marketing & sales

what you need to know and why.

by bruce marcus
professional services marketing 3.0

editor’s note: 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 was privileged to have a long relationship with bruce w. marcus, who was ahead of his time in his thinking and practice in marketing for accounting. we are publishing some of the late expert’s evergreen work, which retains wisdom for the present. 

great turbulence in the accounting profession, as well as in the business world itself, make these difficult and unusual times. public outcry against the misdeeds of a few accounting firms, corporations, investment bankers and others in government and the business community is tarring the innocent as well as the guilty.

more: how and why client service teams work | when clients think they know marketing | how to put target marketing into context | everyone in your firm is marketing | professional services marketing requires flexibility | how to set marketing objectives | nine fundamentals for a healthy marketing culture in an accounting firm
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

in the meantime, the loss of arthur andersen and the consolidation of the now big five can alter the competitive landscape for firms of any size. it’s likely that the major firms will accelerate a long-standing practice of reaching into the low end of the market – the very market of the smaller firms. for the smaller firm, competition will come from unaccustomed quarters.

can the small accounting or law firm successfully compete? history says yes, if the firm follows at least some of the following points…
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how do you feel in your own skin? it shows.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

winning your first client is also known by various other names, including closing the first sale and winning the first deal. no matter what it’s called, it is one of the central principles you must follow as you begin the business development on a budget process.

what does it mean?

more: thirteen ways to show commitment | five ways to make selling easier | six keys to getting a proposal accepted | tell the world your worth | five questions for measuring partner potential | five ways to rally your firm to its culture | when would-be partners aren’t candidates | make your expertise a new-client magnet | don’t think of it as selling | experts: what it takes to become partner
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

basically, it represents a mindset you must develop before you ever speak to a prospective new client. i developed the principle of winning your first client in response to a common concern often raised by partners of accounting firms – one that holds them back from going after new business. it’s the belief that they don’t really have anything to offer above and beyond what an organization is receiving from its current accountant.

if you are not convinced of your value to prospective clients, why should they believe it?
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how about doing something with a client?

by august j. aquila
price it right: how to value accounting services

just in case you have run out of marketing ideas, what follows is a laundry list of activities for your consideration. any marketing activity you undertake needs to start with an understanding of your market, and then develop the activity around those needs. marketing is about getting in front of your targets so that they can see how much you can help them.

more: make your practice better | five tips for cross-selling and upselling | five keys to successful marketing | twelve fundamentals of planning | one question to guide your growth plans
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

create your activities around this concept: “i will provide my clients and prospects with valuable information in order to help them determine that i (or my firm) can best solve their problems and satisfy their needs.”
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elevate your service beyond tax prep.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

what would happen if you set goals at a higher level?

the following is restricted to tax return clients only, and can be exceeded by you if you think this goal is too low.

more on marketing: fifteen services a salesperson can sell | twelve ways to establish your brand | want more tax clients? here’s how | seven keys to a complete succession plan | the tax effects of buying or selling a business | elder care: not sexy, but vital | how to guide clients through divorce | help clients manage their investments
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

1/20^th rule: to receive additional revenues, target meetings with 1/20^th of your eligible tax preparation clients a year. this is an opportunity to help them and elevate your service beyond the preparation of their tax return. note that you will have to call much more than 1/20^th of your clients to get meetings with 5 percent of them, but it will be well worth the effort.
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the three things you represent.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

selling is not something you abruptly need to go and do, and it’s not a suit you wear or a personality you adopt. you don’t need to suddenly be nicer or different because you are out of your comfort zone.

more: three questions about conversion | clients can’t grow without you | seven mistakes in winning new fees | how to develop your communication abilities | five questions for measuring partner potential | five ways to rally your firm to its culture | when would-be partners aren’t candidates
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

for you, going forward, selling means a constant quest to build a perception of yourself and your firm. once you buy into that idea, you can relax and realize that selling is not the enemy but the conduit through which you access new areas of business by demonstrating the value cpas bring to clients.
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in a sound strategic plan it’s the clientele, not the firm, that’s primary.

by bruce marcus
professional services marketing 3.0

editor’s note: 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 was privileged to have a long relationship with bruce w. marcus, who was ahead of his time in his thinking and practice in marketing for accounting. we are publishing some of the late expert’s evergreen work, which retains wisdom for the present. 

it has long been the accepted tradition, in accounting and law firms, that what’s yours is yours and what’s mine is mine. in other words, “i love you charlie. you’re a great guy and a great partner. but keep your hands off my clients.” and thus was the lie put to the myth of cross-selling.

more: when clients think they know marketing | internal communications are underrated | four things better than a company song | let’s lose the word ‘image’ | the risk in not understanding risk | what your marketing program can and can’t do | nine reasons that prospects say yes | how marketing evolved to 3.0 | accountants don’t sell soap.
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

but things change. for example, frank competition, once anathema to the professions, is now well woven into the fabric of professional practice. the nature of the clientele has changed, somewhat drastically. today’s client rarely uses just one law or accounting firm, rarely accepts advice unquestioningly, rarely accepts non-detailed bills (and so will go, eventually, the billable hour). the day of the naïve client is now in its twilight.
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