Here’s Part Five of my six-part conversation about professional services firms and social networking, with Microengagement’s Tim Gilchrist and Steve Fisher.

Lowe: In many professions, there is almost a procurement mentality, where potential clients issue RFPs and firms respond. Will social networking change the way professional or business-to-business services are purchased?

Fisher: It doesn't have to change unless businesses want to be more efficient about [purchasing their professional services]. If businesses don't take advantage of [a social networking model], they are not going to be leveraging speed-to-market, flexibility and different strategic solutions. And that is about competitive advantage.

Next time: Fisher and Gilchrist make predictions about professional service firms and social networking