I realize it’s been awhile since my last posting. It is certainly not because there’s nothing new to report. Nor is that there is nothing new to think about. In fact, “it’s the economy, stupid” (thanks to “41″ for that memorable, if not cynical, observation), which has kept me focused on building business for my company, and given less time to musing on what we as marketers can do in these extended doldrums to help our firms grow. As a result, I’ve found myself going back to the fundamental business development processes that I learned from early mentors.

1) Know your market. Expertise, experience and proven excellence define your niche (and be happy for that). The challenge when opportunities are slim, is chasing after anything that smells like work. Unfortunately, many succumb to fear and waste good energy on bad behavior. Revisit your vision and values and spend time researching clients (and their clients) who align with your strengths. Knowledge trumps unfocused activity every time.

2) Respect your network. Everyone in professional services, regardless of specialty, are in the same boat: fewer projects, more competition, and downward fee pressure. Invest time connecting and reconnecting with those you know, whether they can bring you business (or lead you to business). Learn what they see, share what you know, seek commonalities, consider jointly beneficial strategies.

3) Tell your story. Even with fewer projects, there are still projects to talk about. Leverage the media (“All PR is good PR!”) and share challenges, benefits and proofs with your clients, potential clients, and their clients, and their communities. When times are slow, building your media network is as critical as building your pipeline.

Spend each day researching what’s new, calling old friends, and sharing stories (and get in some billable time too, please… lol!). A few years ago, we were saying “It will be heaven in 2011.” Well, that didn’t exactly pan out. Last year, we were saying “Stay lean until 2013.” That is still good advice. Put your time, effort and money in simple, focused efforts that will pay off in the long run. That’s where your priorities should be.

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Creativity is the life blood of the marketing effort. Without skillful ideation, every firm would look like every other firm—the death knell of a brand. Over the years, I’ve written and spoken about the six phases of a project, both seriously and tongue in cheek (See Chapters 36 and 38 of “The Architecture of Value: Building Your Professional Practice” respectively) because an organized process is critical to the successful delivery of high value service.

Similarly, this process approach can be applied to the creating a new message, establishing or sustaining a position in the market, or simply identifying possibilities for new services. This process also is defined in six phases.

1. considering the possibilities
Engage regularly in a freewheeling, no holds barred, no wrong answers, brainstorming, “idea factory” meeting. Set a strategic premise (what is your goal) and then let the creativity begin. Without exception there will be some good, some bad, and some “what if we could…” ideas. Avoid setting implicit or implied limits (e.g., don’t stop at “going global” when you could be “going galactic”), and definitely don’t raise judgments or doubts for anyone’s suggestion. Inspiration and innovation often come from the least likely idea. Don’t be afraid to look outside your normal spheres of influence. Check out the completion; better check out your clients. A marketing message that resonates is driven by benefits and value.

2. freeform associative cognition
Spend some time prioritizing (but don’t throw any ideas away). Focus on three good ideas that meet your strategic goal and expand on them. What is their message? How would they be seen or experienced by the customer? How will they be extended into other aspects of your practice. How are they expressed (i.e., what medium and media)? As in step 1, there are no wrong answers—all ideas are good ideas. Look back at the early ideas (that didn’t move forward) and see if any expand, complement, or improve the ones you are studying.

3. discipline and focus
Pick one! This is the hardest step, since you probably have many good ideas to choose from. Take that “really” good idea and think through all the options to take it from concept to fruition, from inspiration to execution. What resources are needed? What budget? How quickly can you “go to market.” This is the time to set out a plan that moves from the idea forward. Most plans can be developed in just a few hours, no more than a few days, and none should span more than 6 weeks. Setting an aggressive schedule keeps the focus on the goal, and keeps the idea fresh.

4. effecting a solution
This is where the “rubber meets the road!” Buddha said, “An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that only exists as an idea.” However your idea manifests—as a new piece of collateral or e-marketing; a move into new market; or an event or promotional effort—this is the time to follow through by making it visible. This is where the idea is translated into form, where you show it to the world, and where it builds your brand.

