Last week, I participated in a focus group on modern technology. (I also received some nice coin for my time!) Shortly after we began, it was easily apparent that the subject was on the awareness of Intel processors. We talked a lot about performance and how relevant and important it was to our personal and professional lives.
The experience got me thinking about technology and the role that it plays in professional services. Remember the 90’s when having a cell phone was only for the rich and the powerful. Those days are clearly behind us and cell phones are now used by almost everyone. Today’s technology is being used in almost every department of professional service firms from accounting and the library to trial support and portfolio management.
Technology is one tool that has changed the face of how marketers grow and development business at their firms. How you put technology to use effectively requires innovation, creativity and forward thinking. The use of technology in a new and different way is what gives you that competitive edge in your industry and relevant to your audiences. Many professional service firms recognize the importance of technology, such as ContactEase, EDGAR, ShareFile, Sage, Serengeti billing, Advent, as well as regular business applications like ConstantContact, NetSuite, Twitter, LinkedIn and Microsoft, and the role these tech tools play in a firm’s brand, including:
1) Tactics such as digital, direct mail, video, rss feeds and social media
2) Case management tools such as SharePoint or Abacus Law
3) Web-based Customer Relationship Management systems (CRM) tools like NetSuite that allows you to better manage your market share
4) Accounting software like Serengeti that makes billing seamless and more “client friendly”
5) Business intelligence software like Sage
6) Client-only extranets on your website to provide more efficient client service
So what was the takeaway from my experience? You must always be expanding your understanding and knowledge of technology and how it can positively affect your firm, it’s marketing and business development.
A professional services marketer I recently spoke with said, “If technology makes what we do more productive, efficient and economical, then let’s use it.” Companies that have this progressive mentality will outpace the competition and grab market share. It doesn’t matter if you are a services firm or one that sells to service firms, consistently evolving the way you think about technology will help to keep you competitive, relevant and “in the game” for years to come.
What are you doing to manage client and market expectations now and into the future to stay competitive?
