Meet a Member: Bob Silvy
JUST THE FACTS
- Name: Bob Silvy
- Title: Managing Director
- Years of Experience: 30+ in sales leadership, consulting and business development
- College Name & Degrees: University of Missouri – Bachelor of Journalism, MBA
- Firm Name: Level Four Consulting
- Firm City & State: Kansas City, Missouri
- Firm Size: Boutique consultancy (founder-led)
- Email Address: [email protected]
- Professional Memberships: Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM), Legal Marketing Association (LMA), Legal Sales & Service Organization (LSSO) and Association of Legal Administrators (ALA)
- Community Involvement: Member of the James Beard Foundation
- LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/bobsilvy
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
What types of business development strategies does your firm employ?
We focus on coaching professional service firms to build a seller-doer culture. Our strategies include pipeline management, KPI tracking, coaching partners on business development skills and equipping firms with measurable ROI frameworks to show the impact of BD efforts.
What is the structure of your marketing department?
Level Four is a boutique firm—marketing is lean and content-driven. We rely heavily on thought leadership (blogs, LinkedIn posts, webinars, podcasts and conference presentations) to build credibility and generate leads.
What have you learned the hard way?
That simply training people isn’t enough. Without measurement and accountability, training rarely sticks. Coaching and tracking KPIs make the difference.
What is a “must know” for new accounting marketers?
Learn the business side of your firm. Understand how accountants and partners think, what their clients value and how revenue is really generated.
What are your special skills or what is something people may not know about you?
I’ve spent my career carrying a sales bag, managing teams and driving results. That practical experience—combined with coaching—sets me apart from consultants who come strictly from a marketing background. Also, I’m a big Metallica fan and have flown over 2 million miles (actual) on United.
What is the biggest benefit you receive from your AAM membership or what effect has AAM had on your career?
AAM has expanded my network and provided a platform to both learn from peers and contribute insights. The exchange of ideas helps me sharpen my own work with accounting firms.
Share one marketing tip.
Always tie marketing back to measurable outcomes—whether that’s leads generated, proposals delivered or revenue influenced. If you can’t measure it, it won’t get prioritized.
What do you feel is the biggest issue facing accounting marketers today?
Helping firms bridge the gap between marketing and business development. Many firms still operate in silos, and marketers are being asked to lead integration efforts.
What would you be doing if you had not become a marketer?
Likely still in a senior sales leadership role, but in a different industry.
What is the biggest project you are working on right now?
Expanding Level Four’s consulting programs to include more structured coaching cohorts for law and accounting firms, tied directly to ROI dashboards.
If you had an unlimited budget, what is one thing you would implement immediately?
A firm-wide CRM adoption and training program for every client—done right, with buy-in, data integrity and accountability.
What books have you read recently that you feel would be beneficial to other AAM members?
The Short List by David Ackert. It’s a great look at business development priorities for professionals.
What blogs/social feeds do you subscribe to that are helpful?
JD Supra (for insights into trending client topics), Accounting Today, Harvard Business Review and podcasts like The Rainmaking Podcast.