5. retrospection
Take a breath. Sleep on it. Don’t worry. And definitely, don’t second guess yourself. Many good (even great) ideas go to market and don’t realize the impact that was hoped for. But conversely, many do make a difference, set a new high water mark for the brand, and become iconic and remain memorable. And many great ideas morph into new, new ideas that take that initial creativity and expand into even greater innovation.

6. happy feet.
Smile. At the end of the day, you’ll have developed a new, new marketing program, built on the six phases of the creative act, and will be ready to go back to number one and start again.

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One of the key performance indicators of effective leadership is consistency. This does not mean blind adherence to dogma. It does mean that you demonstrate behaviors that your clients, your staff and your supporters can count on. Consistency is a foundation for authenticity and integrity.

Inconsistency undermines trust and is often indicative of deeper seated issues of self esteem and ego-driven disdain and contempt for others—not characteristics of a true and effective leader. While intelligence and personality are often enough to mask these negative traits, and allow individuals to rise to a high level of leadership, it is rarely enough to allow them to sustain that position. Ultimately, that inconsistency results in isolation and vainglorious denial, and the realization of those around them that that there is need for change.

By consistently speaking your truth you build confidence in your staff and your clients. By living with intention, you manifest that truth in the quality and innovation of the services you provide. By acting with humility, you recognize the value of the position and feelings of others. Through consistent effort and mindfulness, you practice the practice of leadership. With discipline and focus, you deliver on the promise of leadership—inspiration and promise, grounded in the present moment. Through retrospection and reflection, you share wisdom and develop the next generation of leaders.

Consistently being consistent is the core competency of building lasting relationships.

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I am pleased to announce the publication of “The Architecture of Value: Building Your Professional Practice.”

Throughout my career, I have been on a quest. Intrigued by the ways in which professional services define their business models, I looked closely at how we provide value to our clients. My personal goal is to seek out and explore new paradigms, looking for practical ways to build the new, profitable, and lasting service venture.

I believe, at a baseline, the contemporary professional service practice must provide cost control, project accountability, and speed of delivery. These are the simple metrics for success in any professional service.

This means you must have an unerring focus on sustained profitability, responsibility to the client, and improve time-to-market for both you and for your clients—cheaper, but still profitable, better, and faster!

In “The Architecture of Value: Building Your Professional Practice,” I share from my experience and study some directions on how you can develop those characteristics in yourself, your staff, and your practice.

I organized the book around three sets of three: three simple goals: think, sell, and deliver; three simple actions: design, market, and grow; and, three overarching themes: expertise, excellence, and experience. I draw my observations and lessons learned from more than 40 years of experience in the building industry.

I frame them as practical directions for leaders and aspiring leaders, sharing real-world examples on how to build a professional service firm through a combination of learning, leadership, collaboration, and values—the basis for a successful and enduring practice.

The book is available on my website, www.craigpark.com, as well as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. A Kindle version is in the works. More information is also available on facebook.

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Each year, the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) stages a major event, their Build Business conference. This year Chicago hosted over 800 at the 3-day event, August 24-26. This building industry-focused conference, with the theme of “The Bottom Line,” featured speakers covering topics of advanced marketing and business development techniques, market-sector focused panels, and keynotes from noted thought leaders and authors. Examples of some of the best “award winning” ideas for collateral, communication, and client appreciation are featured at the conference’s black-tie Awards Gala. Details of the programs and speakers can be found at www.buildbusiness.org.

I’ve been attending these annual gatherings of professional service marketing’s leaders and thought leaders since 1989. In over 20 years, I’ve had the pleasure of hearing such business greats as Tom Peters and Dan Pink, and meeting thousands of my peers from across the country and from every sector of the building industry. What distinguishes this convention over many other industry events is the quality of the programming and the emphasis on networking, combined with the exuberant enthusiasm and optimism that you will only find in the company of dedicated marketing professionals. “Work hard, play hard” could easily be the subtext of the conference.

