Sales, Marketing and Tech Implementation—Top 5 Problems Professional Services Firms Face and How to Overcome Them

It’s a brand new year. Time to use that burst of motivation and inspiration to finally overcome some of the biggest problems commonly encountered by accountants and other professionals like yourself.

In the years I’ve worked with the professional services industry, I’ve seen the growth and the potential. But I’ve also come to really understand the hurdles and missed opportunities—mainly stemming from the lack of Sales, Marketing, and Tech implementation—and value articulation (but I’ll write about this another day). So what’s stopping you from swinging Sales, Marketing, and Tech to your advantage?

Here are the top 5 barriers, and how they can be addressed:

1. They don’t have time

Accountants are time-poor. There are many internal and external focuses that often end up eating up most of their time, and learning new tech or sales and marketing ends up being the least of their priorities.

The assumption is that Sales and Marketing is hard. Well, it may not be easy, but it’s definitely not that hard when you have the right strategy in place. So, sit down and allocate some time to it because when this bears fruit, you will be asking why you haven’t done it sooner.

2. They find it hard to come up with ideas and strategies

There’s a hundred different ways you can sell and market services, and there are plenty of resources available that can guide you through it.

Obviously, the best one is, again, to consult experts. But there are certainly learning tools available. Just in the last year, we’ve seen a massive increase in webinars held with everyone being mostly at home. Some are paid or will require some form of membership, but a lot of them are free, so take advantage.

You can also do quick searches on the Internet for best practices - what has worked, what hasn’t - in similar industries.

If you’re struggling to come up with ideas and strategies, think about what your client’s problems are and put together a solution for them. 

3. They don’t know what activities get clients

This is a common question I get - What do I do?

The truth is, there is no shortcut. There is no silver bullet. It’s really understanding who your clients are, knowing how to cater to them, and offering solutions to their needs. The types of activities that will get clients are the activities that are targeted to them.

4. Getting the execution right

The fourth one is super important. As much as you strategise and plan activities, you also need to see it all through. Make sure to assign someone to lead projects, so that every stage is tracked and the ball is never dropped.

5. Articulating their value

Everyone talks about how different they are, but when you start to look at their marketing, their website, their content, nothing really stands out. They suddenly fall into the sea of sameness, struggling to articulate their value.

It’s about getting clear on your brand’s purpose and messaging, having consistency across channels, and fully owning the value and unique experience you bring to the table.

When it comes to these problems, don’t wing it! Talk with your team, plan, and take action. Get clear on your pain points. And of course, you can always bring in an expert too. Experts are here to help and this is exactly what they specialise in. If you work with someone who’s had experience in your industry, you’ll find it a lot easier to get the ball rolling.

If you have anything to add, maybe something more specific to you, or have any questions about what I’ve shared above, feel free to leave a comment down below.

We’ve also just launched The Ultimate CRM Wingman, where we’ll help recommend the best CRM software solution for you to help with your Sales and Marketing. With this service, we’re able to tailor the recommendations to exactly your needs. Click here: https://pages.huntandhawk.com/crm-scoping