Download or read book The Seven Principles of Professional Services written by Thomas McGrath and published by . This book was released on 2014-12-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book details the prerequisite knowledge every consultant must master when delivering complex professional services. Coupled with the author's and his industry colleagues' real life examples of success and failure, these principles provide every consultant with actionable guidance to improve their service quality. Professional services consultants are walking a dangerous high wire between the success of their customers and the ongoing success of their firm. To maintain balance and walk this tightrope successfully, a consultant needs a strong set of principles that can be relied upon in the heat of a customer engagement. Through detailed analysis of his own experience as a consultant, a customer, and a professional services executive, Shane describes in detail the seven principles of professional services that have led him and others to repeated success. If you have been a consultant for ten minutes or ten years, this book will help you assess how well you deliver your service today and enable you to identify ways to elevate it in the future. Doing so will benefit your customer, your firm and your career.

Download or read book Managing The Professional Service Firm written by David H. Maister and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-12-11 with total page 479 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professional service firms differ from other business enterprises in two distinct ways: first they provide highly customised services thus cannot apply many of the management principles developed for product-based industries. Second, professional services are highly personalised, involving the skills of individuals. Such firms must therefore compete not only for clients but also for talented professionals. Drawing on more than ten years of research and consulting to these unique and creative companies, David Maister explores issues ranging from marketing and business development to multinational strategies, human resources policies to profit improvement, strategic planning to effective leadership. While these issues can be complex, Maister simplifies them by recognising that 'every professional service firm in the world, regardless of size, specific profession, or country of operation, has the same mission statement: outstanding service to clients, satisfying careers for its people and financial success for its owners.'

Download or read book How Clients Buy written by Tom McMakin and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2018-03-13 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The real-world guide to selling your services and bringing in business How Clients Buy is the much-needed guide to selling your services. If you're one of the millions of people whose skills are the 'product,' you know that you cannot be successful unless you bring in clients. The problem is, you're trained to do your job—not sell it. No matter how great you may be at your actual role, you likely feel a bit lost, hesitant, or 'behind' when it comes to courting clients, an unfamiliar territory where you're never quite sure of the line between under- and over-selling. This book comes to the rescue with real, practical advice for selling what you do. You'll have to unlearn everything you know about sales, but then you'll learn new skills that will help you make connections, develop rapport, create interest, earn trust, and turn prospects into clients. Business development is critical to your personal success, and your skills in this area will dictate the course of your career. This invaluable guide gives you a set of real-world best practices that can help you become the rainmaker you want to be. Get the word out and make productive connections Drop the fear of self-promotion and advertise your accomplishments Earn potential clients' trust to build a lasting relationship Scrap the sales pitch in favor of honesty, positivity, and value Working in the consulting and professional services fields comes with difficulties not encountered by those who sell tangible products. Services are often under-valued, and become among the first things to go when budgets get tight. It is now harder than ever to sell professional services, so your game must be on-point if you hope to out-compete the field. How Clients Buy shows you how to level up and start winning the client list of your dreams.

Download or read book Buying Professional Services written by Fiona Czerniawska and published by Wiley. This book was released on 2010-07-26 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Public and private sector organisations are spending huge amounts of money buying professional services, and most are doing it badly, without sufficiently rigorous procurement processes or an adequate understanding of the marketplace, resulting in wasted money and disappointing outcomes. Even among those organisations with formal procurement processes and techniques, many are applying them inappropriately and therefore acheive similary poor results. On the other side of the fence, many professional services firms don't understand how the increasing application of procurement processes could affect the way they get business and work with clients, the way they charge and, ultimately, their profitability. Furthermore, while they are working together, both professional services providers and their clients too often behave in ways that reduce the potential benefits to both parties. Using real examples from a range of private sector firms, government departments and the professional services firms themselves, this book explores what users and providers of professional services need to do to ensure that the users' money is well spent and the providers' earnings are well earned. "A practical and thought provoking guide that gets to the heart of the matter about what differentiates this category of spend."—Helen Wilber FCIPS, Senior Procurement Manager, Professional Services, Group Procurement, Royal Mail "This insightful book will help buyers and providers of professional services get a better understanding of the issues – and achieve better results."—Lindsay Morgan, Partner and Head of Global Real Estate, Norton Rose LLP and Group

