You can achieve extraordinary output using the tactics below.
Leverage other industry teams’ thought leadership by tailoring it to your specific industry. Typically, 80 percent of the work will already have been done ─ meaning you just need to contribute 20 percent of the effort to customize it to your industry.
- Squeeze the juice out of external resources. National industry leaders already belong to the most important and relevant professional associations. These groups all post extensive resources on their websites, enabling your team to identify external learning opportunities and make them available to practice members.
- Use contests, rewards and recognition to motivate audit, tax and consulting practitioners to become thought leaders and prolific authors, speakers and local office industry practice leaders. It’s a plan that’s a win-win for the firm and individual professionals as they build their expertise and reputations in the marketplace. Accountants don’t have to be great writers, but once they provide their expertise, marketing can step in to review and edit.
- Leverage your industry professionals’ time to create internal learning modules to develop lower-level professionals into future industry thought leaders. Perhaps you can also get part-time assistance from the firm’s training or learning organization.
It’s absolutely necessary to invest in the marketing tactics aimed at industry and service specialty reputational branding. But don’t let a small budget stop you. There are effective tactics to successfully market your specialties with a limited financial investment and minimal marketing resources. Remember, however, even limited investments and resources need to be managed wisely, with an eye toward return on investment.
