unbillable hours - a podcast about better professional services marketing

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.

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.

"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.

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

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.

"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.

Ever heard of a "diagnostic funnel?" It's like one of the old buzzfeed.com quizzes, but better - and for consultancy marketing. Ash and Flo explain how you might use these, and give examples (pls. see our shownotes for links!). 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.

And here it is (finally, sigh!): In this episode, Ash and Flo present their model for what, exactly, "strategic" consultancy marketing is and how it works within a firm. It's a bit of a tying together of lots of loose ends from previous episode into something coherent - and we sure hope it'll be helpful to you and your work. 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.

"Ok, what are we doing for Father's Day tomorrow," asks the managing partner for the first time ever as he steps into the marketing office... the evening before. Ever had something like that happen to you? Then listen to our tips for preventing it from happening ever again 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.

Is your marketing function providing in-house trainings to consulting colleagues? If not... you might want to consider changing that. Listen to Ash's and Flo's reasons for why marketers should train consultants and their tips for how and in what. They even share some tips for how to get your "training service" started! 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 still an under-utilized source of differentiation, marketing success, and firm growth: Proper market segmentation. We mean the kind where you DON'T just go after entire industries but create much more helpful sub-segments to increase your marketing's effectiveness. And in this minisode, we explain how you can get to them by viewing your market through four simple "lenses." 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 speak about "stakeholder engagement" a lot on this podcast. And in this episode, Ash and Flo bring it home - to "corporate comms." Listen to hear their views and tips around working with the function to improve your marketing results! 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.

Next up: How to map your consultancy's content to the service buying journey of your ideal clients, and improve the effectiveness of your inbound efforts (like, literally, that's what's in this week's minisode: We discuss the why, how, and what to watch out for when mapping your content to your clients' service buying journey... let's go!): 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.

In this episode, Ash and Flo chat about the difficulties of getting your organic social media posts to work these days... and then share a framework that helps you write effective posts. Plus, we also talk about how AI-generated content can help optimize your posts... Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

Need new insights, content ideas - or even content pieces? Don't go off and reinvent the wheel... use the assets your firm already has instead! In this "solo episode", a lone Flo shares our seven tips for "where to find" ideas, expertise, and collateral you can repurpose while Ash is out "doing Ash stuff" somewhere in Europe. Enjoy! Voices, production, etc. by Flo (Ash is out today!) 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 not saying this is always the case... BUT: Sometimes, when consultancy marketing efforts seem to "not do much," it's not marketing's (or: marketers') fault - but the consequence of misconceptions. Here's more: Voices, production, etc. by Ash and Flo. Creative and design advice by @calmar.creativ Into, outro voiceover by @iamthedakota Music also by @iamthedakota

"How can I convince a consultancy exec who 'doesn't believe in marketing' to invest in marketing?" is a question both Ash and Flo are hearing more often these days - and so we decided to answer it, comprehensively, in a single episode. Enjoy! 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.

So, how will generative AI change professional services marketing? We’ve promised to revisit this very question for a while now – and, in this episode, do it with the help of Hinge Marketing’s Karl Feldman and Austin McNair, who have a strong point of view on the matter. Episode guests: Karl Feldman, senior partner, and Austin McNair, senior marketing manager, Hinge Marketing. 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 show notes for this episode at https://unbillable-hrs.com.

Since we, uh... lost our original episode for today (which was all about "misconceptions"), Flo had to go back into the dusty archives and uncover this classic, which is about the capabilities and mechanisms your firm should have within its marketing function. Enjoy! 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.