The human edge - reinventing careers in professional services marketing
AI is the buzz phrase of the moment. But, as Charles Handley says, a new less daunting yet equally important one is ‘human skills’.
Automation is a given, so it follows the success of marketing and business development [BD] teams – and the firms they support – will depend on having a human edge.
Partners of tomorrow will get there by borrowing ideas from outside industries, applying them commercially, and articulating value to drive relationship growth by aligning with their clients’ own reinvention journeys. Seamless, personalised experiences will be expected, and uttering “we’ve always done it this way” will be replaced by “remember when we used to say.”
PwC research shows transformation isn’t optional for clients and therefore nor is it for professional services firms. Almost a half of all CEOs see reinvention as critical to survival. Clients are adapting to reinvented businesses in their daily lives through advanced digital experiences, AI-enhanced services, and increasingly sophisticated human interactions as automation frees-up time. They’ll demand the same from their professional suppliers so firms must evolve quickly and rise with expectations, or risk irrelevance.
With 50% of traditional tasks set to be automated in five years, marketers and BDs have an opportunity to focus on and refine what machines can’t replicate. Automation and access to limitless knowledge means speed of delivery, clarity of information, and quality of insights will be much higher, along with expectations of interpersonal engagements.
Prominent partners will stand out because of their commercial instincts, adaptability, speed, and relationship development capabilities. BD, client, and marketing advisers need to be right there alongside, adapting and elevating their contributions.
A recruiter’s perspective
As a recruiter specialising in professional services marketing and BD, I spend about five seconds scanning a CV before deciding one way or the other. I look for industry experience, a results focus, and most importantly, a phone number. How candidates present in conversation tells me far more than their CV ever could. Can they articulate their value? Can they engage? Can they sell? Do they ask smart questions? Do I sense strong human intelligence?
I’ve recently placed two candidates who were initially overlooked based on their CVs alone – former management consultants perceived as lacking ‘enough BD experience.’ After I encouraged interviews, their commerciality, intelligence, and ability to connect with and coach partners – demonstrated through advising clients and articulating value propositions across industries – secured them roles quickly. They can learn the rest, if they really need to. It’s important to look beyond the page to assess the person, something only another human can do.
Firms have an opportunity to position themselves as growth hubs for human talent. By future-proofing their businesses through reinvention and recognising the importance of human skills, they can simultaneously future-proof careers.
To do this, firms should identify the skills that will define success five years from now, hire accordingly, nurture, and publicise these initiatives to attract top talent – candidates will increasingly seek future proofing. Smart firms will develop the human skills of ‘tender bunnies’ capable of adding strategic value, while they gradually do away with the ‘do-ers,’ focused on tactical execution alone.
“While AI will undoubtedly transform processes, human qualities need even greater attention. Perhaps it’s time to treat AI as a given and refocus on the people driving the success of professional services.”
Look further for inspiration
Firms can take inspiration from businesses that bring in talent from diverse industries to inject fresh ideas. Goldman Sachs, for example, has successfully recruited strategic sales and marketing talent from technology and SaaS [software as a service] sectors, broadening their approach to client engagement. While hiring outside of professional services remains a stretch for many firms, consultancy-based engagements could introduce innovation and training without long-term commitments. Another approach is to foster collaboration with forward-thinking businesses willing to share insights.
McKinsey, for instance, equips its teams with commercial acumen and strategic advisory skills. Firms can follow suit by developing internal programmes cultivating client empathy, adaptability, and creative problem-solving – capabilities that will be essential in an AI-driven landscape. Similarly, Microsoft has pioneered cross-functional collaboration to create unified client experiences. Replicating this approach by integrating BD, marketing, and practice groups into cohesive teams ensures alignment with client needs and fosters innovation.
Accenture has found the sweet spot between automation and human expertise, leveraging AI for repetitive tasks while enabling professionals to focus on relationship management and strategic planning. Firms adopting this model can free up their teams to drive greater impact. Meanwhile, Unilever’s leadership programmess prioritise emotional intelligence, adaptability, and creativity, empowering decision-makers at all levels. Firms that promote talent based on innovation and merit – rather than tenure – stand to gain loyalty from their best people while fostering a culture of forward-thinking leadership.
Wellbeing: The unseen driver of success
Reinvention isn’t just about strategy. Human outperformance and growth in fast-paced, evolving firms takes resilience, drive, sharp cognition, and smart commercial engagement. You also need to be a good, emotionally mature human. You don’t get there without strong physical and mental health underpinnings, because they’re deeply intertwined. I know. I recovered from debilitating injuries in 2023 and then kept going to make a commitment to physical and spiritual health outperformance, which has drastically enhanced my focus and amplified my professional results remarkably.
Firms can prioritise wellbeing through genuine action:
- Mental health: Provide access to in-house counselling, mindfulness programmes, and internal commercially focused psychologists to address anxiety, avoid burnout, and internal politics.
- Cognition and motivation: Invest in sleep health programmes, holistic fitness initiatives, offer truly nutritious office food and diet advice, and provide training in empathy, ego management, gratitude, and motivation.
- Financial literacy: Leverage fee earners to educate staff on smart investments, enabling junior team members to build financial security, in turn reducing stress and boosting confidence.
- Resilience training: Offer stress prevention workshops and tools to handle high-pressure environments.
Remember, the importance of mental health will be magnified during periods of significant industry disruption, because there will be immense pressures to adapt – unchecked anxiety could derail performance. Smart firms will invest in creating a culture of support, where experimentation and learning from failure are encouraged, fostering genuine innovation, commitment, motivation and loyalty
While AI will undoubtedly transform processes, human qualities need even greater attention. Perhaps it’s time to treat AI as a given and refocus on the people driving the success of professional services.
The question isn’t whether you’ll adapt, it’s how boldly you’ll reinvent. Plan, act, and communicate your commitment to transformation. You’ll attract, retain, and perhaps be the very best.