Book Description
"Clients At The Core is an essential blueprint to helping us all take the next steps. The authors, battle scarred by the evolution of professional firm management and marketing from then to now, have captured the changing needs of the firms in this turbulent new economic era. This is a well-written book that uses plain language to convey practical, well thought-out ideas."
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Patrick J. McKenna, a leading international consultant to professional service firms
"The authors have captured the changing role of professional services marketing and firm management. There is valuable insight [in this] down-to-earth guide to competing successfully in the new environment."
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David Maister, author and consultant
"The book is a masterpiece! Aquila and Marcus have produced the essential guide for managing a professional services firm. They've marshaled their considerable real-life experiences and far-reaching vision into a veritable operating manual for the successful firm."
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Rick Telberg, Editor at Large, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
"At its heart, this book is the running shoe for legal and accounting professionals who want to put the client first. Following the evolution of the industry over the past twenty-five years, this must-have for every professional services firm is the key to leading in the turbulent and highly competitive waters ahead."
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Richard S. Levick, Esq., President, Levick Strategic Communications, LLC coauthor, Stop the Presses: The Litigation PR Desk Reference
"Client selection and retention is one of the critical success factors for a professional services firm, and Aquila and Marcus do a masterful job at educating us on the necessary ingredients of each. The chapters on firm governance and paying for performance are thought provoking and certainly challenging to the conventional wisdom. If you want a better understanding of marketing and leading a professional firm in these turbulent times, this book is essential."
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Ronald J. Baker, author, Professional's Guide to Value Pricing and The Firm of the Future
"Client at the Core is a commonsense approach to keeping your professional services firm relevant in the twenty-first century's client-driven economy. Aquila and Marcus have hit a home run with their insightful analysis and poignant prose."
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Jeffrey S. Pawlow, Managing Shareholder, The Growth Partnership, Inc.
Download Description
"August Aquila and Bruce Marcus reward readers of Client at the Core with an imaginative map for the perilous journey through the twists and turns of marketing and managing today's professional services firm. It is creative and thorough."
-Gerry Riskin, Partner, Edge International
"The authors have captured the changing role of professional services marketing and firm management. There is valuable insight [in this] down-to-earth guide to competing successfully in the new environment."
-David Maister, author and consultant
"The book is a masterpiece! Aquila and Marcus have produced the essential guide for managing a professional services firm. They've marshaled their considerable real-life experiences and far-reaching vision into a veritable operating manual for the successful firm."
-Rick Telberg, Editor at Large, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
"At its heart, this book is the running shoe for legal and accounting professionals who want to put the client first. Following the evolution of the industry over the past twenty-five years, this must-have for every professional services firm is the key to leading in the turbulent and highly competitive waters ahead."
-Richard S. Levick, Esq., President, Levick Strategic Communications, LLC
coauthor, Stop the Presses: The Litigation PR Desk Reference
"Client selection and retention is one of the critical success factors for a professional services firm, and Aquila and Marcus do a masterful job at educating us on the necessary ingredients of each. The chapters on firm governance and paying for performance are thought provoking and certainly challenging to the conventional wisdom. If you want a better understanding of marketing and leading a professional firm in these turbulent times, this book is essential."
-Ronald J. Baker, author, Professional's Guide to Value Pricing and The Firm of the Future
"Client at the Core is a commonsense approach to keeping your professional services firm relevant in the twenty-first century's client-driven economy. Aquila and Marcus have hit a home run with their insightful analysis and poignant prose."
-Jeffrey S. Pawlow, Managing Shareholder, The Growth Partnership, Inc.
Customer Reviews:
Marketing 101, 201, & 301 for Professional Services.......2005-08-31
This book should burnish the authors' already high reputations for having cogent, jargon-free, and street-smart things to say about what it's really like to try to market professional services. An unusual blend of (clear and lucidly stated) theory about marketing, and real-world insights into obstacles clients can throw up--not to mention the high barrier of internal resistance that "professionals" instinctively erect when asked to be marketers--this should be your starting point if you're facing the complexities of marketing in this environment.
Think that "marketing is just common sense?" Think again; it's both a discipline and an art. Aquila and Marcus will guide your hand at both.
