marketing & sales

manage knowledge as a marketing tool

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young businessman thinking, software icons in thought cloud

what do we know when we say know?

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.

the road to knowledge management, now well-traveled, seems to end with the science of acquiring and retrieving data. the end of that road, which was built mostly by the brilliance of computer scientists, stops where a clear understanding of the meaning of useful knowledge begins.

more: how to put target marketing into context | 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. | why competition matters most
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

but with the growth of knowledge management as a discipline in many aspects of professional practice, some definitions may help forge a new direction for knowledge management that not only move the subject to a new realm of discovery, but may help find ways to make knowledge more useful as a management and marketing tool. we now seem to know a lot about gathering data, and are learning to turn data into knowledge. knowledge must now be adapted to work for the firm, and especially for the firm’s marketers.
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eleven marketing strategies for smaller firms

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man wearing glasses working in office at desktop computer, laptop off to sideyou probably haven’t used all of these.

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

small firm owners know they need to market, but they don’t always know which marketing activities they need to focus on. here are 11 strategies for increasing your client base that are easy to implement.

more: five keys to successful marketing | how does your firm measure up? | six questions before asking for all the referrals you deserve | five rules for a marketing orientation | four ways to prepare for new business development
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

1: get known in the marketplace

before you start marketing, you need to answer these two questions:

  • who are you?
  • what do you offer?

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bissett bullet: do you need it?

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today’s bissett bullet: “before you invest in the latest software in the name of progress, what is your true motivation? is it because it will make a clear difference to the service you are able to offer or will ‘shiny new object syndrome’ last until the next piece of new software is available?”

by martin bissett

if you cannot correlate the cost of new software with the difference that it will make to the profitability of your practice and the outcomes that you deliver for your clients, then it is not a wise investment.

having a clear vision as to the purpose of your investment, with the client at the center, will help not only to determine the most suitable software but also to ensure that money is spent wisely. if you cannot demonstrate a benefit either directly or indirectly to your clients, then it is of no use.

today’s to-do:

what do you currently have on your wish list in terms of software or technology? what difference would this really make to your clients and can you really justify the cost?

see more bissett bullets here

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it’s okay to say no to clients (even the large ones)

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working with “smaller” clients can often be more rewarding – and profitable – than “big” clients.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

there’s a reason you aren’t actively training clients to allow you to work efficiently. you’re afraid that you’ll lose clients.

i guarantee that you will.

more: control your time: avoid ambush meetings and calls | get clients to bring tax docs early … yes, early | why time tracking still matters | make fewer mistakes, increase revenue and capacity | six ways to create a millennial-friendly firm | do you know your turnaround time?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

clients have trained you to be inefficient. they’ll resist retraining. some of them will leave and infect someone else’s practice.

the reason you fear losing clients is that you fear you can’t replace them.

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five keys to successful marketing

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man looking at five giant keys on the ground

do you have a plan, or just a lot of activity?

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

there are, of course, a lot of things you can do to have a successful marketing campaign, but here are five that you should seriously consider.

more: how does your firm measure up? | five questions for developing your marketing plan | you only have four strategies | the damage that traditional fee methods do
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

1. create a marketing culture in your practice.

at the end of the day, it’s your firm’s culture that drives results. how would you define your current marketing culture? what is important and rewarded in your firm – bringing in new business, identifying new opportunities for existing clients, generating awareness for the firm in the marketplace or billable hours and administration? a marketing culture is outward looking and helps your people look for ways to expand the practice with profitable work.
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bissett bullet: keep it simple

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today’s bissett bullet: “is your marketing copy based on what you want to tell people you do, or what they want you to do for them?”

by martin bissett

i am not an accountant, i am a business owner. when i talk to other business owners about what they want from their accountant, they all say the same two things:

1) i want someone to make my life easier and
2) i want someone to help me make more money. anything else is unnecessary.

we need to articulate our services in those terms. how does what we do make their lives easier and how does it put more money in their pockets?

today’s to-do:

review your website copy. does it make clear to potential clients that you will achieve these outcomes for them? if not, it’s time for an update.

see more bissett bullets here

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grow your revenue with three marketing strategies

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coffee cup by napkin with words including "action plans."

side benefit: you’ll serve your clients better.

by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms

the latest marketing strategies and trends are almost as hard to keep up with as the tax law changes these days. here is a quick taste of three underutilized marketing trends that can solve a couple of issues in the accounting industry and increase firm profits.

