marketing accounting services. Plus, the site might add credibility to "marketing" for your practitioners to see.

Here’s the site:
https://www.legalmarketing.org/

hope this helps

Katie,

having spent six years as an accountant I can answer your first question to "how to educate them?" very slowly and with good meaningful examples. Accountants are very intelligent. I hate to be stereotypical but the accountants I worked with were very left brained and logical so in Rome do as the Romans do. Appeal to their logic. Proof is very important towards building repore. It's hard evidence that wins logical people.

我不能给你太多的帮助在Q2的例子s but I can tell you something about human nature. Since you're an outsider on the inside you need to find the most articulate communicator out of the bunch who you feel believes at least a little in what you're trying to do. If you can find more than one that's even better. Like "one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch" one "raving fan" who believes in what you're doing can help you to evangelize the entire group. You need to find that one person and help them to understand how marketing can serve the best interest of their organization. Katie I believe you can do that. Another idea that might be helpful as you begin to win them over is to invite them to participate in the wealth of knowledge on KHE. Again their very intelligent info seeking types who I believe would enjoy going through the KHE Files. Thanks and is there anything else I can do for you?

Your Servant, Deremiah, *CPE