Gerry Riskin (co-author Herding Cats and Beyond Knowing.......2005-06-12
August Aquila and Bruce Marcus reward readers of Client at the Core with an imaginative map for the perilous journey through the twists and turns of marketing and managing today's professional services firm. It is creative and thorough.
Required reading for my marketing leaders.......2004-09-25
August Aquila and Bruce Marcus have written a clear and comprehensive view of what every accounting or law marketer needs to know about this new, unprecedented professional services environment. Their book not only explains the new environment, but it's also a rich primer of practical "how-to" advice on all the marketing tools available to the professional services marketer. Strategy is fine, but I find that few books get down to the step-by-step implementation tactics involved in winning new business like this book does - that's one of its best points of differentiation. After reading it, I bought copies for every one of my regional, industry, service line and national marketing leaders.
Aquila and Marcus Deliver Practice Advice for Success.......2004-09-07
In "Client at the Core: Marketing and Managing Today's Professional Services Firm," (Wiley, 2004) August J. Aquila, based in Minnetonka, Minn., and Bruce W. Marcus, in Easton, Conn., a pair of veteran consultants, combine their considerable experience, skill and insight into a veritable strategic planning operator's manual for today's consulting firm.
From the outset, they acknowledge "the professional world doesn't need another book on how to write a press release or write a brochure or run a seminar."
Instead, they provide a new perspective on the crucial subject of how to keep firms relevant to the needs of the marketplace -- mainly, creating clients and building a marketing culture.
They don't get tied up in ideas like "vision," or "mission."
Instead they talk about the new realities of the 21st Century and professions in turmoil: dot-coms gone bust, a stock market meltdown, and a rash of frauds, defalcations, misuse of corporate funds; and then a reformist reaction, still unfolding, that the authors term "a helter-skelter regulatory rush that was at least as punitive as it was appropriate. It would seem that the regulatory garment was cut to fit all, when all don't wear the same size."
"The time is past when just the presence of the professional was its own comfort factor. It's long been believed that the concept of the professional was so exalted, and so trusting, that people accepted advice unquestioningly. No more. The scandals of 2002 and 2003 seem to have bred a diminished - if unwarranted -- respect for professionals," they say.
"Traditionally, professional services have been a seller's market," according to Aquila and Marcus. But now the tables are turned. "It is now a buyer's market."
For today's professionals, here are six lessons you can take to the bank according to the authors:
1. Clients are more sophisticated. They no longer accept advice without questioning, challenging, demanding more reasoning and detail.
2. Because of the complexity of business today, clients demand that their professionals know more about the client's business and industry than ever before.
3. Professional services always function best when trust is at the heart of the relationship, but the corporate scandals of recent years have eroded that trust. That trust must now be regenerated. And the workings of trust are more important in the new economy than in the old.
4. Once the narrow structures of a profession were sufficient to serve clients. But clients now demand a broader spectrum of capabilities. The more broadly educated and well-rounded professional is the one with the greater advantage in meeting the needs of today's client. Clients demand that accountants know more than the basic skills of accounting.
5. Competition is now a fact of life. Clients know they have a choice.
Clients know the difference between marketing promises and professional services delivery. Today's client demands more real service and solutions -- not just a warm personal relationship.
To Aquila and Marcus, the new paradigm of professional services requires a new demand for partnership with the client and new participatory skills.
As they say: It's a buyers' market. Get used to it.
(...)
Focus on Application.......2004-08-22
"Meaty and rich with texture. The authors understand the application of marketing concepts to the CPA profession at a very deep level, and communicate clearly and concisely."
"Every page was another 'Yes!' when reading about the application of marketing principles to the CPA world. The authors nailed it."
Book Description
"Troy Waugh—‘the rainmakers’ rainmaker’—has provided a well-designed blueprint for selling professional services that skillfully draws upon his more than thirty years in the field. This practical, highly focused guide to the selling process can help our firms achieve sales successes measured not only by effort but also by bottom-line results."—Howard B. Allenberg, vice chairman and CIO, BDO Seidman, LLP
Finally, peerless focus on how to break into all aspects of the selling process and the currents of relationship and buyer development. Learn how to build your personal and firm business more successfully. Covers the process of relationship and buyer development. Provides proven strategies from hundreds of the world's successful firms.
