We constantly tell consultancy marketers to speak less about what their firms do, and more about which outcomes they can deliver. But hey, easy for us to say, right? What are you supposed to do if your firm doesn't seem to have any hard outcome data points to share? Ash and Flo explain: 

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Can you position - and then successfully grow - a firm by positioning it around a extreme, if not "radical" candor? Nikhil Suresh and his colleagues over at Hermit Tech (a "radically ethical" data consultancy) sure think so - and continue to make waves by calling out the bullshit in all things digital, data, and AI. Listen in to hear Nik speak to how it's working for them! Episode guest: Nikhil Suresh, co-founder, Hermit Tech

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Sure, your firm has frameworks - but does it have a "signature methodology," i.e., a proprietary process designed to help educate prospects and structure engagements? If not, you should design one ASAP - and listen to this to learn how you might do it:

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Have your value prop, signature method, and offerings defined (as per our earlier episodes)? Great, congrats! Then you're ready to keep improving everything by using client feedback in some of the ways Ash and Flo describe here. Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Does your consultancy have a point of view on its clients' industry, business, and challenges yet? No? Well, then, this is the episode for you because in it, Ash and Flo share their framework for distilling one (or several, should you need them). Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota Please find the shownotes to this episode on unbillable-hrs.com.

Ever wonder how we're producing this humble podcast? Well, Flo spilled the beans when speaking to John Tyreman over at "Podcasting in Professional Services," and John was kind enough to permit us to re-release the episode here, in this feed, so here you go!

Episode guest: Flo Heinrichs, founder, client friendly. Voices, production, etc. by John Tyreman and crew at Red Cedar Marketing. Check out John's podcast over at https://www.redcedarmarketing.com/podcasting-in-professional-services (or wherever you get your podcasts)

"Market segmentation" remains the most under-utilized source of differentiation in all of consulting... So how can you segment properly, and create an edge for your firm? Ash and Flo discuss:

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Is digital marketing really the end-all, be-all of consultancy business development? Our guest for this episode, Interview Valet's Tom Schwab, disagrees (and so do Ash and Flo) - and explains why, right now, the greater opportunity might be exploring everything besides digital ads, SEO, and social selling: Episode guest: Tom Schwab, Chief Evangelist Officer & Founder, Interview Valet. Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

Ah, yes... creativity! It is so important in marketing, yet so rare in most marketing materials consulting firms tend to put out (not yours, of course, you're good!). Why is that? Why does it matter? And - how could firm marketers ramp up the creativity of their messaging, collateral, and ads? Ash and Flo discuss:

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Ever heard of "effectuation?" No? Well, it's one of these management frameworks or something. And it contains a bunch of principles you might find helpful when preparing your marketing programs for execution. Here goes: Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

Are you thinking about your services in the same ways your clients do? And do you use the same words they use to describe them? Well, chances are, you're not—or not anymore. Prospects' categories for thinking about and searching for consultancy services are ever-changing, and Source Global Research's CEO Fiona Czerniawska explained in some detail why it pays to pay attention. Episode guest: Fiona Czerniawska, CEO, Source Global Research.

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

How can consultancy marketers make firm-wide change? We asked someone who should know because “making change” is part of their marketing executive day job: Marc Appel, head of content and editorial strategy at Accenture.

Episode guest: Marc Appel, head of content and editorial strategy, Accenture.

Voices, production, etc., by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

Do your firm's service websites convert... or stink? Chances are, they're at least a bit smelly - simply because that's the expected state of things in this industry of ours. But don't fret... you can make them much, much more effective quickly by using the principle and structure Flo discusses in this episode. Oh, you might want to reference this Bain website as you listen to this (it's our case example for this episode).

Voices, production, etc., by Flo only (just this time). Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Seems like a lot of you liked our "Professionalizing Bizdev" episode - and some of you even sent us some questions. So... we double down on the theme, and explore how firms can push beyond "unfocused" business development and into a much more focused way of pursuing clients and new business:  Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Ever considered LinkedIn ads for your firm or service? We certainly have... and we've learned enough about them to understand we'd need to have an expert explain them to us ... which is why we invited Hannibal, who was kind enough to share his insights. So, here you go: A full episode on "buying ads"!

Episode guest: Hannibal Herforth, consultant, Kvadrant Consulting.

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com

Flo recently hopped onto Alastair McDermott's "Recognized Authority" podcast to discuss some fresh ideas for consultancy content creation - here's the replay for you:

Check out the Recognized Authority Podcast here!

Voices, production, etc., by Alastair McDermott Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com

Improving, i.e., focusing, strategizing, and scaling a firm's business development efforts, can be a somewhat lengthy journey. Soo... how could you fast-track it? Listen to Ash and Flo discuss the journey, its usual stages, and what to do during which to get to where you'd like to be much quicker.

