Concise Encyclopedia of Professional Services Marketing

Kenneth E. Clow, Robert E Stevens

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN:
  9780789036902
• eBook ISBN:
  9781135695118
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

Concise Encyclopedia of Professional Services Marketing provides readers with a detailed account of the concepts and strategies necessary to successfully market professional services and grow a business. Complete with practical information relevant to a wide range of professionals--including accountants, architects, attorneys, consultants, dentists, engineers, and physicians--this guidebook is an indispensable reference for anyone looking to learn the concepts and applications needed to market professional services.

In addition to essay-length articles arranged from A to Z, and detailed expositions of both the theories and practical techniques necessary to formulating and executing a successful marketing plan, Concise Encyclopedia of Professional Services Marketing contains an appendix of information on launching a multimedia advertising campaign, with special focus on effective website design and other contemporary media formats. For anyone creating their own business or looking to expand an already existing one, Concise Encyclopedia of Professional Services Marketing is a comprehensive and vital reference.

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis is an acronym for an evaluation of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of an organization. The strengths and weaknesses are internal to the organization and the opportunities and threats deal with the external environment over which the organization has no control. A SWOT analysis helps an organization develop strategies to achieve its goals.

Strengths can be thought of as positive traits or competitive advantages. New, well-designed, and attractive physical facilities may be a strength. A weakness is a competitive disadvantage. For example, a small organization may not be well known in its area; very little public awareness could be considered a weakness.

An opportunity is a situation outside of the organization that may positively affect the organization, and a threat is a situation outside of the organization that may negatively affect the organization. These situations include cultural trends, competitive activities, and economic and social conditions. The following is an example of a SWOT analysis.

Since the SWOT analysis is used to help develop strategy, an organization should make an effort to ensure that the SWOT is accurate. Based on the SWOT example previously listed, this organization may make a strategic decision to change locations. However, if the SWOT is not accurate, poor strategy obviously could be developed. Leaders will often have different perceptions of the SWOT. When these differences exist, member surveys and market research should be conducted in an effort to gather valid and reliable information.

Table 10 Sample SWOT Analysis

Table 1. Research Approaches for Building an Active Listening System

Type	Description	Purpose
Surveys	Service satisfaction surveys of customers following a service encounter.	Obtain feedback while service is still fresh; act on feedback quickly if negative patterns develop.
Mystery Shopping	Researchers become “customers” to experience and evaluate the quality of service delivered.	Measure individual employee service behavior for use in coaching, training, performance evaluation, recognition, and rewards; identify systematic strengths and weaknesses in customer-contact service.
New, declining, and lost-customer surveys	Surveys to determine why customers select the firm, reduce their buying, or leave the firm.	Determine the role service quality and other issues play in customer patronage and loyalty.
Focus group interviews	Small group interactions of usually eight to twelve people. Questions focus on a specific topic. Can be used with custo...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Access
• Active Listening
• Adoption Process
• Advertising Message
• Atmosphere
• Attitude Measurement
• Benefits of Marketing
• Brand Equity
• Branding Decisions
• Budgets
• Business Development (Rainmaking)
• Client/Patient Analysis
• Clients/Patients Behavior
• Clients/Patients Satisfaction
• Clients/Patients Service
• Communication Methods
• Communication Process
• Competition
• Competitive Advantage
• Controlling Marketing Activities
• Costs to Target Audience
• Data Collection
• Data Collection and Analysis
• Database Marketing
• Demographics
• Descriptive (Quantitative) Research
• Direct Marketing
• Environmental Scanning
• Exchange
• Exploratory (Qualitative) Research
• Facility Design
• Family Life Cycle
• Fee Level Decisions
• Geodemographics
• Grid Analysis
• Implementation
• Improving Customer Perceptions of Service Quality
• Internal Marketing
• Location Analysis
• Market Exposure Decisions
• Market Potential
• Market Segmentation
• Marketing
• Marketing Communications
• Marketing Mix
• Marketing Orientation
• Marketing Plan
• Marketing Planning
• Marketing Research
• Mass Communication Media
• Measurement
• Media Decisions
• Message Content
• Moments of Truth
• New Service Development
• New Service Pricing Decisions
• Niche Marketing
• Objective Areas
• Objectives
• Organization and Program Life Cycles
• Organization Structure
• Performance Evaluation and Control
• Planning Audits
• Positioning
• Primary Data
• Product Market Analysis
• Product Positioning Strategies
• Promotion Budget
• Promotional Mix
• Publicity
• Quality- and Value-Based Marketing
• Questionnaire
• Research Design
• Research Methodology
• Revenue/Cost Controls
• Sampling
• Scales
• Secondary Data
• Service Offerings
• Services Portfolio
• Service Strategy
• Survey Research
• SWOT Analysis
• Target Audience
• Appendix: Tips for Creating Effective Advertisements