At the end of the three days, stimulated by new ideas, invigorated by the collaborative intelligence gained from interacting with professionals focused on growing their business, expanding their market share, and delivering increasingly differentiated service, I returned to my firm prepared to “hit the ground running” motivated by new ideas and new connections.

If you’re in the professional service industry, especially if you work in a building-industry related firm, SMPS’ Build Business conference is not to be missed. Next year, Build Business: Take Action will be in San Francisco, July 11-13. Be there, learn and share!

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The role of the professional service firm is to provide advisory knowledge to benefit a client’s interests or issues. The challenge each firm faces is balancing their efforts between multiple clients—needed to maintain and grow the practice—and to serve them all with equal energy and focus. The marketer’s role is to help prioritize the identification, pursuit, and acquisition of new clients consistent with the operational abilities of the firm to serve them.

Collaborations between marketing and operational leadership ensures that growth strategies focus on winning new work with clients who’s needs align with the capability of the service firm to excel at providing solutions. In a challenging economy—marked by fewer potential opportunities and increased competition—marketing strategies must focus on building and winning work within the firm’s “sweet spot” and not be lured into wasting energy on low probability pursuits.

At the same time, operational focus must ensure that equal and excellent effort is put forward to meet existing obligations for all current clients, regardless of size or stature. Every client deserves your best. Regardless of size or scope, the result of right practice pays dividends. Referrals and references, kudos and awards, repeat business and extended engagements result from delivering exemplary service to each client, based on their goals and objectives, and your ability to deliver the desired service.

This combination of strategic focus and operational excellence is the hallmark of the successful professional service firm. Those who learn to balance the two can succeed beyond expectation.

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That is the question. However, in these days of limited opportunities, the answer always seems to be “go!” Should it be? That’s the real question.

Competition for professional services, even in good times, is defined by the functions of expertise, experience, and the ability to differentiate and deliver “relevant” solutions. It is even more so today, with limited resources on the client side to originate projects, and increased competition (by multiples unheard of in recent past) on the provider side.

As a result, the tendency of many firms in dire need to generate revenue is to chase any request for qualifications or proposal no matter how far afield from their core competency or serviceable geography. Worse, the chase proceeds with little or no knowledge, let alone relationship with the client’s decision makers. At what cost?

It would be one thing if the marketing effort to create a statement of qualifications or fee proposal, preparation of technical solution “ideas” and the ultimate presentation materials (and time and expense of technical professionals) was “free.” But it is not. Calculating your average “cost of goods sold” (to use the manufacturer’s parlance) would show that those costs can easily run into the tens of thousands (on larger pursuits, hundreds of thousands) of dollars.

With no prior relationship with the client, no prior knowledge of the project, no experience with that type of project, no knowledge of the deliverable expectations, schedule or budget, and no forethought to the availability or capability of internal resources (i.e., people) to first “win” the work, and then “do” the work, the chances of actually winning the work is at best “slim to none.” (Note: you can use those 5 questions to create a simple go/no-go checklist that will save you time and money!) No matter how good you think your portfolio of experience is, it pales in the light of relationships.

Put that same budget to client development and the results are markedly different. One 20 year study showed that service providers, who invested six to nine months of strategically orchestrated “time” to developing depth and breadth in the “relationship” with a client, won subsequent work 80% of the time. More often than not, they understood the client’s business better, they knew the key client personnel on a personal level, and they were in a position to share “for free” honest, advisory expertise to help that client better craft the program for the project.

Invest your time and money in that approach, and “go” will always be the answer. And, winning more work, the result!

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I recently read about the ability for successful professionals to have and excel in multiple areas of “passion”—those areas of learning, practice, and expertise that define us as “professionals.” The author, Gilat Ben-Dor, said, “By passion, I mean nurturing this intense joy and desire around a certain topic. This anchors you. A multi-passionate professional is very well anchored and connected.”

