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Now we are well into the 10's, the teens – or is it the 2010's? – and we are officially out of recession. It feels like we have been talking about it for so long now that it's a relief to leave it behind. There has been a lot of talk about how to win new business when times are tough and how to hold on to your clients in a downturn but it seems to me that the principles are always the same. Maybe we just have to work a bit harder at it when things aren't looking so rosy. So looking forward to the coming months and perhaps years of single decimal points of growth we need to be just as principled and hard working at winning new clients and holding on to the ones we've already got as we always have been.
At Grant Thornton we work very hard at positioning, we don't want to be one of the 'Big 4' – that would make 5 – and we don't want to be part of the mid tier, there are far too many others. So we work hard at positioning ourselves as unique in our market place. For years Grant Thornton has been viewed as a leading adviser to the entrepreneurial market place and more recently, while we have built and maintained this strong entrepreneurial base, we have significantly enhanced our market position and reputa-tion with larger private companies and smaller listed businesses. These businesses are typically active, ambitious, and interna-tional. Our international network is impressive, operating in over 100 coun-tries and it's our job as marketing and business development people to get that message across.
Positioning a firm to focus on in a new market place requires a shift in perception of staff, the press, the industry and most importantly, clients and potential clients. Client perceptions only change with messages that are consistent with their experience. In our over communicated environment we need to present a simple message which is consistent with what clients experience. Since winning business in professional services is largely about relationships the priority is that staff are aware of how we as a firm position ourselves and are able to communicate that effectively.
With a slow recovery ahead, successful UK businesses will look to exploit the weak pound and drive growth through export markets and overseas subsidiaries, profes-sional service firms will do well to work at positioning themselves as the ones to turn to for international advice. In today's 'me-too' market place it is important to back that message up with real credentials. At Grant Thornton we are working hard at turning that message into new business from new and existing clients.
Matt Varley
Committee member
PM Forum South West