bissett bullet: how healthy is your pipeline?
today’s bissett bullet: “it is no coincidence that the accounting firms that have superior profitability are those taking growth seriously and forecasting their new business income.”
by martin bissett
marketing & sales
losing can help you win more
someone else got the client. do you know why?
by august j. aquila
price it right: how to value accounting services
this is not another sermon that tells you that each “no” gets you closer to a “yes” when you are selling. the purpose of this post is to improve your proposal success ratio so that you get fewer “nos” and more “yeses.”
more: three more strategies for growing your practice | four strategies for building your practice | market technology services through workshops and training | the secrets of great business developers | dodge the four curses of a production orientation | client acquisition never stops | ‘sales’ is not a four-letter word | maybe what you need is a marketing audit | three types of marketing message, and which is best
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
i am an advocate of doing client and prospective client satisfaction surveys. if you aren’t doing followup surveys with lost prospects and clients you have lost to other firms, i suggest that you start now. you can gain a better understanding of why you lose prospects and clients, and then you can change whatever it is that you are doing wrong and be more successful in bringing in new business and keeping it.
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bissett bullet: setting the agenda
today’s bissett bullet: “take control of the first meeting with a potential client by gently setting the agenda at the beginning.”
by martin bissett
having no agenda means that a meeting can flow in the wrong direction and it may be difficult to steer the conversation back to where you need it to be. there is a real danger that you will leave without getting what you came for. setting out the agenda in too formal a tone, however, will do you no favors either. a prospective client who is meeting you for the first time may feel on the back foot and the meeting will be closed down before it’s even started.
the word “gently” is key here. setting out three things you’d like to cover during the meeting and asking your prospective client if that agenda suits them rarely meets any kind of resistance.
today’s to-do:
practice setting out the meeting agenda with a colleague so it feels natural when you gently steer your next prospect toward staying on track.
see more bissett bullets here
three more strategies for growing your practice
show people what they stand to lose without your expertise.
by august j. aquila
price it right: how to value accounting services
in my last post i provided you with four basic practice-building strategies that don’t cost you anything other than your time.
more: four strategies for building your practice | eight areas to cover for personal goals | service quality: the key to client retention | how life cycle changes your marketing | clients buy solutions, not features | make sure you know what you will get from your marketing | three pillars support a successful accounting firm | clients have six reasons for needing you | six ways to market your technology consulting practice
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
they were (1) keep in touch with former clients, (2) call existing clients, (3) ask for help and (4) get out and be seen. here are three more strategies for you to consider:
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bissett bullet: schedule + strategy = pipeline
today’s bissett bullet: “the very best marketing and business development strategies are derailed by a lack of consistency, coupled with a loss of momentum.”
by martin bissett
in order to successfully build a new client pipeline, you must commit enough time to implement your strategy. that means scheduling in regular and uninterrupted time on an ongoing basis. consider both the best time for you and your team to work together and when your target audience is most likely to be available. if there is a crossover, that is where you would be best advised to block out your time.
today’s to-do:
look at your diary for the next month and schedule in time each week to spend creating and following up on new opportunities.
see more bissett bullets here
the irs tidal wave is here
what you need to know now.
by eric green
for over a year now, we’ve been saying that the irs was properly funded and warned it would unleash a tidal wave of work. we also warned you that we would be dealing with all sorts of untrained employees. the bad news, at least for clients, is that day has come.
more: s corp clients beware | four ways to handle federal tax liens | the irs is coming! get your clients into compliance | tax chat: eric green reveals the tax rep guide to tax season | what i wish clients knew about tax liens | tax: explaining the bad news about canceled debt to clients | offers in compromise aren’t for everyone
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
the good news for tax pros is that with this wave of enforcement spells opportunities for representation work. what you do still have to navigate is the impact of untrained employees, who are creating their own set of challenges.
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stop waiting for business to come to you
a proactive approach is where many fall short.
by martin bissett
business development on a budget
have you noticed all of those titles in the local bookstore or at the airport offering us the “key” to this and the “key” to that, the “six keys” to one thing, and the “four keys” to another?
more: are you projecting confidence? | five questions to help forecast your firm growth | do you deliver on your website’s promises? | five questions about facing challenges | be clear about your roi proposition | it’s time to prepare the next generation | who are you more committed to, your firm or your clients? | nine checkpoints before every prospect meeting | three questions about conversion | six keys to turning prospects into clients | don’t overlook internal communication | four reasons people struggle with communication | why firm culture matters for partners
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
it also seems that every book is a “game-changer” now, to the point where it is difficult to understand what the game is anymore, never mind how to play it.