I have to agree. Look around at those successful leaders in your sector of professional practice, and in particular at those engaged in marketing. Rarely will you find a single-dimensional individual, but more likely someone who has multiple interests at which they are either expert, or practicing to become expert. These interests can be both professional and personal. The variety only adds to the mix.

The challenge with strong calling to multiple areas of interest is staying focused on what’s important. The benefit of engaging in rich, multi-faceted experiences is the added perspective it gives to your core competency (that thing we call a “job”), and allows us to do that not to a greater degree of excellence. Our work in our primary area of practice benefits greatly from other skills, experience and training that we put into our other passions.

I think the key is keeping it simple. Focusing in the present moment on the task at hand, while drawing creative energy from all the passionate areas of our life, lets us put forth the right action to deliver the service and solutions that our clients desire, making them passionate about engaging us again (and again!).

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One of the marketing challenges of small (and many large) professional service practices is to not fall into the comfort of the “next big win.” Back in the day, having charted my own 25-person firm’s monthly ‘new business’ and I noted a surprising anomaly.

We’d win work, then we’d do the work, then we’d look for more work, win that work, then we’d do that work. And on, and on, and on. At the end of the year, quarter or month (didn’t really matter), our revenue stream looked like a roller coaster ride.

And when times were good, that was OK. But in a challenging economy, relying on the last “big win” is a recipe for disaster. In fact, the strategy necessary to build a truly enduring practice is to embed marketing and business development into every aspect of the practice. Not won and done, but won of many!

This takes a different kind of strategic discipline than most professional service firms (and the technical staff that provide the “service”) have as a core competency. It takes a mindset (maybe a mind shift) that says for every 80% of your “billable” time, there should be 20% dedicated to the firm’s marketing and business development effort. Not a big price to pay, but one that most don’t put as a regimen or a requirement for their staff.

When everyone says, for 8 of every 40 hours (and yes, I know we all put in much more than that; but you can do the math), we contact our current and past “successful” clients (i.e., profitable) and we reach out to new potential clients (who look like them in business practice). We schedule time to talk, time to meet, even (for all you business developers), time to play golf, catch a game, or support their favorite charity (as a volunteer, not just a donor).

This roller coaster phenomenon comes from getting so excited by the recent adrenaline rush of the last ride that we forget we still have a long line to wait in before we get to experience the next one.

As much as I enjoy the adrenaline rush of the front row on the roller coaster, I’d much prefer a steady and consistent ride of a practice that values marketing and business development as a core competency that is as valuable as our technical skills, and the resultant steady and stable revenue graph.

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One of the biggest marketing challenges is the move from being qualified to presenting a compelling case to be hired. It seems that while professional service practitioners are very comfortable sharing their history and portfolio in print, on stage it’s a whole new ballgame.

You’d think with years of experience, great work with great clients, they’d be comfortable standing in front of a selection team (ranging from 1 to 7 people). Regardless, the stage fright that seems to characterize most preparations for the interview is common.

So, they procrastinate. They obfuscate. They make any number of excuses as to why preparing for what is in most cases is “the close.” They go into the presentation ill prepared, or worse, still formalizing and finalizing exactly what it is their going to say. It would be easy to say this is the minority, but in my experience this avoidance behavior is the norm rather than the exception.

I believe that client research (who are the decision makers; and who do we know, or who do we know that knows them), a presentation strategy—well thought through from as early as possible (and focused on the client’s specific needs—not our portfolio), combined with multiple team-based rehearsals is the formula for success.

In my studies, teams that dress rehearsed (i.e., stood up in front of a mock audience and delivered the real presentation) at least three times, won the work 80% of the time; two rehearsals: 50%; one or less: less than 10% success. Other industry statistics support this premise.

Unfortunately, because the 10-percentiles occasionally do win, it becomes the rationale for why not to prepare. After all, we want to sound spontaneous, extemporaneous, and “fresh” not “stale.” And the teams that win without preparation are the loudest in celebrating their bad behavior. Few remember the 90% of prior attempts that failed.

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