This white paper provides insight into the need to create a teaming environment to gain sales in professional services, leveraging relationship and technical staff in the firm to optimize success.

1. 3/5/2011
AVENIR HELPING YOUR MARKETING DEPARTMENT FLY HIGHER
Optimize Three Foundational Areas of Marketing and Maximize Success | Avenir

2. Helping Your Marketing Department Fly Higher 2011
The Foundations for Improving Your Marketing
Unlike other companies, professional services firms are built on partnerships. As a result, you and your partners try to wear
multiple hats. You not only have to take care of existing clients but also manage marketing. Unfortunately, most accountants
or other professionals have never been formally trained in marketing.
Their tendency is to hire marketers who are strong generalists but who
lack some of the specialized experience that creates a great foundation
for success.
The reality is that marketing can only grow in proportion to the level of
attention, power and resources your partnership allocates to it. Without
proper understanding and nurturing, your marketing will remain stunted
in its growth and never become the strategic tool that can increase your
firm’s success. The good news is that you can take your marketing
department to another level. But it takes discipline, attention to detail
and helping your marketing personnel become students of marketing.
There are three areas that provide a solid foundation for great
marketing: databases, websites and go-to-market expertise. They also
happen to be the areas that partnerships do not understand since they
require a specialist’s experience and a strategic mindset.
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Nurture Your Data for Faster Growth
Prospect and client databases are often viewed as in-house directories. And while most firms buy a CRM system to “manage”
relationships, they rarely pay much attention to maintaining the accuracy and completeness of the data so as to make it
“actionable.” To create actionable databases, you have to have the right information in the
system that allows you to segment your efforts and personalize your
communications.
Whether your organization has a CRM or not, it is critical to review
specific aspects of your databases to make sure you are optimizing
this foundational element of your marketing. If your data is
inaccurate, you could be wasting resources and not achieving your
objectives. What most marketers do not realize is that 2% of any contact
database becomes outdated every month. This alone is enough to render a database
useless in a single year.
According to Sirius Decision, a marketing research organization, “The longer incorrect records remain in the database, the
more expensive it becomes to deal with them. In data management circles, this point is illustrated by the 1-10-100 rule: It
takes $1 to verify a record as it is entered, $10 to cleanse and de-dupe it, and $100 if nothing is done, as the ramifications of
the mistakes are felt over and over again.” (Sirius Decisions Research Brief, “The Impact of Bad Data on Demand Creation.”)
To take your database to a higher level, you first have to address the following questions:
• Is it an effective tool for collecting and analyzing information that allows you to both segment your marketing efforts
and be more relevant to your contacts?
• What are the maintenance cycles for keeping the data accurate?
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4. Helping Your Marketing Department Fly Higher 2011
• Do you use list brokers, data warehouses and internal software that can de-dupe contacts, verify addresses and add
information to your database?
Stage One:
The first stage of any data program is to determine the objective for your data. Once you know what you are using your data
for, you can begin to develop programs and processes to support that objective. A basic database exists to provide market
information. This includes information about the industry, the size and potential of the market, and contact data that helps you
market in a relevant way. The first column in the table below is an example of basic information found in the databases of
most firms. This type of information allows you to engage a prospect or client, but only in a generic way. For example, you will
be able to send a newsletter or invitation to the right people.
The next level for a database is using it to gain more understanding of your contacts and their business.
The Three Levels of an Actionable Database
Data To Improve Timeliness
Basic Data Data To Improve Relevancy
(Behavioral data)
IT system (if you sell technology, Last time they downloaded a white paper and
Name
consulting) the subject of interest
Title International, multistate transactions Last event attended
Address Top five issues facing company Last phone call or meeting
Phone / Email Key areas of differentiation Activities they engaged in on your website
Type (client, prospect, Frequency of response to your emails or mail
Competitors
referral source) sends (requires a call to action)
Revenue Top industry issues
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Structure Other technologies used

5. Helping Your Marketing Department Fly Higher 2011
Stage Two:
Having a database that is actionable is key to the future of engagement. Executives are becoming busier with constant mail,
email and phone calls. To stand out requires showing executives that you have ideas and insights that will help them succeed.
To uncover what each executive needs, you have to get to know each person and his/her company.
For more relevant and targeted communication, you need to create an actionable database. This means collecting data about
what type of technology runs your clients’ business, what issues they are facing, whether they are international in scope, as
well as other information that helps you be relevant. This will show your clients that you not only understand their business
and their industry, but that
you can provide them with
pertinent insights.
