By Harry Beckwith

This is an essential read for anyone who is in professional services.  Today it’s estimated that nearly 75 percent of Americans work in the service sector. Instead of producing tangibles–automobiles, clothes, and tools–more and more of us are in the business of providing intangibles–health care, entertainment, tourism, legal services, and so on.  As Harry Beckwith so eloquently and simply states – it is a mistake to market such intangible services like we have historically sold in a product driven economy.  Some of Beckwith’s points:

• Do not even try to sell your service unless your existing delivery is meeting or better yet exceeding client expectations.  If you do – it is sure death!
• The key to success is developing strong relationships that integrate the personal and the business agendas of your buyer.  Clients do not know how to distinguish between your technical skills and those of your “competitors.”  Ultimately, clients do not care how smart you are – they may need to know you have expertise but in the end – your expertise will not do much to strengthen your relationships with your clients.
• Strategic planning is over rated.  While planning has its place, the key is acting on a daily basis to enhance your client’s experience and focus on continuously adding value to your relationships.
• Everyone in your organization is a marketer!  If they have a touch point with your clients – make sure every interaction generates a buzz.

Beckwith provides an excellent forum for thinking differently about the nature of services and how they can be effectively marketed.  I would recommend this book for all levels in a professional services company – Principals, Partners, Managers, Associates and even administrators!

Tags: Harry Beckwith, Interpersonal Enagement, marketing, selling

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 at 2:43 pm and is filed under Executive Book Reviews, Executive Engagement, Interpersonal Engagement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.