Earlier this year, the Hinge Research Institute released the results of its 2024 High Growth Study of Professional Service Firms.
The study found that deepening online engagement with clients and prospects was the number 2 topic that high growth firms want to learn more about this year.
Client/prospect engagement is critical for firms to be able to demonstrate their expertise which is a leading criterion in choice of provider. However, the ability for firms to do is very challenging as the buyers of accounting, technology, legal services conduct their own independent self-education and research using their preferred sources, channels and networks. This makes traditional Business Development tactics such as Discovery Sessions and Presentations difficult to obtain.
The following are 3 tips on how to engage your B2B Accounting, Tech or Legal clients and prospects in alignment with their needs, preferences and purchase behaviours.
Always focus on providing “AIR”
AIR stands for Advice, Insights and Recommendations.
The Number 1 thing that that your clients and prospect seek from your firm is its ability to provide in-depth, accurate and relevant AIR pertaining to topics such as:
- Best practices and solutions to their key priorities and challenges
- Strategies to achieve commercial objectives
- New market opportunities
- Industry developments
- Business and technical innovations
Implication for Your Firm
Your firm’s Go to Market strategy must include providing “AIR” driven content on topics and issues that are of top priority to your target clients and made available in their preferred formats where they seek information.
More Executive Level Engagement
Recent studies such as the Role and Influence of the Technology Decision Maker Study have shown that senior executives are taking a greater and active role in the buying process.
Implication
Your firm’s Go to Market strategy should include Micro-Events (i.e smaller/shorter events up to 2 hours) where you can provide “AIR” and engage senior executives providing the opportunity to ask questions, engage in dialogue and learn from their peers as well as the subject matter experts in attendance.
Examples of effective Executive Engagement Initiatives include:
- Roundtables
- Panels
- Executive Briefings
Be the connector in your ecosystem
A fundamental change in how the buyers of B2B Accounting, Tech and Legal services buy is that the key question they are seeking to answer is not HOW but rather WHO can help me solve my problem or achieve my key objective.
Hence, Decision-Makers/Buyers are interacting and relying upon trusted individuals, groups and associations for the “AIR”-Advice, Insights and Recommendations they seek
Implication
Your firm must be immersed within the ecosystem i.e the individuals, groups and associations that your target clients and prospects engage with.
LIVE IN YOUR MARKETS!!!
Seek out opportunities to interact, engage and collaborate with relevant members in the ecosystem of the industries and geographic markets that you currently serve and seek to serve.
Examples include:
- Industry and Professional Associations
- Peer Advisory Groups
- Industry experts
- Online communities
- Other professional service providers
NEED SOME “AIR” To Drive Client Engagement and Business Growth?
Get my Go to Market Playbook Designed Specifically for Small and Medium B2B Accounting, Tech and Law firms containing practical strategies and approaches to acquire, retain and engage the clients you seek.
