Summer is often a great time to focus on marketing and business development، especially now that firms are wrapping up retreat season and moving to put the latest initiatives into play.

However، there may still be quite a bit of reluctance to focus on marketing. The continued strong growth is a big reason، as is the ongoing challenge to staff engagements properly. And there are still those who believe that "good work speaks for itself."

If you are among the partners who are thinking "why bother to market now? We have more work than we can handle،" consider that a change in marketing attitude and practices could help ease the workload and work-management issues.

Another marketing issue may be less obvious but is just as important: Good marketing practices by you and your fellow owners are necessary to lead by example and to instruct the next generation and beyond in how to sell your firm´s services. If you are ignoring marketing، you are sending negative messages to younger staff about your firm´s strategic future—and they may decide to find a firm that is more oriented toward a future plan.

Marketing motivators. If you are one of the partners who recognizes the importance of marketing، you may be in the unenviable position of needing to get your fellow owners to agree to take a fresh look at your marketing plan. Small action steps can be the best approach.

PR likes the suggestions we recently came across from Robert Kohn، senior vice president of Kohn Communications (Los Angeles). Kohn´s focus is on law firm administration، but these ideas are equally applicable to the CPA firm world.

Kohn asserts that "one size fits all" is not the way to go when it comes to pushing various players at the firm to do more in marketing. Instead، you´ll go further in getting marketing activities back on track if you tailor an approach that meets the needs of your firm´s:

* Senior owners. Key goals: Help them understand the need to transition clients to younger partners and motivate them to create a positive marketing culture within the firm.

* Junior owners and staff. Key goals: Help them to develop the skills needed to build relationships over time، create contacts and quality targets within the business community، identify opportunities، and develop effective، sustainable marketing habits.

According to Kohn، both groups have a unique set of marketing obstacles (some of which overlap) that firms can address systematically. Common obstacles:

1. Skepticism. This marketing impediment crops up when partners and staff have tried to market previously، but with little success.

2. Discomfort. Most CPAs are not skilled rainmakers، so the thought of selling themselves may be distasteful.

3. Time constraints. Failure to delegate contributes to the belief that there is simply not enough time to devote to marketing. Growing workloads and staff shortages also feed this belief.

4. Marketing inundation. Partners and staff are overwhelmed by large-scale initiatives and discount small marketing tasks that can pay off over time.

5. Inadequate budgets. It is easy for firms to cut back on dollars allocated to marketing when the investment will affect partner profits.

6. Complacency. Comfort—based on the sense that just because work exists today، it will exist tomorrow—breeds complacency.

7. Bad habits. For example: ignoring simple، common courtesies (e.g.، returning phone calls and e-mail messages promptly، failing to work on leads، waiting on prospects to follow up) that can help create long-term client relationships.

8. Lack of direction. Some owners and staff would be glad to participate—but they just don´t know what to do، or how.

9. Disdain. Selling conjures up natural fears of rejection، concerns about the appearance of being needy، and images of being a "sleazy salesperson."

10. Lifestyle concerns. Younger partners and staff may see the time spent "stroking" clients as time taken away from their personal lives.

Excuses، excuses. Kohn says all of the aforementioned obstacles are universal، "absolutely valid،" and should be taken seriously and dealt with. But when CPAs focus on the obstacles، they inevitably convince themselves that they don´t have the ability to market.

As an owner who advocates marketing، you need to illuminate solutions aimed at deconstructing these obstacles to "the selling end of your firm." Solutions to consider now:

1. Have all professionals set aside just five minutes each day for marketing management. Require everyone to put together a marketing file (which should include the names of prospects، tasks، and good ideas to pursue) and review it for five minutes at the start of each day. "This will create an overall change in their behavior،" Kohn asserts. "You have to get them to think like a marketer before they act like one."

2. Point out the obvious and less-than-apparent benefits of marketing. Psychological studies show that people are more excited and inclined to take action when there´s a clear understanding of how something will benefit them، Kohn said. Point out these obvious benefits:

* Money and authority. If you bring in business، you will make more money. Those who make more money for the firm have more power and influence within the organization.

* Reputation and improved clientele. The more clients come to know and respect you، the greater your reputation within the industry. A solid marketing plan will also help your firm discard clients that are unpleasant to deal with and enable it to choose from a higher caliber of client.

* Emotional fulfillment. While it´s easy to see the negative side of selling، effective marketing is all about creating long-lasting relationships with people who may eventually become friends; getting involved in worthwhile organizations; and developing new skills، like public speaking.

Kohn adds that there´s also a high to marketing successes (for example، being published for the first time or bringing in a significant piece of business) that is exhilarating.

* Intellectual fulfillment. Effective marketing requires sophisticated and subtle strategies that owners will find interesting; it´s not all about more money and power، Kohn says.

3. Let CPAs market within their comfort zones. It´s human nature: People are more inclined to do something that they really care about and to put off things they don´t care to do. The point: Allow your partners and staff to market in a way that allows them to be more comfortable by asking them to:

* Commit to specific tasks. This might be as simple as having them identify a target، write the names down، and make a phone call. Know، however، that the tasks must be:

— Practical. If your CPAs really don´t think the task is a good idea، they won´t do it.

— Appropriate. Recognize and stay in your CPAs´ comfort zones for the individual and his or her situation.

— Achievable. Don´t encourage big plans that aren´t plausible. Instead، Kohn says، take a "small-bite approach" and focus on realistic tasks.

4. Understand that generational differences must affect your marketing expectations. You should not، obviously، expect your firm´s staff to attack marketing in a highly sophisticated manner. Similarly، your goals for senior partners should be more strategic، Kohn said.

Action steps for younger partners and staff:

* Set up one-on-one time with the firm´s marketing director، talk to the firm´s managing partner، and connect with heads of practice groups.

* Help with firm-based initiatives، like client seminars.

* Write entries on your firm´s newsletter، Web site، or blog.

* Join two or three professional organizations، and speak at conferences.

* Develop a database of prospects that include college alumni and other contacts.

Action steps for seasoned practitioners:

* Do targeting. Have every owner bring his or her contacts to a meeting with your firm´s marketing leaders and discuss strategies for building those relationships over time.

* Use a contact-management form to focus your partners´ efforts. You can download one at Kohn´s extensive and useful Web site، www.kohncommunications.com/marketingtools.htm.