pricing rates

12 pricing factors beyond cost

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man with net chasing winged moneycost-plus is a starting point, not the end point.

by august j. aquila
price it right

accountants face only two major restrictions in determining their fees – the restriction against contingency fees under certain circumstances and the taking of commissions or referral fees.

more: ethical issues in pricing | applying cobb’s value curve to your firm | the four types of competition | marketing and the 5 p’s | why choose a marketplace orientation? | why value pricing? | solving underperforming or dysfunctional partners | the 3 types of partners you need
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we have also seen that for the most part, accountants bill their time based on a cost-plus method.
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ethical issues in pricing

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august aquila: "if someone is going to be unethical, it will not be a result of the billing method he or she uses."specifics of rules 302 and 503.

by august j. aquila
price it right

in the old days you could go into a shoe store and purchase sneakers or gym shoes. nowadays, there are tennis shoes, running shoes, cross trainers, aerobic shoes, basketball shoes, soccer shoes and the list goes on and on. perhaps the billable hour paradigm soon will go the way of the gym shoe.

more: applying cobb’s value curve to your firm | 13 questions about providing value | how demand affects pricing | how to shift from production to marketing orientation | how traditional fee methods hurt firms | 6 questions for planning your succession | underperformers come in many shapes and sizes | 6 focuses for managing partners
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

accountants need to realize that in pricing their services, one pricing method will no longer do. as with athletic shoes, accounting and consulting services can be priced in many different ways. this post will explore ways for you to move away from the hourly billing paradigm.
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applying cobb’s value curve to your firm

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hand turning a knob up to the maximum with a dial where it is written "value added"“pricing – that is, fee-setting – is above all a marketing decision.”

by august j. aquila
price it right

there is a completely different way of looking at value and it is tied into the type of accounting or consulting work that is available in any given market and the type of accounting or consulting work that your firm provides.

more: 13 questions about providing value | how utility and value affect pricing | understanding the product pricing life cycle | 4 ways a production orientation can harm a firm | price to get the maximum fee
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

nearly 30 years ago william c. cobb wrote “the value curve and the folly of billing-rate pricing,” providing a great deal of insight into the concept of pricing and value. many of the ideas that follow are based on cobb’s article.
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13 questions about providing value

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hand moving triangle along beam to indicate balance between price and valuerate both yourself and your firm.

by august j. aquila
price it right

there are things that you can do to help your clients perceive a higher value in you and your services. these are not activities that will immediately increase your fees, but if done consistently, they will reinforce to your clients the added value that you bring to them.

more: how utility and value affect pricing | the four types of competition | marketing and the 5 p’s | why choose a marketplace orientation? | why value pricing?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

innovative firms realize that it takes more than just a seminar or newsletter to provide added value to the client. everything revolves around the personal relationship that ultimately develops between the professional service provider and the client.
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how utility and value affect pricing

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man's hand drawing upward arrow with words "value for money"shift the focus away from the service provided, and think about the 8 kinds of utility.

by august j. aquila
price it right

if indeed we believe the phrase “perception is reality,” then it is the client’s perception that is the only reality. ultimately, only a client can determine the value of your service, that is, the fee he or she is willing to pay. if the client perceives that he or she has received a benefit there will be some perceived value attached to the service.

more: the four types of competition | how demand affects pricing | how to shift from production to marketing orientation | how traditional fee methods hurt firms
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consciously or unconsciously, the client’s determination of the correct fee for a service is related to two concepts: utility and value. let’s look at these two concepts and how they apply to setting prices.
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the four types of competition and 6 ways to make your firm stand out

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first steps in developing a pricing strategy.businessman drawing one arrow longer than others

by august j. aquila
price it right

after demand, perhaps the next most important factor affecting a cpa firm’s pricing policies is competition.

more: how demand affects pricing | understanding the product pricing life cycle | 4 ways a production orientation can harm a firm | price to get the maximum fee | 7 issues in partner retirement planning | 5 ways to keep your edge | the toughest job in the world: managing an accounting practice | how to become the firm of choice
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

as clients and prospects become more educated about cpa firms in their market, more sophisticated about the services offered and more cost-conscious, pricing becomes more important and more firms are beginning to stress the price of their services, especially in competitive request-for-proposal situations. intensive price competition in most professional service industries is now a way of life, from hotels to airlines, from car rentals to telecommunications and from law firms to cpa firms.
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how demand affects pricing

