If you have a “systematic approach” to marketing, your firm’s growth will be far better than if you use the “fly by the seat of your pants” approach. That’s because a systematic approach is more predictable and consistent in delivering the results you want.
Systematic Approaches Are Used Everyday
Each weekend while watching sports, we see leading athletes use a systematic approach to deliver consistent, and superior, results. In basketball, the systematic approach to free throw shooting used by Steve Nash, Dirk Novitski and Jason Kidd is far more effective than that used by Shaquille O’Neil or Ben Wallace. In golf, Tiger Woods and Phil Michelson use a systematic approach for every single shot.
Whether it’s a system for making a cake, studying for an exam, processing payroll, or interviewing for a job, there is a process that we can adopt to improve our results and give ourselves the best possible outcome. And we do this because it works.
So why would you have your firm go about marketing your services without a system? Building your practice without a sales system is like driving your car with your eyes closed.
Think about it, would you sit for the CPA or EA exam without a process for studying? Would you make a cake for Thanksgiving dinner without a proven recipe? For you golfers, do you putt without a tried and true routine? Of course not…
What is a Sales System?
A system is simply a series of steps designed to achieve a specific result. It contains a set of principles, processes, strategies and approaches to deliver results day-in and day-out. It is far more effective than that “fly by the seat of your pants” approach we discussed earlier.
Not All Sales Systems are Effective
Because our world is constantly changing, it’s important to keep your sales system current with today’s marketplace. With the internet and do-not-call lists, a dusty old sales system from yesteryear won’t cut it today.
If you are serious about growth, here are three systems that are imperative for growing your practice:
1. System for Lead Generation
2. System for Converting Prospects
3. System for Selling More to Existing Clients
The easiest way to develop a sales system is to learn it from others who have more experience with marketing and selling techniques and have tested their effectiveness. And after you implement a system, you’ll soon realize how much easier it is to consistently grow your practice.
Hugh Duffy is co-founder and chief marketing officer for Build Your Firm, a leading practice development firm dedicated to the accounting industry. Based in Madison, Conn., Build Your Firm works with small accounting firms providing accounting marketing, practice management and Web site development services.
Prior to co-founding Build Your Firm in 2003, Hugh was a Vice President of Internet Marketing for Business & Legal Reports (BLR), a business-to-business publisher for small and medium sized businesses. Prior to BLR, Hugh was a Director with a publicly traded global internet media company, 24/7 Real Media responsible for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships. The foundation of Hugh’s marketing background is fourteen years of consumer packaged goods marketing with Schick, Nabisco, Clorox and Coca-Cola.
Hugh has 25 years of marketing experience, an MBA degree in marketing from the University of Rochester and a B.S. in finance from the University of Maryland. While at Maryland, Hugh was on a golf scholarship and his coach was Fred Funk, PGA Tour player. Today, Hugh’s golf game suffers and he is content watching his two kids play college lacrosse.