Download or read book Professional Services Leadership Handbook written by Nigel Clark and published by Kogan Page Publishers. This book was released on 2017-08-03 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professional services firms - from the legal sector to accountancy, consulting and beyond - face increased disruption. Service delivery models are under pressure to adapt to changing client expectations. Technology offers new ways of working with clients, but changes the skills profile required of professionals, and threatens the traditional people-centred business model. The Professional Services Leadership Handbook equips leaders, and aspiring leaders, with tools and insights both to tackle these long-term disruptive trends and to maximise their firm's profitability today. Leaders of professional services firms find themselves with a daunting, but exciting, range of challenges ahead. Using practical insights drawn from experienced professional services leaders, the Professional Services Leadership Handbook explores new models and working practices to address four components of strategic leadership: clients, business, people and self leadership. It offers clear-sighted analysis of common pain points, and provides innovative solutions for dealing with them. This practical guide is designed for everyone involved in leadership decisions, whether that be a practice area, sector group, business function, or even firm-wide leadership role. It will help readers to focus their attention on the activities that will really make a difference to the success of their firm.

Download or read book Mastering Professional Services written by Thomas E. Lah and published by . This book was released on 2005-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Companies worldwide continue to seek new growth opportunities by establishing professional services to complement their current company portfolio. These professional service organizations are being chartered to secure high margin streams of revenue, improve customer satisfaction, and solidify customer loyalty. However, many of these companies have little experience building and managing a professional services organization. This lack of experience is creating incredible organizational pain. Not just product companies are struggling in their attempts to create profitable and effective professional service organizations. System integrators and value added resellers that must incorporate complicated technologies into their service offerings are struggling to scale service capabilities. Outsourcing and managed service providers that now want to provide consultative support are learning there are significant differences in these service lines. Many times, the current professional service strategy for these companies is simply not sustainable. Mastering Professional Services is the first book to guide acompany through the process of designing a viable services strategy that complements a broader company portfolio. From the author of Building Professional Services: The Siren's Song, this book continues the tradition of providing practical tools and techniques to manage professional services when it is not the core offering of the company.

Download or read book Winning the Professional Services Sale written by Michael W. McLaughlin and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-08-06 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An innovative approach to winning more profitable sales in the growing professional services industry In recent years, professional services providers have had to rethink their sales methods and adapt to profound changes in the way clients buy services. In response, Winning the Professional Services Sale argues for fundamental changes in the seller's mindset and sales strategies. Rather than pressing the sale, salespeople must help clients buy--the way that works best for each client. This new approach gives buyers what they now want in a services seller: a consultative problem solver, change agent, and solution integrator, all rolled into one. Author Michael McLaughlin presents a strategy for winning new business with a holistic approach to each client relationship. Only by fully understanding a sale from every angle, including its impact on the client's business and career, can salespeople thrive in the new era of the service economy.

Download or read book Reinventing Professional Services written by Ari Kaplan and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-05-18 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How engaging technology and relationships can help you stand out, attract business and achieve a more dynamic professional life The technological landscape has reshaped the way white collar workers cultivate and promote their businesses. The Transformation of Professional Services is an engaging look at how licensed experts are adapting to today's dynamic economic environment. From Ari Kaplan—a recognized advisor on business and career development— Reinventing Professional Services: Building Your Business in the Digital Marketplaceoffers insights on taking advantage of enterprising techniques to stand out and position one's self as an insightful chameleon rather than as an isolated purveyor of facts and figures. Details the importance of offering resources instead of simply selling Reveals strategies for increasing one's searchability and distinguishing one's self in an economic downturn or recovery Offers advice readers can immediately use to strengthen client relationships Written in a straightforward and accessible style, this book provides engaging guidance for anyone in the professional services field—from business consultants, financial advisers, and lawyers to accountants, real estate brokers, and appraisers.

Download or read book Client at the Core written by August J. Aquila and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2004-07-29 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Clients At The Core is an essential blueprint to helping usall take the next steps. The authors, battle scarred by theevolution of professional firm management and marketing from thento now, have captured the changing needs of the firms in thisturbulent new economic era. This is a well-written book that usesplain language to convey practical, well thought-out ideas." -Patrick J. McKenna, a leading international consultant toprofessional service firms "The authors have captured the changing role of professionalservices marketing and firm management. There is valuable insight[in this] down-to-earth guide to competing successfully in the newenvironment." -David Maister, author and consultant "The book is a masterpiece! Aquila and Marcus have produced theessential guide for managing a professional services firm. They'vemarshaled their considerable real-life experiences and far-reachingvision into a veritable operating manual for the successfulfirm." -Rick Telberg, Editor at Large, American Institute ofCertified Public Accountants "At its heart, this book is the running shoe for legal andaccounting professionals who want to put the client first.Following the evolution of the industry over the past twenty-fiveyears, this must-have for every professional services firm is thekey to leading in the turbulent and highly competitive watersahead." -Richard S. Levick, Esq., President, Levick StrategicCommunications, LLC coauthor, Stop the Presses: The Litigation PRDesk Reference "Client selection and retention is one of the critical successfactors for a professional services firm, and Aquila and Marcus doa masterful job at educating us on the necessary ingredients ofeach. The chapters on firm governance and paying for performanceare thought provoking and certainly challenging to the conventionalwisdom. If you want a better understanding of marketing and leadinga professional firm in these turbulent times, this book isessential." -Ronald J. Baker, author, Professional's Guide to ValuePricing and The Firm of the Future "Client at the Core is a commonsense approach to keeping yourprofessional services firm relevant in the twenty-first century'sclient-driven economy. Aquila and Marcus have hit a home run withtheir insightful analysis and poignant prose." -Jeffrey S. Pawlow, Managing Shareholder, The GrowthPartnership, Inc.