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word cloud related to demandone word: elasticity.

by august j. aquila
price it right

economists define demand as a schedule of the various amounts of an item (a good or service) that buyers will purchase at different price ranges during a given time period.

more: understanding the product pricing life cycle | marketing and the 5 p’s | why choose a marketplace orientation? | why value pricing? | solving underperforming or dysfunctional partners | the 3 types of partners you need
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

according to the theory of price elasticity of demand, there is an inverse relationship between price and the quantity of an item bought. in other words, as the price of a service decreases, the quantity demanded increases and as the price of a service increases, the quantity demanded decreases.
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understanding the product pricing life cycle

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chart of a product life cyclewhich of the 4 phases do your products fall into? here’s how to tell.

by august j. aquila
price it right

there is an important concept in marketing that provides companies with tremendous insight as to what they can expect for their products or services in the marketplace. it’s called the product life cycle and, sooner or later, all products and services will go through the complete cycle. as they do, several external and internal factors change.

more: marketing and the 5 p’s | how to shift from production to marketing orientation | how traditional fee methods hurt firms | 6 questions for planning your succession | underperformers come in many shapes and sizes
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the accounting industry and the services it provides are no different. the figure above displays the life cycle of a typical service or product.
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pricing strategies: the real world vs. the cpa world

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businessman and tablet with the word "pricing" above.7 types and how they work.

by august j. aquila
price it right

pricing in the real world is much different than in the accounting profession.

more: marketing and the 5 p’s | how to shift from production to marketing orientation | how traditional fee methods hurt firms | 6 questions for planning your succession | underperformers come in many shapes and sizes | 6 focuses for managing partners | 10 steps to transitioning to a new mp | what managing partners should be doing
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

usually, wholesalers and retailers set their prices by using markups as the product moves through a distribution channel. producers or manufacturers usually set a list price. think of the manufacturer’s suggested list price on the window of a new car. car dealers will use various methods to price the new vehicle.
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how traditional fee methods hurt firms

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a road sign depicting falling dollarsrule of three and cost-plus overlook some key considerations.

by august j. aquila

the time has come for the accounting professional to rethink the paradigm on which pricing has been based. let’s discuss the traditional methods of price setting and how they can have a negative impact on a firm.

more: price to get the maximum fee | why value pricing? | solving underperforming or dysfunctional partners | the 3 types of partners you need | how mps can make a real difference | 5 reasons that leaders fail | 11 things all partners must do | why partners need written goals | the 6-step plan for transitioning clients

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

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the what, so what and now what?

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kyle walters: "to raise fees, you need to raise the value you provide."it’s no longer enough to be a historian.

by kyle walters

ever noticed that a car’s windshield is always larger than its rearview mirror?

more: clients don’t have a fee problem, they have a value problem
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when you are driving down the highway of life, looking ahead is far more important than looking behind you. the same is true when it comes to your client’s financial goals.
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price to get the maximum fee

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piggy bank on scale with dollar signsdon’t work more hours or harder. work smarter and learn how to price your services accordingly.

by august j. aquila

even if your billing methods and philosophy are diligently followed and your collections are under control, if you are not pricing your services properly, you are still leaving significant dollars on the table. you should price your services to receive the maximum fees possible.

more: why value pricing? | 6 questions for planning your succession | underperformers come in many shapes and sizes | 6 focuses for managing partners | 10 steps to transitioning to a new mp | what managing partners should be doing | do your partners pay their own way? | 7 keys to becoming an equity partner | how and why to achieve partner unity
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

most other professionals today price their services based on what the market will bear. why not accountants?

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why value pricing?

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woman checking a departure board at an airportcompare accounting firms to airlines.

by august j. aquila

it is hard to believe that it has been over 25 years since i first wrote about pricing accounting services. much has changed in the accounting profession, the world, and in my personal life.

more august aquila: 6 questions for planning your succession | 7 issues in partner retirement planning | is it time for a partner compensation checkup? | 13 points of a good compensation plan | 5 ways to keep your edge | how to become the firm of choice
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

technology is now a driving force in the profession, professional marketing is well established and accepted by firms, the united kingdom voted to leave the european union (brexit) and donald trump was elected president of the united states of america.

i have moved away from the marketing and business development for professional service firms to be a leader in the area of mergers and acquisitions, leadership development, compensation design, and change management.
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