Do you know what clients and potential clients think of your firm? Does it match what you believe is true about your firm? Because “perception is reality,” it’s important that you make the effort to understand the perception of your firm within your industry and market sectors.

Often misunderstood, PR is an influential tool – a way of turning cold calls into warm prospects. While some people think of PR strictly as press releases and advertising, we suggest you turn that notion on its head. PR is “Perception = Reality.” When used as a support tactic, it will help you win work.

For Myrna Wagner, Vice President of Business Development at Swinerton Management and Consulting, the most important step to marketing mentality was to create a culture of collaboration and accountability with the leadership team. Her approach is to provide them with tools to help and encourage their involvement with business development. MARKETLINK Principal Stephanie Craft asked some questions to find out more.

MARKETLINK Principal Stephanie Craft caught up with Chuck Hack, a Lionakis principal and owner, to learn more about how he and Lionakis’s leadership have created and fostered a marketing mentality within the firm.

Does your firm have customers or clients? Customers buy a service once; clients have established a long-term relationship. Your firm can be ALL IN for client relations.

We have learned over the years there are 15 solid reasons clients leave firms they’ve built long-term working relationships with. Does your firm have a culture of client service to mitigate this?

Whether your firm has a formal Client Care Program or not, one way to enhance your client relationships and further your career is by thinking of yourself as a Client Care Manager.

It’s all about relationships in our industry - we can’t maintain those relationships if we don’t know where people are. Whether you use an Excel spreadsheet or a CRM like Cosential or Deltek, invest the time needed to keep it current.