{"product_id":"positioning-for-professionals-isbn-9780470587157","title":"Positioning for Professionals","description":"It’s not the best companies that prevail in the marketplace, but rather the best brands. The goal of business strategy is not just to be better, but different. Learn how to build a differentiating value proposition by clearly and carefully defining your brand boundaries: Calling, Competencies, Customers, and Culture.  \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003ePositioning for Professionals\u003c\/i\u003e shows how a well-defined value proposition can help professional service firms create their own success instead of copying the success of others, including such concepts as:\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003cli\u003eHow and why professional service brands become homogenized\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cdiv\u003eWhy standing for everything is the same as standing for nothing\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cdiv\u003eWhy there’s no such thing as full service\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cdiv\u003eDeep and narrow as a strategic imperative\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cdiv\u003eWhy it’s better to be a profit leader than a market leader\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cdiv\u003eDifferentiation and price premiums\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cdiv\u003eHow to map your brand on the matrix of relevance and differentiation\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cdiv\u003eHow to define a value proposition that will make your firm intensely appealing to the customers who want you for what you do best\u003c\/div\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on the proven premise that the most profitable business strategy is not to aim at the center of the market, but rather at the edges, \u003ci\u003ePositioning for Professionals\u003c\/i\u003e is written for leaders, managers, and other senior executives of service companies in with a particular emphasis on professional service firms.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction xi\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 1 Size Is Not a Strategy\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e1\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMaintaining Pricing Integrity 2\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBetter to Be a Profit Leader than a Market Leader 3\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhy Bigness Doesn’t Lead to Greatness 5\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHired to Be Effective, Not Efficient 6\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 2 How and Why Brands Become Homogenized 9\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Urge to Copy 10\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Folly of All-in-One 11\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLine Extension Is Not Branding 12\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere’s No Such Thing as Full Service 13\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Natural Fear of Focus 14\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 3 The Mature Company ’s Identity Crisis 17\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDifferentiation and Price Premiums 18\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eColumbus, Not Napoleon 19\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Diffusion of Identity 22\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLanding in No-Man’s Land 22\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStrategy at the Edges 23\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNot Best Practices, But Next Practices 25\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 4 Expanding Your Business By Narrowing Your Focus 29\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere’s No Such Thing as a General Market 30\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eVertical Success versus Horizontal Success 32\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Strategic Value of Going Deep 34\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 5 Positioning as the Centerpiece of Business Strategy 37\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat Are You Really Selling? 39\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBecoming Hard to Imitate 39\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTwo Critical Dimensions of an Effective Value Proposition 41\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA Category of One 43\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA Brand Is the Customer’s Idea of the Product 44\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNatural Outcomes of a Powerful Value Proposition 46\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 6 Building Brand Boundaries 47\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBrand Boundary 1: Calling 49\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBrand Boundary 2: Customers 55\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBrand Boundary 3: Competencies 60\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBrand Boundary 4: Culture 66\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Confluence of Calling, Customers, Competencies, and Culture 72\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 7 Validating Your Value Proposition 75\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBe Rooted in the Future, Not the Past 76\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Value Proposition Team 77\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAsking the Right Questions 80\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 8 Without Execution, There Is No Strategy 83\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eServices 85\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStaffing 92\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-Promotion 100\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSystems 107\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStaging 112\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eExecuting a Positioning Strategy with Alignment Teams 116\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRebuilding Your Ship While at Sea 119\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 9 Getting Paid for Creating Value 121\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Perils of Cost-Based Compensation 122\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChanging the Language 124\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePricing as a Core Competency 125\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhy a Value-Based Approach Is in the Client’s Best Interest 126\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Alignment of Incentives 128\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCreating a Virtuous Circle 131\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 10 A New and Better Way to Price Professional Services 133\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eForms of Value-Based Pricing 133\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Right Clients for Outcome-Based Agreements 136\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe True Meaning of Partnership 138\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUncovering