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The economic downturn left many professional services firms with fewer billable hours and a little extra time on their hands. But companies can set themselves apart by capitalizing on this time.

As a marketing professional, I know that strengthening relationships with current and potential clients is important to growing my firm’s business. While business development is crucial, don’t underestimate the importance of ensuring your firm is shown in the best light. When was the last time you took a good, hard look at your marketing materials?

What are we really saying about our firms? Does the text read like a mishmash of several pieces written previously? Do the graphics accurately reflect current work and employees? If we are working so hard to bring in what little work is available, why are we using old materials?

To build the strongest business, my firm is taking a hard look at the message we are portraying. We still use the same logo designed more than 30 years ago, our website isn’t user friendly, and many of our marketing pieces don’t match each other. We decided to invest in our future by redesigning our brand.

When freshening up the look and feel of a company, consider the following do’s and don’ts.

1. DO hire a consultant. Rebranding is a highly political and personal process. Rely on the experts to guide you through the process.
2. DO form an internal committee. Building consensus with a large group of owners or shareholders takes a lot of time. Form a committee of three to five people to run the day-to-day decision making of the rebranding process.
3. DO interview several agencies. As professional services providers, we recognize that clients hire us based on the level of trust we build with them. Clients are looking for a strong working relationship. The same applies when we hire a branding firm. Look for a team you can communicate with easily.
4. DON’T hire an agency without a clear scope of services. A majority of the work we win is a result of responding to a request for proposals. Work smart by establishing a clear scope of services and asking for references. Be sure to follow up with all references. Yes, all the references will be glowing examples of the work the agency provides, but they will also give a strong indication of how the agency works with its clients.
5. DON’T rebrand in a vacuum. Yes, we know our firms, but what do our current and potential clients think about us? The most important aspect of any rebranding is to accurately reflect who we are and what we do. Make sure that your assumptions match those of your clients.
6. DON’T expect rebranding to happen overnight. Be realistic about the time frame. An agency will present an aggressive schedule, designed to move you through the process quickly. By nature, professional services providers question all avenues before making a decision. Professionals who take a long time to decide whether to proceed will need even more time to choose brand elements.
7. DON’T misrepresent your company or its services. Build a new brand on the company’s mission statement and values. Work hard to accurately reflect the firm’s professionals and services they provide. Don’t lie (to yourself) or bend the truth.

During this time, firms can strengthen relationships with clients, train technical professionals or rebrand. Just be sure to DO something! The biggest mistake you can make is to wait until the economy recovers; at that point it will be too late to position yourself for new work.

Kenda Salisbury is the director of marketing for Historical Research Associates Inc. and a member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services. Contact her at [email protected].