Content Matched to Data Levels
Information gathering can be
done in a myriad of ways.
Stage Three:
You can leverage survey Timeliness and
answers, meet various Stage Two: Relevancy
Deeper Service line and
department heads in the Segmentation problem/solution
organization to ask specific Stage One: information in response
Accurate Contact General industry to previous information
questions, and create a Information updates, regulatory
changes, cross- viewed on or down-
checklist of questions to ask Alerts, selling and up- loaded from the website
newsletters, selling sheets (provided soon after
over time. invoicing initial interest)
Once you decide what
information you need to gather to provide insight to contacts, you must be deliberate about your approach to filling in the gaps.
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Developing a method for making sure each contact record in your system is complete is a critical part of the process. You
need to have a reporting system that shows you which information is missing from which records. Then, you need to have the
account owner find that information. This could be as simple as looking up the information on the Internet or it could require
calling on the account and asking questions.
Stage Three:
In Stage Two you define the type of information you need to be insightful. But just because you identify certain insights does
not mean that the contact is ready to listen. This is why you need to find out when executives are asking for information or
taking certain actions, such as signing up for a particular webinar. Their actions will be clues to their willingness to learn more
about a subject. Your goal is to provide timely and relevant information when they need it.
To take your database to Stage Three, the most valuable level, you need to collect behavioral information about the contacts
in your system that positions you to provide a timely response. For example, which of your events did your prospects/clients
attend and when? Which white papers have they downloaded? How did they answer specific questions you asked and when?
When did you last talk or meet?
Understanding how people are engaging with you, how often and around what topic will allow you to segment your database
by interest and be “Johnny on the spot.” If you have the ability to see when someone downloads something from your website,
it can help you become timelier in your communication. For example, if you mail or email a case study of a successful SALT
solution within a month to all the people who downloaded your white paper on state and local tax, you are both helping them
understand more about the subject of interest and showing them that you can. This builds credibility fast.
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By setting up your thought leadership delivery in such a way that you can track when someone comes to a certain page on
your website, a weekly report can be run so that you can send that person your next relevant communication.
An actionable database that also tracks your contacts’ behavior allows you to leverage content that demonstrates your
expertise and leadership. It helps you gather and deliver the right information to interested executives at the right time.
Add Some Power to Your Website
Strategic Design
Websites in the professional services industry
are woefully behind the times. Even when smart
marketers deploy SEO and SEM tactics to drive
search engine ranking, it will only get them so
far. Most professional services sites are either
over- or under-designed. Rarely are they
strategically designed to “path”  or lead 
visitors through the site and motivate actions
such as leaving contact information, requesting
to be contacted or subscribing to a publication.
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Usability in design usually takes a backseat to trying to shove all the information in front of the visitor. The website becomes a
disorganized toy box that makes finding anything difficult. Strategic site design provides easy “paths” that will help your visitors
find the information they want and continue to surprise them with more useful information than they expect. At the same time,
it gives you clues about what they are interested in so you can be more relevant to them.
In order to develop a site strategically, you have to think beyond what you want to say and focus on issues your prospects and
clients are trying to solve. This means designing a site around the challenges they are facing rather than around your own
brochure. What is the difference? Presentation. Instead of being all about you, it is all about them.
Potential clients are generally far more interested in a problem they are trying to solve than they are in you. A recent Forbes
and Google study on the online behavior of executives showed that C-Suite executives searched at least six times per day for
solutions to issues they were facing.
Over half of the C-suite respondents (53%) said they prefer to locate information for
decision making themselves, rather than start the process and forward it to others to
complete (26%) or assign it to others to gather (21%). Among non-C-level executives, 40%
said they prefer to do it themselves. (Forbes Insight/Google Study, 2009)
Strategic Content
To get the attention of executives online, you need good, original content that is relevant to the issues of their industry. Good
content is more than an occasional article. It requires thought leadership and content strategy. And it is how you prove your
expertise in a subject.
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Without a content strategy to work hand-in-hand with your website strategy, all you will have is an electronic brochure that is
like an old robot  limited in what it can do and what interest level it will hold. Content development needs to be planned so
that you can continually provide fresh information on a particular subject. This can include repackaged content. For example, a
white paper can be turned into a shorter article or a blog post along with an audio interview.
Content development does not have to be difficult. It does, however, have to be deliberate
and strategic. There is a direct correlation between the amount of content you create and
the number of visitors you are likely to get. Merely developing and uploading quantity will
not produce optimum results.