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

A lot gets said about "BizDev," but much of it comes in the form of tactical tips. Surely, there must be a comprehensive strategy and method for it, too? We asked Costas Papaikonomou, who recently wrote a book about both. His central hypothesis: Talk to lots of people over decaf, and often!

Episode guest: Costas Papaikonomou, co-founder, Happen, and author of - among other things - "The Magic Ingredient: Business Development for Creative Professionals."

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com!

Unhappy with the business results you got from your firm's content marketing efforts in 2023? Well, then, this is the episode for you! Listen in to hear Ash and Flo discuss where firms tend to go wrong with their content and what they could do to fix it. Includes examples!

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Does your firm market all its greatest thinking? Or does it keep some stuff not just in the back of the shop? If it's the latter - consider bringing some of it not just into the store but right up in front and into the "shopping window," i.e., your marketing, where everybody can see it right away... Uh, we'll explain:

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Let's close the books for '23, shall we? (Ash and Flo discuss the year and share some podcast metrics to prove how kind y'all have been to us. Thanks for listening!).

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. get the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com

Here you go, friends: A Christmas Episode (so to speak)! Well, ok - we're not talking about Santa, but about Marketing as a "BizDev multiplier"... and explain why the discipline works in this way. But hey - maybe you can listen to it in a festive spirit? While saving the last PowerPoint decks before signing off? We sure hope you get to sign off... eventually. Happy Holidays, and thanks for sticking with us for another year. You're great!

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Consultancies grow through "stages," just like every other business. But which stages exactly - and how should firm marketers behave during each? Ash and Flo discuss with Joe O'Mahoney, Prof. of consulting at Cardiff Business School, author, and consultant to boutique firms.

Episode guest: Prof. Joe O'Mahoney, joeomahoney.com

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com. 

It's a summer break replay y'all ... focused on a key, key topic: Strategic account management - if well executed - is one of the best ways to win new work for a firm. Which is why we invited friend of the show and account strategy expert Ute Wellenberg to explain how she drives effective account planning. And, well ... Let's just say: If your job is to market a consultancy - you can't miss this episode!

Episode guest: Ute Wellenberg, friend of the show and account strategy GOAT (so to say).

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com!

"Why don't professional services firms win work?" Turns out this question - which is (almost) the title of a recent thinkpiece by research firm Source Global - has a lot to do with "marketing"... and Ash and Flo discuss why in this episode.

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Please find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

Whether your firm is considering partnering with another vendor or it's pushing to "rise through the tiers" of an existing partnership: You'll likely get asked a few questions about how marketing might help to make the consultancy a more valuable partner. Well... we've got you covered (of course)! Because Ash and Flo spoke to Leahanne Hobson, channel partnership expert, who shared many a great insight about becoming partner-able as a firm:

Episode guest: Leahanne Hobson, founder and CEO, Alinea Partners.

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Please find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

Ever heard of "Rainmakers" - the bizdev champions of the services world? HBR published a piece saying their game is changing. Ash and Flo dove in to figure out how, exactly (spoiler: it's related to marketing!)

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Please find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

As we inch closer to the end of the year... how about you review ALL your firm's comms to clients? Like... all of it. No, really - it's a great idea. Let us explain!

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Please find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

We've discussed "offering development" before, but, since it's so important and all that, we'll discuss it again - and share a dedicated framework for developing entire sets of offerings which, it just so happens, is super-conducive to marketing effectiveness. Enjoy! Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Allright, so you've played around with ChatGPT, and even installed Discord to get to test Midjourney - but you're still unclear how, exactly, AI might help you with consultancy marketing in serious ways? Then listen to Alastair McDermott tips for practical, no-nonsense ways of leveraging the tech. Episode guest: Alastair McDermott, founder, The Recognized Authority

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com

We’ve previously referred to consultancy marketing’s key objective as “building trust with strangers,” but, uh, didn’t really answer the question how, exactly, you’d go about doing it… which is a miss this episode will fix: Ash and Flo speak to “The B2B Marketer” and consultancy marketing expert Martin Williams, who has the very framework you’ll need for getting the job done: the “Pyramid of Trust:”

Episode guest: Martin J. Williams, founder, theb2bmarketer.com

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Please find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

Has your firm "productized" its services yet? If not, then this episode will hopefully change that - because our guest, Luk Smeyers, explains not only why you should do it and to which ends - but also shares tips for getting started: 

Episode guest: Luk Smeyers, founder, The Visible Authority.

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com

It's funny, isn't it? Consulting, as an industry, is all about "creating value" - and yet, so many firms struggle with communicating what, exactly, they mean by it. Let's try and fix this with a single episode of this very podcast, shall we?

