How A Small Service Business Can Outperform Its Larger Competitors
The RainToday blog recently featured an article from Andrew Sobel, a leading authority on client relationships and the skills and strategies required to earn lifelong client loyalty. Andrew's article "Where Independent Professionals Succeed and Large Firms Fail" explains the reasons why marketing consultants and service professionals from small companies typically outperform their counterparts from large companies.
Sobel's traits of successful independent professsionals include:
1. Create personal brands by building individual market renown.
2. Regularly develop and disseminate intellectual capital.
3. Focus on conversations, not PowerPoint.
4. Try to achieve success, not perfection.
5. Have learned to eliminate non-value added activities.
6. Take responsibility for their personal development.
7. Organize around clients.
8. Truly act like it's their money.
I'll add the following traits of successful service providers such as mailing list brokers, advertising agencies, and financial advisors:
1. Speedy response to client inquiries and questions -- the faster the better.
2. Lifetime commitment to customers -- the same staff works with same clients for several years.
3. Responsibile for actions -- no hiding behind "company policy" or anonymous "others at the company."
4. Tech savvy -- expert at using the latest technology for research, and to present and share ideas.