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- Nurturing rainmakers within a professional services firm
- Negotiation in professional services business development and provider-client relationships
- Referrals (best practices or worst mistakes, experience)
- Closing business with a client and gaining commitment
- Prospecting for the right kinds of potential clients and contacts
- Can advertising be used effectively for professional services firms and businesses? (Success stories, or limitations)
- The impact of ethics and integrity in professional services firms on rainmaking, marketing, and growing the firm (related to the client relationship, pricing policies, governance/oversight, a firm's work ethic / management structure, etc.)
Representative List of General Topics
Firm Strategy
- Growth strategy
- Starting a practice
- Client selection
- Managing existing clients (retention, satisfaction)
- Managing marketing and sales functions in the firm
- Global/International service firm presence (challenges, strategies)
- Culture of marketing and sales
- Service firm compensation and controls
- Service firm ethics / integrity
Marketing Strategy
- Marketing strategy & evaluation
- Defining and developing niches / differentiation
- Targeting potential markets and clients
- Branding
- Marketing partnerships
- Lead generation
- Pricing
- Service packaging
Marketing Tactics
- Publicity / PR
- Interactive or eMarketing
- Seminars, workshops, & speaking
- Messaging / writing
- Direct marketing
- Advertising
Rainmaking And Sales Strategy
- General rainmaking approach
- Sales process management / evaluation
- Renewing clients / clients for life
- Cross-selling
- Up-selling
Rainmaking And Sales Tactics
- Prospecting
- Calling (warm / cold)
- Sales conversations & listening
- Selling approach (hard / soft)
- Proposals
- Negotiation
- Dealing with objections
- Techniques for asking questions
- Closing / Gaining commitment
- Networking & network nurturing
- Referrals
Nurturing Rainmakers
- Rainmaking compensation
- Self-motivation
- Time management
- Communication