To maximize your content, you have to decide a) what the topics are, b) what the collateral
elements are and c) when each element should be delivered. Creating an effective website
requires planning so that you can see when visitors move from the home page to deeper
pages to get specific content. Each step can serve as a clue to where the executive is in
the sales cycle and what level of interest there is.
a) Topics
Content strategy means defining the issues you are going to write about and
building a consistent, long-term process of developing that content. This begins
by working with your marketing department to develop a content calendar and
thinking strategically. What are the hot issues? Are people educating themselves
on them right now or are the issues long-term?
Setting up RSS feeds from business publications can be a great resource for
ideas for article or webinar topics. Having a monthly editorial meeting with your practice group to brainstorm ideas for
topics is another useful activity. Even if you do not have a topic three to six months out, put a placeholder in the
calendar and assign someone to do it. As you review your calendar, look two months out and start preparing your
content for the next few months.
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b) Collateral Elements
Different types of collateral elements and media channels serve different purposes. Develop your thought leadership,
not as a single event but as a series of “bread crumbs” that lead your contacts down a path and allow you to align
with where they are in the buying cycle.
When developing your thought leadership, think of it as a “package.” Instead of creating one piece, such as a single
article or white paper, think about developing an article and an executive summary. You can also develop a short
two-minute audio interview and a webinar.
By developing collateral packages, you extend the life, reach and credibility of your thought leadership. It involves
extra work but it will differentiate you from your competition in that you will be more thorough and appear to be
everywhere.
Articles, advertising and public relations help improve awareness and drive contacts to the information when they
start to understand the situation. Offering CPE with webinars is a good way to bring in people who may not be aware
of you. But be aware that they are there mainly for the CPE. Depending on whether you are trying to attract a new
audience or people with an interest in the issue, you may not want to provide CPE.
c) Timing
More difficult than creating the content is knowing at what stage of the buy process an inquiring executive is. Is the
executive just becoming educated on a topic or looking for providers? Does the executive just want to get to know
providers better or need proof that they can deliver what they promise?
Think about developing specific content suited for the different “seasons” of an executive’s buy cycle (your sales
cycle). Typically, these are Awareness/Education, Consideration and Purchase. White papers and articles tend to
attract people trying to learn about a particular situation or issue. Case studies, webinars and client testimonials,
which are evidence of your success, help drive consideration and purchase.
Potential clients who are reading a lot of your white papers are educating themselves. If they then come back to
review the services page on your website, they may have a real need. Another significant indicator is if they have
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many downloads on a particular subject and spend a lot of concentrated time reviewing your expertise in that subject
area.
By setting up the right call to action (e.g., “Get this detailed case study on XYZ”) to capture contact information, you
can start to engage them with more offers on the same subject while asking a question or two that will tell you if they
are ready for a conversation.
Strategic content is one of the most important areas that can have an immediate impact on your business. Most firms do not
take the time to be strategic about the content. Instead, they have each professional develop single pieces, which merely
show that they did their part. Thinking through what content should be delivered when will help you focus more tightly on those
executives who have a need now while nurturing others who are at a different point in the process.
Optimization
Optimizing a website means you have to think about your visitors’ experience. Most visitors to a web page will “look around”
for about eight seconds before they decide to leave. What should they see first? Where do you want them to go? What links
do you need to lead the visitor down a specific path? What action do you want them to take? What syndication channels do
you want to use to drive traffic to your site? What level of content creation do you need to have to have an impact?
Website optimization involves many elements. The most important are discoverability (SEO), appeal and usability. A potential
client needs to find your site quickly, be intrigued by it, navigate through it easily and be compelled to take some form of
action. Once you get those basics down, you can start to think about Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and email marketing
programs that will drive the right people to your website.
Your website will require some “brochureware” but each page, including the meta data, alt tags and headlines, needs to be
optimized for searches (SEO). Making the content concise also helps hold a visitor’s attention. Finally, you will need to
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maximize the use of backlinks to your site, which drive SEO the most. This is why content is so important. If you have been
creating relevant and timely content, you will syndicate it on other websites, which will create a backlink to your site.
Web Analytics
Once you have addressed your SEO, usability, appeal and functionality,
you need to find a way to track the effectiveness of your site. This
requires a regular review of your web analytics reports.
Web analytics help you understand the digital behavior and interests of
executives coming to your website. The number of visitors per month,
average amount of time spent, and where and how deep they go are
great indicators of what is and what is not working both on your website
and with your marketing.
