A World First - New Book: Marketing Professional Services in Asia

HONG KONG -

Law and accountancy firms from the US and Europe have long considered Asia a prime market, particularly given the maturing markets of the west and the ongoing credit crisis. Unfortunately, transplanting marketing practices in Professional Service Firms (PSFs) from the west into the Asian business context is a recipe for disaster and many PSFs from Western markets have struggled in Asia or pulled out altogether. There were no resources for these firms that addressed PSF marketing in Asia, until now.

(Photo: www.prnasia.com/sa/2009/06/30/200906301525.html )

Published by Lexis Nexis in Hong Kong, ‘Marketing Professional Services in Asia’ is the first book of its kind that addresses the strategic management and marketing issues that face PSFs practicing in Asia, or looking to enter Asia. The book is available through the Lexis Nexis sales office in Hong Kong.

Professor Oliver Yau of the City University of Hong Kong has called it one of the most indigenous works so far on marketing in Asia.

Says its author, managing director of Hong Kong based SRC Associates Ltd, Robert Sawhney: “having worked with a number of law and accountancy firms in Asia and elsewhere, I realized there was a lack of any specific resources that could provide partners and executives at such firms the guidance they needed when working through their strategic marketing and implementation issues… resources invariably focused on Western markets.”

“The books overriding aims are to provide partners a deeper understanding of the marketing process in Asia for PSFs, and give them the mind set as well as specific tools which they can use to substantially increase the strategic management and marketing effectiveness of any change effort,” added Sawhney.

The book’s fifteen chapters cover a wide range of issues including marketing culture and leadership, strategy, client relations, as well as pricing and branding. The book has a number of case studies related to the Asia region and cites a significant amount of research that has been done in the areas of PSF marketing and management. Sawhney believes the book will be a useful reference for Western PSFs entering Asian markets as there are significant differences between marketing professional services in the West when compared to Asia.

“Having seen first hand some of the awful marketing advice being given to PSFs, I wanted to produce a resource that demonstrated once and for all that marketing in PSFs is different and this is further exacerbated by the cultural nuances of Asia,” claims Sawhney.

Sawhney hopes this book will provide a wake up call and roadmap to Western PSFs in Asia in order for them to deal with the market pressures and cultural differences they are now facing.

About the author: Robert C. Sawhney is the founder and Managing Director of SRC Associates Ltd. A pioneering Hong Kong based firm in the areas of strategic management and marketing of Professional Service Firms. He has worked with dozens of PSFs on their strategic management, marketing, and leadership issues. He can be contacted at bob@srchk.com. +852-97894589, +852-28921121

About SRC Associates Ltd: SRC Associates is the leading firm in Asia providing strategic management and marketing advice to Professional Service Firms and SME’s. A pioneer in this field, SRC is part of a worldwide office network of over 50 countries. For more about SRC, visit www.srchk.com .

About the book and to get a review copy:

For more information about the book you may visit www.srchk.com or https://www.lexisnexis.com.sg/hk_shop/store/view_n.asp?isbn=9789888106310 .

To request a copy of the book for review purposes, please contact author Robert Sawhney on +852-97894589, +852-28921121, bob@srchk.com

To contact the author for an interview or for more details, call:

Robert Sawhney Tel: +852-9789-4589 +852-2892-1121 Email: bob@srchk.com

Source: SRC Associates Ltd

Robert Sawhney, +852-9789-4589 or +852-2892-1121, or bob at srchk.com