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Positioning for Professionals: How Professional Knowledge Firms Can Differentiate Their Way to Success
It’s not the best companies that prevail in the marketplace, but rather the best brands. The goal of business strategy is not just to be better, but different. Learn how to build a differentiating value proposition by clearly and carefully defining your brand Calling, Competencies, Customers, and Culture. Positioning for Professionals shows how a well-defined value proposition can help professional service firms create their own success instead of copying the success of others, including such concepts
How and why professional service brands become homogenized Why standing for everything is the same as standing for nothing Why there’s no such thing as full service Deep and narrow as a strategic imperative Why it’s better to be a profit leader than a market leader Differentiation and price premiums How to map your brand on the matrix of relevance and differentiation How to define a value proposition that will make your firm intensely appealing to the customers who want you for what you do best Based on the proven premise that the most profitable business strategy is not to aim at the center of the market, but rather at the edges, Positioning for Professionals is written for leaders, managers, and other senior executives of service companies in with a particular emphasis on professional service firms.
How and why professional service brands become homogenized Why standing for everything is the same as standing for nothing Why there’s no such thing as full service Deep and narrow as a strategic imperative Why it’s better to be a profit leader than a market leader Differentiation and price premiums How to map your brand on the matrix of relevance and differentiation How to define a value proposition that will make your firm intensely appealing to the customers who want you for what you do best Based on the proven premise that the most profitable business strategy is not to aim at the center of the market, but rather at the edges, Positioning for Professionals is written for leaders, managers, and other senior executives of service companies in with a particular emphasis on professional service firms.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2010
28 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 9, 2021
For professionals that work in professional services this is a must-read book about positioning.
December 14, 2019
I would personally condense the thesis of the book that the new and better way to position a professional service firm, should be based on a clear differentiating customer value and a coherent pricing model. This is not the first time that I have seen this argument. I honestly and truely share this opinion, but back into the work, it is so easy to flow back to the standard industry norm of the billable hour. Why waste your energy fighting windmills?
For me it is both a matter of principle and linked to that a shared belief that the industry needs to move in this direction. At least for those service firms that are not after a low cost commodity service. If you are on the contrary looking for a healthy way to position your service based on a real customer value proposition then this book will help you define the right journey ahead. I loved it.
For me it is both a matter of principle and linked to that a shared belief that the industry needs to move in this direction. At least for those service firms that are not after a low cost commodity service. If you are on the contrary looking for a healthy way to position your service based on a real customer value proposition then this book will help you define the right journey ahead. I loved it.
November 29, 2018
Interesting but scattered
Some interesting points, but it seemed to lack structure. Subsection after subsection. However, good insights on focus and pricing which I will look to apply immediately!
Some interesting points, but it seemed to lack structure. Subsection after subsection. However, good insights on focus and pricing which I will look to apply immediately!
July 6, 2021
Can't recommend this enough. Incredibly practical and applicable.
April 13, 2022
I’ve now read this twice. So well though out and clearly written. Highly recommended to anyone in a service business scratching their heads asking “what are we doing?” Great book
May 30, 2011
This book came highly recommended. I usually find business books pretty boring and sometimes repetitive. While this book was far from exciting or a page turner, it had some great lessons on agency positioning:
- Page 7 has some points on what makes a good client (treat team w/ respect, provide timely/constructive feedback, etc)
- Page 78 has some interesting brainstorming ideas for brand planning. (The brand has died, write it's obituary - who is sad, what happened.)
- Page 114 provides a good case for virtual associates.
- Interesting thoughts on the concept that size is not a strategy. The most profitable firms are not always the largest.
- Good insight into handling low value clients - "One brilliant way to get rid of your low-value clients is to charge them the highest price. Ironically most low-value clients get the lowest price because they complain the most. Do just the opposite and your low-value clients will disappear."
- Chapters 9 and 10 were very interesting in relation to pricing strategy.
- Some great notes on partnerships between the agency and the client (in relation to the case for value pricing): "...the nature of a partnership is shared risks and shared rewards. Agencies may share in the rewards of a client's success...but seldom do they share in the risks...As long as agencies are compensated as vendors, they will likely be regarded as vendors."
- Page 7 has some points on what makes a good client (treat team w/ respect, provide timely/constructive feedback, etc)
- Page 78 has some interesting brainstorming ideas for brand planning. (The brand has died, write it's obituary - who is sad, what happened.)
- Page 114 provides a good case for virtual associates.
- Interesting thoughts on the concept that size is not a strategy. The most profitable firms are not always the largest.
- Good insight into handling low value clients - "One brilliant way to get rid of your low-value clients is to charge them the highest price. Ironically most low-value clients get the lowest price because they complain the most. Do just the opposite and your low-value clients will disappear."
- Chapters 9 and 10 were very interesting in relation to pricing strategy.
- Some great notes on partnerships between the agency and the client (in relation to the case for value pricing): "...the nature of a partnership is shared risks and shared rewards. Agencies may share in the rewards of a client's success...but seldom do they share in the risks...As long as agencies are compensated as vendors, they will likely be regarded as vendors."
July 29, 2012
One of the best books on agency management I've read next to 'The Marketing Agency Blueprint.' Although I found a few sections repetitive, Tim drives the message home about why your agency should specialize to deliver maximum value to its clients - and thus capture maximum value from its engagements. Particular insights which were a delight to read include his chapter on the relationship between branding and price premiums. I highly recommend this book alongside 'The Marketing Agency Blueprint' by Paul Roetzer and 'Million Dollar Consulting' by Alan Weiss for a broader view of the subject. Also, be sure to read David C. Baker's articles at recourses.com if brand positioning for agencies interests you.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews