| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Insight for professional services firms directly from clients in How Clients Buy: The Benchmark Report on Professional Services Marketing and Selling from the Client Perspective FRAMINGHAM, MA – June 15, 2005 – A newly released customer-side research study from RainToday.com titled How Clients Buy: The Benchmark Report on Professional Services Marketing and Selling from the Client Perspective, finds that “service provider didn't listen to me” is the most widely experienced problem faced by purchasers of professional services when they are buying services. 41% of the survey's nearly 200 respondents indicated that they have recently faced this problem. Additionally, 74% of those reporting the problem said they would be “much more likely” to consider hiring the provider if the provider listened better. “Professionals typically pride themselves on their listening skills,” said Mike Schultz, report co-author and Publisher of RainToday.com. “It seems as a group their listening skills leave a lot to be desired, and if they improved here they would win a significant amount of more business.” Among other problems faced during the process of purchasing professional services are provider did “not understand my needs” (40%), “did not craft compelling solution to my needs” (31%), “did not convince me of value I would receive” (32%), “had poor presentation skills” (24%), and “seemed to lack enthusiasm for winning my business” (24%). “In the business development process, as in life, we rarely get the chance to hear honest feedback about how we're perceived by others. How Clients Buy: The Benchmark Report on Professional Services Marketing and Selling from the Client Perspective goes beyond the basic ‘How did you find your providers?' to ‘How did you judge them, and how did they do?'” said Andrea Meacham, RainToday.com's report co-author and Chief Content Officer of RainToday.com. The study presents opinions of decision makers within a diverse set of companies on how they identify, evaluate, and eventually hire professional service providers. Collectively, the participants themselves purchased more than $1.6 billion dollars annually of professional services. “The report highlights the many ways in which selling and marketing professional services requires elevated levels of trust, communication, and partnership with the client - no matter what the service, no matter who the client base,” said John Doerr, report co-author and Principal of the Wellesley Hills Group. To learn more about findings in How Clients Buy, visit http://www.raintoday.com/product/5_how_clients_buy.cfm About RainToday.com RainToday.com is the premier online source for insight, advice, and tools for growing service businesses. Based in Framingham, Massachusetts, RainToday.com features the most up-to-date resources including articles by industry experts, how-to guides and tools, sales and marketing research reports, webinars and events, and a weekly newsletter. For more information on RainToday.com, visit http://www.raintoday.com. #### Contact Information
Erica Stritch
Advertising and Sales Manager
RainToday.com
estritch@raintoday.com
p. 508-405-0438 ext #301
f. 508-848-3082 |