Download or read book It s That Simple How to Build the Professional Service Firm of the Future written by Lawrence K. Miles and published by Dog Ear Publishing. This book was released on 2018-11-15 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's That Simple Are you a service professional committed to positively impacting your clients' and employees' lives? While there are many talented lawyers, doctors, accountants, and wealth managers out there, all too often these service professionals are not skilled businesspeople. Larry Miles wants to change that. It's That Simple offers an array of actionable ideas and strategies geared to building the professional service firm of the future. Miles examines the following: - How service businesses miss the opportunity to offer an exceptional experience for customers and employees - The keys to recruiting, building, and sustaining a championship team - The critical impact of a shared mission - The importance of attracting great clients--and how to do it - How to leverage new technology and why you must start now - How to build enterprise value Service professionals are in the business of helping others. With its easy-to-follow wisdom and insight, It's That Simple helps these professionals become true business leaders. "When building a championship team with the Rockets, we used many of the same principles Larry outlines in It's That Simple. In the NBA, as in professional services, you've got to purposefully build your team and your culture in order to contend for the title. Larry's concepts and techniques are action-oriented and undeniably applicable." - Leslie Alexander, former owner of the Houston Rockets - "Amidst the ocean of 'the best' business books, It's That Simple stands out for its perfect blend of guidance across business fundamentals and management. Larry's humble and relatable style belies his methodical approach to providing the reader with a clear roadmap to value creation and business greatness." - Eric N. Marton, former executive director, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center - Larry Miles is an award-winning principal with AdvicePeriod, whose team's mission is to reinvent wealth management. He was named Innovator of the Year by WealthManagement.com in 2018 and was included in InvestmentNews' "40 Under 40" list in 2017. His teams have been recognized in Inc. magazine's "Best Workplaces" and the Los Angeles Business Journal's "#1 Best Place to Work in Los Angeles." Larry also served as the youngest regional president of BNY Mellon Wealth Management and helped build and sell a national advisory firm. Larry, who graduated from Amherst College and has a master's degree from the London School of Economics, has taught leadership courses at MIT and belongs to the Young Presidents' Organization. He and his wife, Dani, live in Park City, Utah. To learn more, visit adviceperiod.com.

Download or read book Productize written by Eisha Armstrong and published by Vecteris. This book was released on 2021-05-02 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many professional services businesses want to create more scalable services and solutions but they often lack the tools and capabilities to successfully transition from a customized services model to a scalable solutions and products model. Productize outlines the unique pitfalls that professional services organizations face when they embark on a strategy of creating more scalable, often tech-enabled, products and services and it provides you with the tactics and tools to overcome these pitfalls. It is designed to be a practical playbook for any leader of a professional services business who wants to successfully accelerate growth.Productize draws on the 25+ years of experience that Eisha Armstrong has in successfully creating, launching and growing productized services. Eisha knows what works and what doesn't and she is passionate about making sure organizations learn from each other and avoid reinventing the wheel.Productize includes real-life case studies and stories featuring professional services leaders who have successfully led their organizations to create more scalable services and products. It also includes more than two dozen tools and templates to help your team implement the tactics so you don't have to start from scratch.In this book, you'll learn:1) How to turn shift your culture to embrace a product mindset2) The capabilities you to be successful and whether or not you should acquire them or grow them internally3) How much money to invest in exploring and building more scalable solutions and products4) How to ensure there is a viable market for your product idea5) How to sequence investments in new product development6) How to successfully source and work with developers and data scientists7) How to inexpensively test your ideas before investing in development8) How to win the hearts and minds of your sales team to ensure your new products are commercially successfulBonus: Key point summaries at the end of each chapter to help you lock in what you learnBonus: More than two dozen tools and templates to help your team implement the tactics so you don't have to start from scratch.

