here’s what you’re looking for: martin bissett

management

learn to read your firm’s culture

four young business people chatting outside office buildingbonus: 3 outlooks from our exclusive expert council.

by martin bissett

the passport to partnership study collated a number of responses from existing partners of accounting practices in a conversational style.

 

more on the passport to partnership: 5 ways to get buy-in for firm culture | competence: more than technical skills | partnership: competence is just the foot in the door | are you partner material? maybe not

examples that really stood out on the realities of individual variances in firm culture are showcased below.

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marketing & sales

preventing buyer’s remorse

invisible businessman saying "blah blah blah blah blah"
don’t be this guy.

are you prepared?

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

you may have the experience yourself of making a major purchase and then having second thoughts – most people do.

more on business development: close the deal and get paid | change your mindset, change your future [video] | handle objections effectively by preparing for them | the five fastest ways to kill a new opportunity [video] | understand the dna of business development success | do you deliver on your website’s promises? | the science of pipelines | prepare your next generation of professionals | how to win your first client | 5 ways to make selling easier to swallow | you’re selling all the time

you wonder if you’ve done the right thing or if you can afford the purchase. this is known as buyer’s remorse.
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the partnership

5 ways to get buy-in for firm culture

industrial metal number 5change management is one of the keys.

by martin bissett

cultural issues are dynamic, very broad and unique in each firm. as such it is a challenge to summarize them accurately and comprehensively.

more on the passport to partnership: competence: more than technical skills | experts advise what partnership takes | partnership: competence is just the foot in the door | are you partner material? maybe not

from our research, however, the wise choice for anyone wishing to get their passport to partnership appears to be to study

  • their firm’s existing culture,
  • that of its senior individuals and
  • that of those who have the ear of those senior individuals

to understand not only the route to partnership, but the terrain that they need to cross too.
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marketing & sales

close the deal and get paid

two businesswomen shake hands while seated at deskare you looking at closing all wrong?

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

you might think closing is a huge topic that requires a long post. that’s because most professionals place unnecessary emphasis on closing as if it were a separate step, and in fact that’s what makes the idea of selling so intimidating.

more on business development: how to prepare for the first meeting with a new prospect | the five fastest ways to kill a new opportunity [video] | understand the dna of business development success | do you deliver on your website’s promises? | the science of pipelines | prepare your next generation of professionals | how to win your first client | you’re selling all the time

but the fact is, if you
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the partnership

competence: more than technical skills

businessman correcting an underling12 ways to determine your competence.

by martin bissett

the passport to partnership study collated a number of responses in a conversational style. two brief but succinct examples that really stood out on the realities of how a firm assesses an individual’s “competence” to lead are showcased below.

more on the passport to partnership: experts advise what partnership takes | partnership: competence is just the foot in the door | are you partner material? maybe not

  1. they need to explain technical data to me in a way that i know they understand it.
  2. what kind of lifestyle does this person have outside of work? we’ll be looking at facebook, twitter and google to find out.

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marketing & sales

2 rules for getting your pricing right

businessman extending $100 bills fanned outare you leaving money on the table?

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

there probably is not a bigger issue in professional services selling than pricing. the war between timesheet and value pricing has been going on for some time now, with no sign of resolution in the near future.

more on business development: how to prepare for the first meeting with a new prospect | the five fastest ways to kill a new opportunity [video] | use this spreadsheet to evaluate prospects | before the sales meeting | lowballing is undervaluing yourself | do you have a pipeline or just a list? | overcome recurring fee apathy

pricing is a huge topic, and it’s not within the scope of this post to cover it in detail. i do, however, want to give you my two major rules for the pricing aspect of any proposals you present.
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the partnership

experts advise what partnership takes

back view of a businessman holding a briefcase and walking forward on white backgrounddefining what competence means for partners.

by martin bissett

the skill in producing financial reports is limited by the quality of the information presented to the cpa by the client. motivation of the client to influence that financial information comes in many forms, some intentional and some unintentional. competence comes first in being able to resist pressure and present a true and accurate position of the client’s organization.

more on the passport to partnership: are you partner material? maybe not | communication: putting it all together | what does the next generation of practice leaders face? | businesses place value on expertise

sounds obvious, doesn’t it? but there’s a twist.
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marketing & sales

handle objections effectively by preparing for them

business meeting of three men3 ways to address a prospect’s concerns.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

if you have landed the opportunity to present your proposal in person, understand that concerns will be raised, particularly if several decision makers are present. don’t be put off your stride by these objections, or assume they mean that the prospect doesn’t want to work with you. on the contrary, objections can be a sign that there is interest, but they just need more information or assurance.

more on business development: how to prepare for the first meeting with a new prospect | consider hiring a sales director | your perception vs. your client’s reality | appraise your prospects | develop the habit of consistency | banish the idea that selling is difficult | how to win your first client | 5 ways to make selling easier to swallow

when it comes to handling objections or concerns, you have three options on the timing. you can handle it
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special

partnership: competence is just the foot in the door

businessman in an umbrella sails in storm in the nightsailing through the 7 c’s to partnership may be harder than you think.

by martin bissett
passport to partnership

staffers aspiring to be partners must learn the key characteristics of successful partners. they also must learn how to develop their own personal plans to achieve partnership. firms and staffers alike need a clear set of procedures, processes and milestones for turning top talent into the next generation of firm leadership.

more on the passport to partnership: key advice for potential partners | surviving vs. thriving | what does the next generation of practice leaders face? | commitment: a cautionary tale | how to build your pipeline | 6 keys to the perfect proposal | communication: it’s not about you

there are seven critically important criteria by which partners assess partners-to-be. i call them:

the seven c’s
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client service opportunities

how to create a winning proposal

businesswoman making a presentationflip your perspective to avoid a “so what” response.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

getting the proposal document right is a mini-science in itself, and it’s not within the scope of this post to explore it in depth. however, the following guidelines will help you understand the process and principles.

more on business development: how to prepare for the first meeting with a new prospect | the five fastest ways to kill a new opportunity [video] | understand the dna of business development success | do you deliver on your website’s promises? | the science of pipelines | prepare your next generation of professionals | how to win your first client | you’re selling all the time

first and foremost, you must write the proposal from the viewpoint of the client, not your own. it must make sense to them, and it must pass their “so what“ test. if the prospect reads a statement or sentence in your proposal and mentally asks, “so what?” that is the kiss of death for your proposal.
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special

are you partner material? maybe not

businessman holding hand upresearch shows wide gap between partners and partners-to-be.

by martin bissett
passport to partnership

have you ever wondered what the partners of your firm are looking for from you, beyond your technical abilities?

more on the passport to partnership: 9 things to stop doing now | the dna of a practice leader | why hitting your numbers isn’t enough | what do your true colors say about your commitment? | what commitment really means for partners | how well do you represent your firm? | communication: putting it all together | the 4 winning communications habits of top accountants

for full disclosure, i am not an accountant, but i have spent decades working with accounting firms of all shapes and sizes in the united kingdom, the united states and europe.
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