Missed Opportunities to Make Pricing a Core Competency 139\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKey Questions in Setting a Value-Based Price 140\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIf Complex Global Companies Can Do It, So Can You 142\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBetter Time Tracking Is Not the Answer 144\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThinking of Compensation Plans as a Stock Portfolio 147\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSetting the Stage for a Value-Based Approach to Compensation 150\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA Declaration of Value 154\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAppendix A: The Before-and-After Survey 157\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAppendix B: More Ways to Differentiate Your Brand 161\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAppendix C: Indicators of the Firm’s Success 165\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNotes 173\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbout the Author 179\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex 181\u003c\/p\u003e \t \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTIM WILLIAMS\u003c\/b\u003e leads Ignition Consulting Group (www.ignitiongroup.com), a business consultancy devoted to helping professional knowledge firms create and capture more value. As a recognized thought leader in marketing, Tim is a frequent speaker for marketing and business organizations worldwide. He is a regular contributor to business and professional publications and is author of \u003ci\u003eTake a Stand for Your Brand,\u003c\/i\u003e ranked by Amazon as one of the top ten books on brand building. As an adviser in developing professional service brands, Tim has worked with both large and small professional service firms—most notably advertising agencies and other marketing communications firms—in both the U.S. and abroad. He began his career on Madison Avenue working for large multinational advertising agencies and later served as president and owner of several midsize independent firms.  \t \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePOSITIONING FOR PROFESSIONALS\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow Professional Knowledge Firms Can Differentiate Their Way to Success\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the last twenty years, no marketing concept has captured the collective business imagination more than \"branding.\" While many professional service firms are in the business of helping their clients build a stronger brand, they seldom pay the same kind of attention to developing their own brand. As \u003ci\u003ePositioning for Professionals\u003c\/i\u003e reveals, it's all about differentiation. Filled with proven insights and valuable differentiation strategies, this visionary book takes a step back to examine how your professional firm can make the transition from being a \"recognized name\" to becoming a highly focused brand—and why a stronger brand means stronger profits.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarketing and advertising thought leader Tim Williams reveals how developing a well-defined positioning strategy can help your firm earn a more powerful reputation in the marketplace. Take a look inside for world-class guidance on: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eWhy building a successful brand means going against your instincts\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eForegoing best practices for \"next practices\"\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eWhy there's no such thing as \"full service\" or a \"general market\"\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eWhy copying competitors' strategies doesn't work …\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e…and why differentiating does—with big results\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eDestined to become the desktop brand development and business strategy companion you will turn to again and again,\u003ci\u003e Positioning for Professionals\u003c\/i\u003e offers you powerful, insightful ideas for positioning your firm for maximum market success.   \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBetter isn't always better.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eDifferent is better.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Most managers invest their time and energy in trying to make their firms better, when in fact they should also be working to make their firms different.\" \u003cb\u003e—From \u003ci\u003ePositioning for Professionals\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhy are some professional service firms so much more successful than their competitors? The difference isn't just talent, but focus. The best firms know that standing for everything is the same as standing for nothing. Instead of trying to be good at everything, they do what they do best and find resources for the rest. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDestined to become the positioning strategy companion you'll turn to again and again, \u003ci\u003ePositioning for Professionals\u003c\/i\u003e offers executives of professional service firms proven strategies for positioning their firms for maximum success in the marketplace. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawn from his decades of work in the advertising and marketing fields, thought leader Tim Williams helps you develop a differentiating value proposition with valuable insights on: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eWhy it's better to be a profit leader than a market leader\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eHow to overcome your natural fear of focus\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eMaking your firm hard to imitate\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eOut-of-the-ordinary ways to differentiate your firm from the \"sea of sameness\"\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eWhy every company is a brand, like it or not…\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e…and why every single business decision you make affects the success and reputation of  your brand\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt's no coincidence that a handful of top firms keep winning the most business, attract the best talent, and earn the highest margins. They're the ones that have staked out a differentiating positioning strategy that capitalizes on their strengths. Rather than being mildly appealing to a broad group of prospects, they're intensely appealing to a select group of prospects. They're the firms that follow the valuable principles you'll find in this book. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGET \u003ci\u003ePOSITIONING FOR PROFESSIONALS\u003c\/i\u003e TODAY AND PUT ITS WINNING IDEAS TO WORK FOR YOUR FIRM.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wiley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47989820489957,"sku":"NP9780470587157","price":47.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780470587157.jpg?v=1761785570","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/positioning-for-professionals-isbn-9780470587157","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}