Download or read book A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Help Desk Professional written by Donna Knapp and published by Course Technology. This book was released on 2004-11 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This detailed look at the "soft" skills needed to succeed as help desk professional will provide students with proven customer support techniques for the workplace.

Download or read book Professional Services Marketing written by Mike Schultz and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-06-04 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A proven approach to revenue-generating marketing and client development Professional Services Marketing is a fully field-tested and research-based approach to marketing and client development for professional services firms. The book, now in its Second Edition, covers five key areas that are critical for firms that want to grow and become more profitable: creating a marketing and growth strategy; establishing a brand and reputation; implementing a marketing communications program; executing lead generation strategies; and developing business by winning new clients. You will also read real-world case studies that illustrate major points, as well as quotes and stories from well-respected professionals in the industry. The Second Edition features new research and updates throughout, including new chapters on social media and online marketing, as well as new case studies and interviews Authors Mike Schultz and John E. Doerr are the coauthors of the Wall Street Journal and Inc. Magazine bestseller Rainmaking Conversations and Professional Services Marketing; Lee W. Frederiksen is coauthor of Online Marketing for Professional Services Will be widely promoted via multiple online routes and direct mail marketing Firms of any size can use this proven approach to marketing and client development to attract new clients and grow their professional service businesses.

Download or read book Commercial Project Management written by Robin Hornby and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-05-12 with total page 426 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Selling and delivering a project to a satisfied client, and making a profit, is a complex task. Project manager and author Robin Hornby believes this has been neglected by current standards and is poorly understood by professionals in the field. Commercial Project Management aims to rectify this deficiency. As a unique ‘how-to’ guide for project and business managers, it offers practical guidance, and a wealth of explanatory illustrations, useful techniques, proven checklists, real life examples, and case stories. It will give project managers a needed confidence boost and a head start in their demanding role as they go ‘on contract’. At the heart of Robin’s approach is a vendor sales and delivery lifecycle that provides a framework for business control of projects. Unique elements include the integration of buyer and vendor project lifecycles, the recasting of project management as a cyclic set of functions to lead the work of the project, and the elevation of risk assessment from a project toolkit to a fundamental control process. Beyond project management, the book proposes a comprehensive template for the firm whose business is delivering projects. This is a how-to book for project and business managers working in a commercial environment looking for practical guidance on conducting their projects and organizing their firm.

Download or read book How to Lead a Values Based Professional Services Firm written by Don Scales and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-01-22 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We live in a values-driven world. As times change, businesses must evolve. The way that leaders have run companies for generations is no longer relevant.Today -- Purpose wins over products. Values win over features. Stories win over pitches.Everyone everywhere craves fulfillment. You must share the reason why you exist and infuse it into everything you do, in order to thrive. Many leaders see the shift in the market and make an effort to adapt. Companies quickly learn that one-off workshops and off-sites are not enough. Purpose is more than a press release. Your vision and mission statements should live in practice as well as print, and permeate through every aspect of your organization. You must close the gap between the messages you declare and the experiences you deliver. How to Lead a Values-Based Professional Services Firm shares the vital experience and valuable insights that leaders require to evolve their organizations and navigate the values-driven world we live in. Live your purpose to stay alive and build a faithful following of clients and team members. Employ your authentic values as your guide through the modern market and drive profitability. Share meaningful stories that emotionally connect with todays clientele to transform them into tomorrows brand ambassadors. 3 keys to unlock purpose and profit will enable you to turn the obstacles of the shifting market into your greatest opportunities, soar above your competitors, and grow your revenue beyond your highest projections.

Download or read book Innovating Professional Services written by Mr Alastair Ross and published by Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. This book was released on 2015-05-28 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Innovating Professional Services provides a practical and detailed guide for change agents and leaders who are seeking to transform their firm’s performance through innovation. Alastair Ross draws heavily on his 10 years of applying best practice techniques that created measurable improvements for leading law, business service and consulting firms. Multiple case studies are used to help demonstrate the opportunities - and challenges - of driving major improvement through innovation. Read this book to see how it is possible to increase client value and reduce cost.

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Professional Service Firms written by Laura Empson and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 561 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Oxford Handbook of Professional Service Firms discusses firms providing services in the traditional professions such as law, accounting, and architecture as well as newer sectors such as, management consulting, advertising, and engineering. It provides a critical overview of contemporary research on PSFs, and suggests avenues of future inquiry.