Tying the web analytics to external marketing efforts (mail campaigns,
events, etc.) can become a strategic win and a great way to measure
your marketing. Are you just after more visitors, more form fills, more
brand awareness or more leads? Your monthly web reports will provide
you with important information about your effectiveness.
Other than looking at the number of visitors and a few other basic indicators, such as time spent and most popular content,
most marketers do not spend the time needed to review the analytics and make adjustments accordingly. Being analytical is
essential for optimizing your website and improving your marketing.
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For example, if your goal is to become the leader in a particular industry space and no one is downloading your white papers
on the subject, it is a pretty strong indicator that you are not making any headway in becoming an industry leader. If your goal
is to get more downloads of a particular case study and you have more visitors but few downloads, it means your marketing is
either attracting the wrong audience or the topic is not all that engaging.
Analytics are valuable because they provide direction for more effective marketing and better results.
Developing Expertise through Measurement
Measurement
The many disciplines of marketing work together to maximize the potential for growth. All require reporting and analysis. Being
able to pull together a deliberate strategy and then
analyze the results will create a culture of growth.
Because not all programs are going to work, it is
important to create measurement programs that will
allow you to find out which do and which do not.
Areas requiring measurement and analysis:
1. Market share – Understand your market
share by comparing the number of
prospects in the market to the number of
clients you have.
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2. Market segments – Breaking down the number of industry, or niche, segments and the market potential can help you
prioritize where you spend money.
3. Web analytics – The website provides invaluable information about which calls to actions are working and which are
not. Comparing web analytics to when campaigns are initiated can reveal the impact of those programs.
4. Direct mail and email – Developing proper response measurement and offer conversion will lead to more successful
marketing campaigns.
5. Events – Event attendee numbers can be useful. A follow-up survey program can yield information about the quality
of the event as well as the executives’ place in the sales cycle.
6. Sponsorships – Post-sponsorship brand recognition surveys can help you determine whether that sponsorship is
achieving what you want it to.
With today’s technologies and integration of marketing tactics, there is no excuse for not measuring. A good marketing
executive will want to measure not in order to “kill” programs but to improve them.
For example, there was a firm that sponsored an annual golf event for an important industry. The staff felt the event was a
good investment against their objective for increasing awareness of their brand in the market. They conducted a snapshot
survey of the attendees and the results made their jaws drop. Not only did less than 20% of the attendees have any
awareness of the firm’s name in relation to this industry, but they chose a non-sponsoring competitor as the sponsor of the
golf event more often!
Does that mean they should terminate the golf sponsorship or do it better? Both answers could be right. Maybe that banner at
the golf course and a mention at the luncheon were not really worth the expense but the one-on-one time was. With respect to
any event, you need to look at what you did and what you might improve. The importance of measuring is that it enables you
to evaluate the impact of your efforts and maximize your marketing. This is developing marketing expertise.
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Expertise
Expertise will help solidify the foundational elements of all your practice development activities. The database will help you
focus on the right prospects and clients at the right time. Trends can point you to specific ways of optimizing your marketing.
Your website can help build your reputation, create leads and give you understanding of what is important to executives in
your area. A strong database and website can help you cross-sell and up-sell to clients. They can help you become that
relevant and insightful advisor that you want to be.
With a little nurturing, your marketing department can develop the expertise to help lead your organization to a whole new
level of deliberate and actionable practice growth. But your staff can only improve if you provide them with the resources they
need to grow.
Ongoing education is key to improved marketing. If your marketer is not a student of marketing or is not given the time to
become one, growth is stunted for everyone. Marketing changes every four to five years. There are new channels, strategies
and tactics. General marketers may be good strategists but if they are not learning and trying the latest demand generation,
web 2.0 and advertising programs, they will find it difficult to take your company to the next level. What type of consistent,
ongoing education is occurring for your marketing team?
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Conclusion
Your marketing department and marketing programs will only become more successful if they are built on solid foundational
elements: database, website and measurement to build marketing expertise. These require your focused planning, monitoring
and improvement. Building on the integration and measurement capabilities of these foundational areas will provide you with a
marketing department that is strategic in thought and aligned with the business objectives of your firm.
The environment you create will determine how high your marketing department will fly.
About AVENIR
After years of serving ”top-five” professional services firms, our partners realized that small
and regional professional services firms did not have the resources to hire, develop and
manage seasoned marketing and business development personnel for a culture of growth.
AVENIR was born to fill that need. Our highly successful business model centers on being
your partner throughout the marketing and sales process.
AVENIR Consulting, LLC
6551 South Revere Parkway
Centennial, CO
(866) 406-4146
www.myavenir.com
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