November 2, 2024

This week's discourse in professional services: The debate over sales roles within firms, valuing website visitors differently, and the shift towards value-based pricing. Insights on allowing experts to focus on their strengths, analyzing visitor engagement, and moving beyond hourly billing.

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Is It Everyone's Job to Sell? A Debate Reshaping Professional Services

"I would attract and keep a higher quality of expert by not imposing a second job on them that they dislike"
— Craig Peters, Agency Owner

Industry thought leaders David C. Baker and Blair Enns have sparked a significant conversation by challenging the notion that everyone in a professional services firm should be involved in sales. They argue that compelling all team members to sell can decrease job satisfaction and productivity.

Baker suggests freeing experts from sales tasks they may dislike or not excel at, allowing them to focus on their unique strengths. Enns echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that not everyone needs to sell, which can help attract and retain top talent.

Practitioners are weighing in with their perspectives:

Tom Martin proposes pairing salespeople with technical experts: "Maybe agencies should steal a page from tech sales—where they pair up a salesperson with a technical expert..."
Rod Burkert adds: "I agree that it not everyone's job to sell... BUT it is everyone's job to listen for opportunities..."
Craig Peters shares his agency's approach: "Everyone participates in ways that make sense based on their ability, interest, and availability..."

This debate is reshaping how firms consider sales roles, emphasizing the importance of aligning tasks with individual strengths.

Industry Insights

The Value of Visitor Engagement: A Nuanced Approach

Wil Reynolds raises critical questions about the value of different types of website visitors—search vs. social/direct—and newsletter signups. He challenges the practice of assigning equal value to all visitors and seeks a more rigorous method to quantify visitor value.

Deborah Carver offers detailed insights:

"I'd look at the AETPU/engagement rate for each channel... It's not a simple equation but usually looking at source/content group/engagement will get you to some kind of model."
— Deborah Carver

Other practitioners like Mika Lepisto and Harpreet Singh contribute their thoughts on situational value and engagement metrics.

Influencer Highlights

Marketing Language vs. Sales Language

In his latest article, Blair Enns distinguishes between marketing language—tailored to common denominators—and sales language, which is bespoke to individual clients. He advises salespeople to focus on value conversations to uncover unique client needs rather than relying on generic marketing messages.

Seven Must-Read Books for Pricing Your Services

Chris Do shares a curated list of essential books for professionals looking to refine their pricing strategies. The list includes works by Chris Voss, Kevin Daley, Jonathan Stark, Blair Enns, Jeffrey J. Fox, and April Dunford.

Practitioner Perspectives

Assigning Value to Website Visitors

Practitioners like Mika Lepisto and Harpreet Singh weigh in on Wil Reynolds' discussion about visitor value. They suggest that the value is situational and depends on factors like the content itself, user intent, and engagement metrics.

The Role of Confidence in Client Relationships

David C. Baker discusses how clients often seek confidence from their advisors. Morten J. Sørensen shares his approach:

"Guiding clients on this journey of self-discovery is incredibly rewarding... they see their business in a new light, and unlock unseen value."
— Morten J. Sørensen

Emerging Trends

Moving Beyond Hourly Billing

Jonathan Stark argues that high-earning web designers no longer count hours. He advocates for value-based pricing, suggesting it leads to better client relationships and higher earning potential.

Networking Strategies for Design Professionals

Chris Do emphasizes the importance of networking and provides effective strategies for building meaningful relationships before making sales.

Community Discussions

Balancing Client Work and Business Development

David C. Baker highlights a common issue where firms get so absorbed in client work that they neglect new business development, leading to struggles or failure.

Lindsay Broveleit emphasizes the importance of keeping the pipeline full:

"Yes, and it’s easy to be lulled to sleep on new business development... Owner/new biz dev should stay focused on pipeline and trust their teams to take care of the business already in the door."
— Lindsay Broveleit

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