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.5.2.1 Frequency and DurationA relationship becomes stronger if the relation between the consultant and the clientstrengthens, as well as if the client feels that value and quality is added.The processbecomes friendlier, and delivering value is as important as delivering good services.Inaddition, many firms include the client in the process, which also can affect the durationof the project process.Firms who use transaction-based marketing do not focus on this tothe same extent, according to the theories.In transaction-based marketing the focus is puton the transaction rather than the relation with the client, hence the process is shorter.Hypothesis 3: Firms who focus on relationship-based marketing works longerwith the clients as well as put effort on nurturing the relation to ahigher extent than those who use active marketing activities, i.e.more transaction-based marketing.- 56 -- marketing strategies for intangible services -The duration of the process affects the strength of the relationship, according to thetheories.Logically, bigger projects should take longer time than small ones, thereforesmall and big projects are separated into two tables here.Table 29 shows that themajority (44,4%) of those who use active marketing activities spend 3-6 months ingeneral on big projects.The majority of those firms who use interactive marketingmethods spend 6-12 months in general on each big project.This support the theory thatthose who use interactive marketing methods are more relation-oriented and the durationof the projects are longer than for those firms who use active marketing activities.Table 29*Type of marketing approach * Duration of big projects CrosstabulationDuration of big projects1 year or1-10 weeks 3-6 months 6-12 months longer TotalType of marketingActive marketing activit Count0 4 3 2 9approach% within Type of,0% 44,4% 33,3% 22,2% 100,0%marketing approachInteractive marketing Count1 5 6 4 16methods% within Type of6,3% 31,3% 37,5% 25,0% 100,0%marketing approachTotal Count1 9 9 6 25% within Type of4,0% 36,0% 36,0% 24,0% 100,0%marketing approach* Q6 and Q12, appendix 2:2The assumption about the duration should be the same for small projects.Table 30reveals, first of all, that smaller projects do take shorter time, 72% of all the firms spend3-12 months on bigger projects while 88% of all respondents spend 1 week to 6 monthson smaller projects.In addition, 66,7% of those who use active marketing activities spend1-10 weeks on small projects while those firms who use interactive marketing methodsspend 3-6 months on each small project.Once again, those firms who use interactivemarketing methods spend longer time on each project than those who use the otherapproach.- 57 -- marketing strategies for intangible services -Table 30*Type of marketing approach * Duration of small projects CrosstabulationDuration of small projects1-10 weeks 3-6 months 6-12 months TotalType of marketing Active marketing activitieCount6 3 0 9approach% within Type of66,7% 33,3% ,0% 100,0%marketing approachInteractive marketing Count6 7 3 16methods% within Type of37,5% 43,8% 18,8% 100,0%marketing approachTotal Count12 10 3 25% within Type of48,0% 40,0% 12,0% 100,0%marketing approach* Q6 and Q12, appendix 2:2Another aspect to consider in order to test the hypothesis correct is whether theconsultants work with several projects at the same time.Working with only one project atthe time would mean that this client got all the attention.Within transaction-basedmarketing, this is not the primary focus.Therefore, those firms who use active marketingactivities probably work with several projects at the same time.This might be the case forthe firms who use interactive marketing methods too; however an assumption is that itseems harder to have a close and strong relation with several clients at the same time.Close and strong relation is in this sentence referred to the type of relation the clients andthe consultant have during a project process.In addition, the size of the project must alsoaffect the number of projects at the same time.It seems logical that smaller projects caneasier occur at the same time than bigger projects.Table 31 shows the outcome.- 58 -- marketing strategies for intangible services -Table 31*Type of marketing approach * Number of big projects CrosstabulationNumber of big projectsOnly 1 2-6 projects TotalType of marketing Active marketing activities Count7 2 9approach% within Type of77,8% 22,2% 100,0%marketing approachInteractive marketing Count8 8 16methods% within Type of50,0% 50,0% 100,0%marketing approachTotal Count15 10 25% within Type of60,0% 40,0% 100,0%marketing approach* Q6 and Q11, appendix 2:2For the firms who use active marketing activities the results are as expected; one bigproject at the time.However, those firms who use interactive marketing methods workwith 1-6 big projects at the time [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]