Order your copy today!
Download Description
New marketing strategies for professional service businesses
This insightful guide shows professional services professionals like accountants, lawyers, and consultants how to market their services and sell better. It covers the entire service transaction, from developing a relationship to closing the deal and helps service professionals determine where they are in the selling process and follow-through for the best result. With 101 Marketing Strategies, professional services providers will learn to bring in new clients and build better relationships with existing ones.
Troy Waugh, CPA (Nashville, TN), is the author of the highly acclaimed book Power Up Your Profits and one of the most sought-after speakers on sales and marketing professional services in the country. He is also the founder of The Rainmaker Academy, the leading sales and marketing training courses in the U.S. and Western Europe.
Customer Reviews:
Not marketing but selling.......2005-12-19
This book is not about marketing strategies but instead a classic book about selling and prospecting. One marketing lesson to be learned though: Newer use false declarations and dont lie about your product.
101 Marketing Strategies for Accounting, Law, Consulting, and Professional Services Firms.......2005-07-19
Was not happy with the book.
Waste of my money
Not Worth The Effort.......2004-11-08
The book explores some aspects of lawyer marketing but the treatment is superficial at best. Sorry, but I did not find this book helpful
Average customer rating:
- Excellent Marketing 101 Info and Tools
- Marketing Analysis - Top to Bottom
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2000 Professional's Guide to Target Marketing: How to Gain Profitable New Business
David W. Cottle
Manufacturer: Harcourt Professional Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0156070510 |
Book Description
The approach to marketing set forth in this book is more than a sales technique. It's a philosophy that allows the professional to turn the right prospects into great lifelong clients. This book is not about closing sales; it's about opening relationships.
Truly professional marketing is not about trapping prospects into buying. Successful marketing results in clients who are greatful for the help and guidance the professional provides. Clients can discern in expert marketing that the professional is genuinely concerned for the well-being of others.
As a professional, you already have most of the skills you need to become more valuable to your clients and also to become a better salesperson. The suggestions in this book will help you: Be an expert diagnostician of client problems; be good at asking questions; deal with people in a non-threatening way; be trustworthy; be organized and systematic; be good at learning the why; and, be able to get to know your clients well.
This book gives step-by-step processes to help you market and sell services to both current clients and new clients. While acquiring high-quality new clients is a challenging opportunity, retention of current clients is the most important part of any marketing program. The primary focus should be on rendering high-quality service that clients perceive as valuable. Client service and communication skills are covered in this book to help you improve your ability to retain these clients.
This book offers practical guidance in how to prepare for a meeting with prospects or clients, how to conduct an interview, how to offer a solution, and how to obtain a firm commitment.
The biggest marketing mistake most professionals make is that they look, act, and talk like their competitors. Your business is unique. Finding the value in your uniqueness is the basis for improving both your client relationships and your bottom line. If prospects see no difference between you and our competitors, then they must make decisions on the basis of price. Target Marketing provides an effective way for you to soar above the crowd of competitors, expand your services, charge higher prices, and (for accountants) avoid the workload compression problems of traditional compliance work by creating work to be done in the off-season.
Using the material in this book, you will be able to accomplish the following: Decide what kind of clients you want to build your practice around; learn what clients and prospects look for in their professional relationships; see your relationships from the point of the view of the clients; learn how to develop contracts that result in prospects; understand and discover the needs and wants of a prospect or client; and, learn to present to prospects the benefits of your services in a manner that increases your percentage of engagements obtained.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Marketing 101 Info and Tools.......2000-06-14
As a marketing consultant to CPA firms, I acquired the book as a reference mostly for the checklists, questionnaires and other documents found on the accompanying CD-ROM. I was pleasantly surprised at the direct and practical way Mr. Cottle covers so many topics critical to the success of a CPA firm from an operational standpoint. This is good stuff! I pick up this book at least once a month as a resource for presentation topics and background information to support my recommendations.