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four strategies for building your practice
are you meeting new people?
by august j. aquila
price it right: how to value accounting services
i am often asked, “what can i do to acquire new clients?” i usually reply with another question: “what are you doing now to acquire new clients?”
more: eight areas to cover for personal goals | understand the 10 steps of the buying process | calculate the cost of losing clients | eleven possible pitfalls of mergers | six ways to expand your client services checklist | ten questions to refine your successful marketing plan | four questions for choosing your marketing audit strategies | four steps to a successful email marketing campaign
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
the usual responses are: “i have a newsletter, i attend the local rotary and chamber of commerce luncheons, and i talk with my clients.” these are good things to do, but they are not the only things you should be doing to acquire new clients. you might want to add four no-cost strategies to your action plans.
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bissett bullet: cash is not the issue
today’s bissett bullet: “there are certain criteria that will always need to be demonstrated for you to become a partner in your firm. the ability to find cash up front for investment, however, is no longer one of those criteria.”
by martin bissett
the path to partnership in the accounting profession is evolving. no longer is it necessarily the case that a lack of available funds is a barrier to realizing your ambition.
a forward-thinking practice will find a way to enable their rising stars to fund the deal. don’t allow a lack of cash to get in the way of your career aspirations. focus instead on who you need to be and hone the foundational skills and behaviors you need to demonstrate in order to be the most outstanding candidate for partnership in your firm.
today’s to-do:
if you aspire to partnership, list those necessary skills and behaviors. demonstrate those you have and ask for support with those you still need to develop. show your commitment to the practice now and be recognized as a candidate for the future.
see more bissett bullets here
are you projecting confidence?
you are your first client. what’s your first impression?
by martin bissett
business development on a budget
winning your first client is all about understanding why someone would buy from you before you ever speak to them, before you ever meet them, before you ever start the preparation for talking to them.
more: five questions to help forecast your firm growth | four key questions about leadership | showing leadership through customer service | the real math behind the sales pipeline | keep business development going during busy season | walk the commitment walk | two steps toward mastering selling | thirteen ways to show commitment | 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
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
this discipline too often goes unexplained by most sales training programs offered to the accounting profession, but ultimately we have to be comfortable with who we are and the value that we offer.
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eight areas to cover for personal goals
you can make yourself more valuable, but it takes some planning.
by august j. aquila
price it right: how to value accounting services
there is never a bad time to set goals and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time to do so. every goal-setting book tells you to write down what you want to accomplish. if you do, you are more likely to achieve your goals.
more: understand the 10 steps of the buying process | market technology services through workshops and training | the secrets of great business developers | dodge the four curses of a production orientation | client acquisition never stops | ‘sales’ is not a four-letter word | maybe what you need is a marketing audit | three types of marketing message, and which is best | why you need progress billing | 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.
imagine yourself as a balance sheet. what do you need to do to make yourself more valuable next year than this year? one way is to invest in yourself so that you perform at a higher level.
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three ways to follow up with prospects
this is the key to 98 percent of your sales.
by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms
it seems there are hundreds of questions swirling around how to follow up with prospects.
more: are you throwing away profits? | want to close a deal? set a deadline | five business development mistakes to avoid | how to leverage chatgpt during this crazy tax season | eight steps to getting started with ai: a guide for tax professionals | you don’t have a time problem | three money leaks and how to plug them | eleven ways to serve clients even better | eight ways to build busy-season stamina | make your prospect kit stand out | six ways to beat the competition | grow your revenue with three marketing strategies | what can chatgpt do for accounting professionals?
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
the raw truth is that very few people follow up at all. on average, only 2 percent of people buy on the first contact with a vendor.
so if you’re not following up, you’re walking away from 98 percent of your sales.
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bissett bullet: one in, one out
today’s bissett bullet: “you can have as large a pipeline as you like but if you lose your existing clients as quickly as you gain new ones, then no progress is actually made. better to ask, ‘why do clients leave and how can you prevent it?’”
by martin bissett