more: you’re missing 60% of your revenue | calculate your business relationship ratios | set bold new goals for the rest of the year | generative ai: should you avoid it or adopt it? | five stages of any business | leverage your client list today | need leads? try a quiz | now’s the time to clean up your email list | don’t let prospects fall through the cracks
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

1 – consumption marketing

does client attrition keep your firm’s managing partner up at night? consumption marketing is one of several solutions to this challenge. consumption marketing is designed to increase the consumer’s use of the product and avoid returns (think “avoid writeoffs”).
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bissett bullet: demonstrate genuine interest

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today’s bissett bullet: “how can you further demonstrate that your interest in a new client is genuine and not just a means to secure their business?”

by martin bissett

when you have successfully won a new client, take an appropriate amount of time to conclude the meeting away from business matters if possible, in order to further strengthen the relationship you have entered into.

giving them an additional 20-30 minutes of your time to discuss unrelated topics and find common ground, rather than rushing away before the ink is dry on their signature, will serve to demonstrate a genuine interest.

today’s to-do:

diarize sufficient time for your next proposal delivery to allow for some time to chat informally with your new client rather than rush off.

see more bissett bullets here

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understand your online marketing options

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does your strategy include everything it should?

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

the global pandemic significantly impacted every aspect of business and our society, including digital marketing and how we do business. accounting firms had to pivot and shift their practices to increase their online presence to stay connected with clients, find a way to stay relevant, and increase their client base.

more: digital marketing strategies level the playing field | it’s ok to have favorite clients | narrow your prospects by choosing a vertical | eight tasks to delegate today | ten questions for teamwork | build your team, then choose your clients | advisory services done your way | yes, you can be an outsourcer
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the pandemic initially muted and almost eliminated traditional marketing, such as in-person meetings, conferences, and other events, and it amplified the importance of digital marketing in growing accounting practices.
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you’re missing 60% of your revenue

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here are four ways to stop leaving that money on the table.

by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms

accounting firms have done a great job adopting paperless office technologies, the web and even cloud computing, so you may feel you have been doing all you can to streamline margins, become “client-centric,” as some consultants call it, and grow your practice. but i believe there is even more opportunity that very few, if any, in the accounting profession have fully identified or embraced.

more: calculate your business relationship ratios | what can chatgpt do for accounting professionals? | generative ai: should you avoid it or adopt it? | want better clients? here’s how | get your name in the news | four ways small firms can beat large ones | why you need a link-in-bio tool
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i only bring this up because i believe most cpa firms are leaving about 60 percent of their potential revenue on the table (and i can prove it). worse, they are not sharing their badly needed financial expertise with more businesses that could be greatly helped, especially now.
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bissett bullet: be proactive

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today’s bissett bullet: “the accounting profession, by and large, is reactive. business referrals are too often viewed as ‘unforecasted’ and not proactively sought, resulting in a feast or famine scenario over which practitioners have no control.”

by martin bissett

proactively seeking referrals should be a part of your practice dna. rather than leave it to chance, make referrals a prerequisite of working together. initiate regular conversations with clients to establish who they feel would benefit from an introduction.

if you lay out your referral expectations during the client onboarding process and make time for regular conversations during client meetings, this will become a given.

today’s to-do:

for each of the client meetings in your diary, make a note to have this conversation. keep noting it as a reminder until you routinely ask out of habit.

see more bissett bullets here

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digital marketing strategies level the playing field

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six goals you might have.

by penny breslin
it’s not just the numbers

picking the best clients won’t automatically bring you a steady stream of eager prospects, ready to pay you their hard-earned cash. you have to do some work to help them find you.

more: it’s ok to have favorite clients | narrow your prospects by choosing a vertical | build your team, then choose your clients | how back office support adds value | ai is not your enemy
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

most accountants and bookkeepers would rather do anything other than marketing. most equate marketing with being a pushy and sleazy used-car salesman. a better way to think about marketing is telling the world what you do, who you do it for, and how you can help the people who need your help.
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five questions for developing your marketing plan

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woman smiling, writing, sitting at desk with laptop and lamp

include your firm culture and recruiting in your execution.

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

it makes no difference what size practice you have. the following tips apply if you are developing an individual marketing plan, a departmental plan or one for the entire firm.

more: twelve fundamentals of planning | six questions before asking for all the referrals you deserve | five rules for a marketing orientation | ten keys to marketing success
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

from an overview perspective you will want to consider the following five questions:

  1. what will be the range of services you offer?
  2. how will you price these services?

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