ABSTRACT
So far, in this book, we have talked about the more traditional forms of marketing as applied to professional services. We have mentioned the traditional forms of market analysis as applied to professional firms in the property industries and made specific references to the service/ market matrix (Chapter 12) and client referrals (Chapter 14). Both of these are valid in their own right, but can also be seen as part of a wider set of tools for the promotion of organizations who depend for their prosperity on developing a relationship, both between them and their clients, and between the organization and its own staff. Uniquely, in professional service organizations, it is the staff of the firm (i.e. the individual architects, surveyors, engineers, etc.) who provide the service, react to clients’ demands and earn the fees. The role of management must necessarily be one of facilitating this service by ensuring that adequate resources are available as well as providing professional development opportunities in these constantly changing times. This is what Charles Handy describes as the ‘upside-down pyramid’. Customer (or client) satisfaction is determined by the relationship developed between the individual professional and the client; as far as the client is concerned, the individual professional is the firm and those charged with marketing the firm’s services must recognize this if they are to be successful. There is therefore a strong relationship between customer satisfaction and marketing.
