Marketing for Professional Services in B2B: Brand, Trust, and the Long Game

How do you sell something that hasn’t even been built yet? This episode unpacks a smart, relationship-driven marketing strategy for professional services that works even on a tight budget. The insights shared apply broadly to professional services companies and companies in general, not just custom software firms. Watch the full episode on YouTube for an excellent lesson in growing a service business the right way.

Summary

Let’s be honest: most custom software firms sound the same. So how do you actually stand out? In this conversation with Steve Hennegan, we break down a marketing strategy for a service business that really works. We talk about building a brand people trust, why you should host your own events instead of just attending them, and how “productizing” your services is the key to being different. This episode is packed with real-world advice for any small service team trying to make its impact.

Why Traditional Marketing is a Dead End for Custom Services

When every project is a one-off, a one-size-fits-all marketing campaign is a waste of money. Unlike a SaaS product solving the same problem over and over, custom software is a new puzzle every time. That makes paid ads expensive and inefficient. The path to growth lies in a b2b professional services marketing approach that embraces this uniqueness.

Steve explains that getting too narrow with an ideal customer profile can mean missing out on great opportunities. Instead of a numbers game, the goal is to show your value and build trust from day one. So if you’re looking for an ideal customer profile, it’s going to be really hard to send targeted money at one specific thing.

The Real Goal: Becoming the Name They Bring Up in the Meeting

The ultimate goal of your marketing is to achieve powerful brand recognition. The real win is when a potential client is in a meeting discussing a problem, and someone says, “You need to call [Your Company Name].” That’s the power of being top-of-mind. It’s not about being the loudest; it’s about being the most trusted.

This requires playing the long game. Your marketing for professional services should be less about the hard sell and more about consistently proving your knowledge and values.

“All I want in my marketing is for somebody in that room to raise their hand and say, ‘I know the right person, Seven Hills would be perfect for this.’ ”

The Power of a Handshake (and a Coffee Meeting)

In our digital world, a real human bond is a gift. Seven Hills uses its local presence to its advantage, prioritizing face-to-face meetings. A single coffee or lunch meeting can build more trust than a dozen emails, which is important for landing those high value, six or seven-figure projects. While it’s harder to scale, it reinforces the core truth: business is still all about people.

Stop Attending Events. Start Hosting Them

Many firms spend a fortune on trade show booths only to get lost in a sea of competitors. Steve shares a much smarter marketing technique: stop being an attendee and become the host. By creating their own small, curated events, they control the room and the conversation.

A perfect example is their monthly Product Management Meetup. It delivers real value to the community with zero sales pressure. This regards them as a thought leader and lets them build organic relationships with key people in their industry. It’s a strategy that creates a network of fans and gives them priceless insight into what potential clients are struggling with.

“We’re bringing smart people in the room and we’re really trying to organize thoughtful conversation among thought leaders… just being in the room and facilitating those conversations places us as a thought leader.”

How to Stand Out When Everyone Sells the Same Thing

What do you do when everyone is selling “custom software”? You stop making generic claims and start showing your unique process. One of the most effective tactics is to productize your solutions.

Instead of being a general agency that can “build anything,” you package your expertise into clear offerings, like a “Strategic Assessment” or a “UI/UX Design Sprint.” This makes your value instantly clear and easier to market. It shifts the conversation from “we’re better, just trust us” to “here is our proven journey to solve your problem.” This provides a different perspective and makes it easier for new clients to say yes.

Be a Human, Not a Bot: The Right Way to Do Outreach

While marketing automation is useful, it can’t replace a real connection. In a world flooded with AI-generated spam, a personal, thoughtful message rises out. The business development strategy at Seven Hills is quality over quantity. Their rep might only contact seven people a day, but each message is handcrafted, well-researched, and genuinely helpful. This slower, more intentional approach works far better for a business that only needs a handful of great new clients a year. It’s about being human and reinforcing your brand identity.

The Long Game: How to Know if Your Marketing is Working

When your marketing plan is built on relationships, it’s hard to draw a straight line from an activity to a closed deal. The sales cycle is long, and success often comes from a word-of-mouth referral months later. So how do you know you’re on the right track?

The key is to track intermediate success metrics. Instead of only counting closed deals, track “impactful conversations.” How often are you getting in front of decision-makers to talk about their problems? By tracking where every lead in your sales funnel comes from (an event, a referral, natural visits to your website) you can learn where to invest your time and resources. This helps smooth out the feast-or-famine cycle and builds a more stable organization.

The #1 Place to Stop Wasting Your Marketing Budget

For small firms, every dollar counts. Steve’s top advice on where to stop spending is plain and straightforward: stop paying for booths at trade shows where you’re just another logo in a long row of competitors.

His rule is powerful:

“We have a philosophy that we don’t attend trade shows or conferences that we’re not speaking at. So it encourages our people to be thought leaders…”

This emphasis shifts your budget from passive presence to active thought leadership, which delivers far more authority and ROI through speaking engagements.

Takeaways

• Brand Over Ads: Being the trusted, top-of-mind choice is more valuable than any ad click. Play the long game.
• Host, Don’t Just Attend: Create your own value-packed events to build a community and position your firm as an expert.
• Productize Your Services: Package your expertise into clear offerings. It makes you different and easier to buy from.
• Be Human: In a world of bots, a personal, high-effort message to the right person builds a real connection.
• Stop Buying Booths: Invest in getting your experts on stage. Speaking is your best marketing tool.

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Tired of marketing advice that doesn’t fit your service business? Subscribe to the B2B Marketing Flywheel Podcast for more hands-on insights and expert conversations designed to help you grow without a massive budget.

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