Marketing Analysis - Top to Bottom.......2000-05-31
This book is an easy read, walking you through a comprehensive marketing program. From the receptionist through the managing partner, Cottle details how each of the pieces should look and act. Though the book does not offer creative ways to seek specific client or to target an industry, it does provide insight into building networks, getting referrals, pricing, proposals and more. There is a lot of detail on sales techniques and step-by-step help on the sales process. The CD had several documents I will use in my practice.
Book Description
Key account management is a natural development of customer focus and relationship marketing in business-to-business markets. It offers critical benefits and opportunities for profit enhancement to both sides of the seller/buyer dyad.
Based on extensive and unique research by Cranfield School of Management, Key Account Management presents a new framework for understanding the development of key account relationships. It incorporates a comprehensive guide to the current practice of key account management, and comments on the challenges for the future of key account management practice. The research was based on in-depth interviews with key account managers, their managers and their main contacts in the customer organization.
Addresses one of the key new areas in strategic marketing practice
Ideal for practitioners and students
Based on the unique expertise of the Cranfield Marketing Faculty
Customer Reviews:
A Good Read!.......2005-05-10
As supply chains get shorter, industries are consolidating and buyers are narrowing their lists of preferred suppliers. This means that suppliers must get closer to their customers and manage their critical accounts carefully. This thorough survey of key account management outlines all of the essentials. Author Peter Cheverton provides a good overview of analytical tools, sound advice on strategy, timely warnings and even a CD with software and planning tools. Without great loss, the manuscript could have been trimmed much tighter, but the author's style is clear enough that the unnecessary material is not particularly burdensome. We highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in key corporate sales.
Average customer rating:
|
The Marketing of Professional Accounting Services
James J. Mahon
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0471044806 |
Average customer rating:
|
Banks find customer loyalty with community education programs. (The Last Word): An article from: Bank Marketing
Doug Adamson
Manufacturer: Bank Marketing Assn.
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ASIN: B00092NM4A
Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Bank Marketing, published by Bank Marketing Assn. on December 1, 1992. The length of the article is 473 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the supplier: Offering community education programs is proving to be an effective way for banks to boost customer satisfaction and enhance customer loyalty. In addition, banks are finding that these customer education programs can help in raising their Community Reinvestment Act ratings. The Bank Marketing Assn (BMA) and the American Bankers Assn (ABA) are offering services aimed to help bankers develop and implement their community education programs. The ABA Education Foundation has recently been established to expand the ABA's consumer education project called the Personal Economics Program and to educate all consumer segments, including minorities, the disabled, children and the elderly. The Foundation offers low-cost videotapes, booklets, comic books and other materials to banks planning to educate their community about banking.
Citation Details
Title: Banks find customer loyalty with community education programs. (The Last Word)
Author: Doug Adamson
Publication:
Bank Marketing (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 1992
Publisher: Bank Marketing Assn.
Volume: v24
Issue: n12
Page: p44(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Bank Marketing, published by Bank Marketing Assn. on March 1, 1992. The length of the article is 910 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the supplier: The Bank Marketing Association's 1992 National Consumer Study on Service Quality in Banking measured and analyzed customers' views regarding bank services. The survey was conducted on a sample of over 20,000 customers representative of the nine census regions in the US. The mailed questionnaires contained 72 questions covering the service areas of accessibility, appearance, clarity, competence, courtesy, features, reliability and responsiveness. Analysis of the survey involved verification of the collected data's representativeness of the US population, performance of statistical analyses to determine characteristic disparities between the different census regions, and the application of techniques such as Service Magnitude, Service Gap, Maximum Attainable Satisfaction, Improved Potential and Satisfaction Impact to the survey data.
Citation Details
Title: BMA national service quality study zeroes in on news bankers can use. (Bank Marketing Association's 1992 National Consumer Study on Service Quality in Banking) (Service Quality Resource)
Publication:
Bank Marketing (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 1992
Publisher: Bank Marketing Assn.
Volume: v24
Issue: n3
Page: p37(2)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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- Cost Accounting (12th Edition) (Charles T Horngren Series in Accounting)
- Cost Accounting Student Guide, 12th Edition
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