Should Your Firm Use Sales People?
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Source: Marketrends According to Gale Crosley, practice growth consultant, experienced business development people may be available as large accounting firms cut back their marketing activities because of the enormous demands in this Sarbanes-Oxley environment. These business developers operate differently than your rainmaking partners. Business developers tend to concentrate on new clients rather than existing clients. There are other differences. Rainmakers operate alone, whereas business developers work with other resources in the firm. Rainmakers expect a higher base compensation. Business developers work with a lower base, but unlimited compensation, and often earn as much or more than the average partner. Rainmaking partners feel they own the business they bring in, and they don’t like to work with others to help close the client. This can sometimes diminish the chances of landing the engagement. Rainmakers may be condescending towards business developers because rainmakers don’t believe client service ability and business development ability can be separated. There is also a difference between business development and lead development. The former develops strategies, quarterbacks the process, and manages the development of relationships, whereas the lead generator simply hands the lead off to someone else. Partners need to be aware of the difference. Business developers should, among other things, work with partners to help them develop and close engagements. Both will learn from the experience—partners will learn to be more effective in closing their opportunities, and business developers will learn more about the firm’s services. Business developers need time to become effective, perhaps a year or even two. The compensation of the business developer should depend on his or her mix of lead development, business development, and client management activities. From Marketrends, July/August 2005. Association for Accounting Marketing, Inc., |
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