The spy who billed me

by | Sep 1, 2026 | PM Magazine

Mystery shoppers have prowled the supermarket aisles for decades. Now they’re phoning law and accountancy firms. But what do they actually catch? How do you mystery shop a professional services firm? You can hardly wander in with a basket. “It’s a lot harder than a...

It’s not about you…

by | Sep 1, 2026 | Editor's picks, PM Magazine

What is ‘client experience’? And should we care? Byline.London’s James Lumley asks the experts and discovers that it’s much more than a survey. There is a newish buzzword going round marketing departments at professional services firms: client experience. It’s the...

Media Relations is back

by | Jul 1, 2026 | PM Magazine

For nearly a decade, media relations lost ground to digital PR, SEO metrics and link chasing. Matt Baldwin of Coast Communications, who has spent 25 years getting professional services firms into the publications their clients read, thinks that was a mistake. AI is...

Back to Basics

by | Jul 1, 2026 | PM Magazine

Professional services public relations came of age in an era of noise and disruption. Now, as it faces the predicted AI revolution, comms leads are predicting a return to fundamentals of the craft. Byline.London’s James Lumley finds out more. Ryan McSharry, a Director...

The case for going further

by | May 1, 2026 | PM Magazine

Shaun Jardine argues the billable hour is not just badly managed. It is structurally wrong. For Shaun Jardine, former law firm CEO and now a pricing consultant and author, the problem with professional services pricing runs deeper than transparency or discount...