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com

We're sorry... did someone just say their firm's marketing planning "s#cks?" No biggie, friend - we've got you ... with this minisode and the planning framework within: Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

In our experience, many consulting workshops are far less effective than they should be – and it really has to change. Which is why we invited Mesozoic’s João Landeiro, an expert in workshop design and facilitation, to hear from him how experts can turn unfocused examples of do-not-much ‘executive education’ into laser-focused productivity sessions driving real results.

Episode guest: João Landeiro, founder, Mesozoic.

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Please find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com

Does your firm have a "Point-of-View?" No? Or: not sure? Well, then it's high time we change all of that - starting with this very episode: Listen to Ash and Flo explain what a "PoV" is, why you need one, and how to create yours:

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

You've spent all this effort on your firm's thought leadership efforts... so what did you get in return? Here's how you might get to an answer:

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com

Whenever there are alignment issues between marketing and "the business" in a consultancy, marketing should work to fix them. But how? Ash and Flo discuss their views (and potential solutions) in this "workshopping" episode:

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

Imagine all your firm’s subject matter experts were, like, really visible and influential online. What would that do for your clients and your firm? Oh, and, more importantly: How could you make this vision a reality? Flo asks Liz Harr from Hinge, who just co-published a book about these very questions.

Episode guest: Elizabeth Harr, partner, Hinge. 

Voices, production, etc. by Flo (Ash wasn’t in for this one) Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

Still not happy with your consultancy's marketing performance? Then follow Ash and Flo along the causal chain of issues causing your pain - in this full-fledged "causal chain analysis" where, when, and how professional services marketing breaks down.

Voices, production, etc., by Ash and Flo Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com

We're revisiting all things KPI, targets, and measurement in this one... and Flo and Ash share their method and model for building a dashboard that will enable you to predict and report on business outcomes. Oh, and a note: DO make sure to grab the shownotes on unbillable-hrs.com ... they come with a fully editable PowerPoint including the model Ash and Flo discuss here, plus a collection of Benchmark conversion rates for your own funnel!

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

Flo recently hopped onto Alastair McDermott's "Recognized Authority" podcast to discuss some fresh ideas for consultancy content creation - here's the replay for you:

Check out the Recognized Authority Podcast here!

Voices, production, etc., by Alastair McDermott Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com

As we're entering planning season, a lot of us are under pressure to "do more with less" next fiscal... so how do we do it? (HOW?!?). Ash and Flo share some insights around where you might, in fact, find some budget you could save in your current budgets ... without hurting your results, of course. Plus, they share a framework for how to find specific darlings to kill... ("imagine a spreadsheet," really?).

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

You'll be planning events for your consultancy, no? Then you might as well go ahead and listen to this episode, where Ash and Flo get some tips for how to run them well in '23 by consultancy event expert Lynda Field (she's awesome!).

Episode guest: Lynda Field, founder, Lynda Field Productions. 

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

Ding-ding-ding... it's that time of the year! We've officially left Q2 behind and, with it, the first half of 2023. And... uh... where are we now? And where are things headed? Ash and Flo discuss 7 observations they've made in the first half of this year in a run down of the - now official - ubhrs "state of consultancy marketing, year '23 edition." There are even a few tips re. how to cope in here!

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

Keen for some practical tips for improving your firm's business development AND delivery success? Then listen to this replay of a recent Deltek webinar, which has Flo summarize a few key pointers around value proposition refinement and "signature method" design! Episode host: Deltek, through their "Powering consulting efficiencies" series.

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota Pls. find the webinary-accompanying blogpost here.

"Specificity" is crucial in all things consultancy marketing: Ideal client profiles, firm positioning, service design, messaging ... etc. So, how can marketers get as specific as they should be? Ash and Flo discuss a framework they've found in the wild and which you might find helpful:

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

If you haven't been living under a rock (or stuck at your desk for this one big proposal), you have heard about "ABM." But what, exactly, is it - and how could you make it work for your consultancy? We asked someone who knows: Fullfunnel.io's Stapho Thienpont.

Episode guest: Stapho Thienpont, Fullfunel.io.

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

We sure do talk a lot about "systems" and "processes" on this podcast. But today, we'll kick it up to the next level - and discuss "operational excellence" in marketing with expert guest Joseph Paris. Listen to his tips for how to leverage OpEx principles and practices in your day-to-day!

Episode guest: Joseph Paris, author, consultant, and chairman, Xonitek group. 

Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes for this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.

How can consultancy marketers make firm-wide change? We asked someone who should know because “making change” is part of their marketing executive day job: Marc Appel, head of content and editorial strategy at Accenture.

Episode guest: Marc Appel, head of content and editorial strategy, Accenture.

Voices, production, etc., by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Pls. find the shownotes to this episode at unbillable-hrs.com.