Monday 6th Sep, 2010
“The 20th century was about sorting out supply. The 21st is going to be about sorting out demand. The internet makes everything available, but mere availability is meaningless if the products remain unknown to potential buyers.”
Wednesday 7th Jul, 2010
In the last month, the largest 25 consulting firms in the world published almost 500 new books and articles. Collectively, their websites have more than 16,000 pieces of thought leadership.
But does any of it do any good?
Saturday 3rd Jul, 2010
Here’s a little-known fact: the largest 25 consulting firms in the world collectively publish, on average, 445 new pieces of thought each month. That’s just under 18 articles per firm, although in practice the distribution is skewed. Firms such as McKinsey and Booz, both of which have regular publications to feed, tend to write much more, as does Accenture.
All of which makes me wonder whether there’s a “right” amount to publish.
Wednesday 19th May, 2010
Interviewing people for our recent report on strategy consulting, I was struck by this phrase. Coined by Muir Sanderson at Booz in London, he was referring to the way in which consulting firms, particularly strategy ones, have been escalating their attempts to build and keep client relationships in recent years.
Saturday 15th May, 2010
That is the question.
Since the 1930s, when Marvin Bower refused to rename McKinsey and Co Bower and Co because he wanted clients to buy the firm, not him, it has been accepted thinking in consulting firms that the individual is subservient to the firm. From the partnership structure which promoted collective stewardship to corporate advertising campaigns, it has been the firm that matters.
Thursday 13th May, 2010
Let me propose what might at first seem like a slightly odd analogy. I'd like you to imagine that your marketing agenda is a little rowing boat, floating (with you in it) on a gently-flowing river. You have a decent set of oars and sufficient strength to row either with or against the flow. You can furnish the river-banks with wild-flowers and whispering willows if you like, but they're not going to play a part in our story. Nor are ducks.
Friday 11th Dec, 2009
Forget trying to sell. You will be more successful if you can help your customers buy from you instead.
Traditional sales logic says you must first identify a customer need, secondly assess your capability to deliver against that need and thirdly offer a compelling commercial proposition. Now there is nothing inherently wrong with this logic, but a customer often has other questions on their mind before they will finally decide to ‘buy’.
For example;
Tuesday 21st Jul, 2009
I’ve been asked whether my previous blog was an attack on the marketing functions within consulting firms: the answer is an unequivocal “no”.
Monday 6th Jul, 2009
Organisations may need new inspiration and ideas, but the marketing departments of many consulting firms don’t seem to have noticed. In our daily grind at sourceforconsulting.com, we inevitably see a lot of firms’ marketing material and it’s rare that we see anything distinctive.
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