47% say reputation – 27% say relationship There is an erroneous belief held by many in professional services that clients can differentiate the offering of the key competitors. While this is so in some cases and to some degree, if is significantly less common than many think it is. Differentiation is especially poor with the […]

47% say reputation – 27% say relationship There is an erroneous belief held by many in professional services that clients can differentiate the offering of the key competitors. While this is so in some cases and to some degree, if is significantly less common than many think it is. Differentiation is especially poor with the big accounting, law, engineering and management consultancy.Two factors that are of critical importance are reputation (brand) and relationships (engagement) and the importance of both seem to be underestimated by many professional service firms. One study found that: While 14% of service providers identified reputation as a critical factor, some 47% of buyers of these services rated it as a critical factor While 25% of service providers identified relationships as a critical factor, some 27% of buyers of these services rated it as a critical factor Reputation is a critical factor to customers, or clients, but…