Selling into professional services isn’t like flogging t-shirts. The buyer isn’t driven by impulse, and there’s no “add to basket” moment. Instead, you’re working across layered decision-making units, opaque procurement processes, and long timelines where trust matters more than price.
And for digital marketers supporting these firms, it can be frustrating terrain, especially when standalone traditional tactics don’t deliver the clarity or speed we’re used to seeing elsewhere, writes James Jones, a Senior BD Manager at Modern Citizens.
It’s never just one decision-maker
The complication starts with the structure of professional services themselves. Whether you’re working with legal, financial or consultancy firms, you’re rarely speaking to just a single decision-maker.
More often, there’s a tangle of stakeholders: the person with the problem, their boss who signs it off, a cautious finance lead and, if you’re lucky, a compliance team to run interference. It’s not just a long journey – it’s a crowded one.
So when marketers try to apply short-cycle techniques to long-cycle environments, results stall.
A single content asset won’t drive a six-figure deal in the same way that a webinar won’t push a C-suite prospect to convert. And one email rarely gets forwarded up the chain. Yet this kind of ‘set and forget’ activity remains widespread, sometimes because it’s what the client has always done, sometimes because the alternative feels daunting.
Nurture beats noise`
The truth is that long buyer journeys need long-term thinking. They require nurture over noise. And the challenge isn’t just getting someone’s attention, it’s holding it for long enough to build familiarity, credibility and momentum.
The key isn’t more marketing, but better sequencing. This is where marketers need to act less like broadcasters and more like matchmakers, gradually building relevance over time, touchpoint by touchpoint.
Understanding behaviour is the starting point. The path to purchase in professional services is rarely linear, so assuming people move neatly from awareness to decision is wishful thinking.
A potential buyer may engage with a whitepaper today, ignore your brand for two months, then pop up via organic search after a quiet nudge from a colleague. That’s not disinterest – that’s the reality of multi-tasking professionals in complex roles. The trick is to be present when they re-emerge, with content that fits the moment.
Generic messaging isn’t helping anyone
Too many campaigns still rely on generic messaging at every stage. “We offer strategic guidance and industry-leading support” might pass internal sign-off, but it says very little. If marketers want to support professional services firms properly, they need to commit to specifics.
Answer real questions. Solve known problems.
Don’t just talk about being trusted – demonstrate why you’ve earned it.
A big part of that comes down to how marketers use data. Not in a creepy, “we know where you went to school” way – but in a thoughtful, intelligent way that allows for useful personalisation.
If someone downloaded a guide on regulatory change, follow up with content that builds on that theme. If they’ve attended an event, reference it. Use data to show you’re paying attention, not just ticking automation boxes.
Personalisation isn’t just a first name
And yes, while personalisation often gets reduced to a token “Hi Firstname,” it’s far more than that. It’s about understanding what your prospects are looking for, not just who they are. Location, sector, level of urgency, level of knowledge – all of these factors shape what kind of message is going to resonate.
If someone’s still in the early stages of research, a lengthy whitepaper might be too much. But if they’ve been circling your site for weeks, then this could be just the chunkier thing for them to chew on.
None of this works without consistency across channels. Professional services buyers expect the same experience whether they’re browsing your website on their commute, reading your newsletter at their desk, or speaking to a business development lead face-to-face. And yet, many firms still present a fragmented front. One tone in their ads, another in their content, and something entirely different over email. It creates confusion, and confusion rarely leads to conversion.
Contribution, not attribution
There’s also a cultural challenge here. Some professional services firms still expect marketing to behave like sales, pushing for ROI from a single campaign, demanding attribution from every click.
But when you’re working across long cycles and multi-stakeholder decisions, contribution matters more than attribution. It’s not always about proving that one campaign led to a signed deal. Sometimes it’s about showing that your activity helped move a cold lead closer to being warm.
That’s still progress.
Technology can help, not just with measurement, but with orchestration. AI is beginning to play a role in shaping content recommendations, suggesting campaign timing, and even nudging marketers on when to follow up. It’s not a silver bullet, but it is a useful tool in a world where personalisation and precision are increasingly expected.
Ultimately, the firms that thrive in long sales cycles are the ones that think like their clients. They respect the time it takes to make decisions. They build trust gradually, with substance over spin. And they show up when it matters – with the right message, for the right person.
That might not feel fast. It might not always feel flashy. But it works. And in complex buying environments, that’s what counts.
James Jones is the Senior Business Development Manager at Modern Citizens, a modular agency purpose-built to solve the challenges of modern brands. Combining creative, strategic and technological expertise, they provide tailored, flexible solutions that drive meaningful engagement and measurable growth. Modern Citizens work with some of the world’s most notable brands including Dunelm, Moonpig and Browne Jacobson.