Patrick McEvoy writes in the October issue of his Rainmaker newsletter that an article by former Harvard Professor David Maister says typical marketing practices are inappropriate for professional services firms. Maister presents a list of the most effective marketing tactics. Marketing consultants Larry Bodine and Susan Lowe present a very different list, reproduced below:

McEvoy points out that the number one initiative on the Bodine-Lowe list is making appointments for meetings. While this isn’t exactly the same as cold calling, number 14 on Maister’s list, it does imply that members of the business development team should be making telephone calls. And as you can see, other items on the two lists seem to be at odds with each other. McEvoy attributes this to the difference between “the real world guys” and the theories of an “academic thought leader.”

From Rainmaker Newsletter, www.rainmakerbestpractices.com, October 2006. For the complete article, click here.