“We have seen three other great firms that could all do the work, so what’s special about you then?” It is a question that can strike fear into the heart of many experienced partners pitching for high-stakes work and is music to the ears of others who know precisely where to begin their answer.
The answer lies in being able to articulate what you stand for in a powerful and distinctive way – your ethos, your culture and your reputation – whatever you call it, you are talking about the firm’s brand. An overused and often abused term that invites scepticism among professional people of all types, it is nevertheless an increasingly important part of the strategic armoury of the most successful professional service firms in the world.
