Beyond buzzwords and hype: Discovering what truly differentiates you from your competitors

By |2023-08-07T16:26:48+01:00August 8th, 2023|Accountants, Marketing and promotion, Networking, Referrals|

It's another day, and I've seen another poorly thought through piece of advice for accountants to identify their USP. I have long disagreed with this generic idea of trying to identify your Unique Selling Point (USP) or your Unique Sales Proposition (USP). Instead I recommend a much more practical and realistic way for accountants

How’s business? – Don’t fall into the easy trap when you reply

By |2023-07-31T10:36:03+01:00August 1st, 2023|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Networking, Referrals, Reputation, Sole practitioners|

If you’re either a busy accountant and/or a regular at networking events, you probably get asked this question (How's business?") all of the time. You may also be asked by friends and family, ex-colleagues and prospective clients as well as by suppliers, associates and potential advocates. How carefully have you thought about the way

First impressions count but here’s proof that they’re not enough and what to do to fix things

By |2023-07-24T18:44:45+01:00July 25th, 2023|Accountants, Networking, Referrals, Sole practitioners|

Some years ago I enjoyed a very long private business networking lunch. The whole group seemed to enjoy the event - perhaps because many of us had known each other for a while . One of the attendees I had not met previously was a chartered surveyor. After we’d spent a few hours together the

Silencing the inner critic: How to conquer imposter syndrome and bring on more new clients for your practice

By |2023-06-20T09:12:07+01:00June 20th, 2023|Accountants, Key Business skills, Referrals, Sole practitioners|

I hope this post will be of general interest even though it is intended primarily for those accountants in practice who have a degree of imposter syndrome or who struggle with low self-worth or low self-esteem. Such struggles invariably impact self confidence and this can have a negative impact on the prospect of receiving

What is the key to accountants’ survival in the AI era?

By |2023-06-13T10:09:07+01:00June 13th, 2023|Accountants, Client servikce, Dependability and trust, Experience and expertise, Key Business skills, Networking, Referrals, Reputation, Sole practitioners, STANDING OUT|

One of the biggest changes to be heralded by the introduction of AI so far as accountants are concerned, links to one of my long-term messages for accountants. How can you stand out from the competition? And, as a result, win more of the business you really want? Even before the launch

Some accountants undermine their credibility. Do you?

By |2023-04-03T18:03:32+01:00April 4th, 2023|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Experience and expertise, Networking, Referrals, Reputation, Sole practitioners|

One of the accountants I mentor has long been proud of how efficiently they look after their own business affairs. Others though are embarrassed at their inefficiencies. And there are some who do not appear to give any thought as to how they are perceived. Some of the accountants in this category may, unintentionally,

Why so many clients are indifferent and don’t recommend you

By |2023-03-27T10:13:29+01:00March 28th, 2023|Accountants, Client servikce, Dependability and trust, Referrals, Sole practitioners|

Many accountants claim that they secure much of their new work through word of mouth referrals. This suggests that clients are making positive comments about their accountants. They may do that if they're particularly happy but in the same way any unhappy clients will be quick to complain about their accountants. I've heard a

Avoid this mistake if you want more referrals

By |2023-03-20T15:44:29+00:00March 21st, 2023|Accountants, Experience and expertise, Marketing and promotion, Networking, Referrals, Sole practitioners|

I wonder if you make an all too common mistake. We all hope that clients will want us to provide a range of services to them. And we hope that clients will recommend and refer us to other prospective clients too… But, as I frequently point out, ‘hope’ is not a strategy. What do

Make it easier for people to remember what you do

By |2022-05-21T18:38:31+01:00May 24th, 2022|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Experience and expertise, Networking, Referrals, Sole practitioners|

We know, don’t we, that good communication is important in business. In my view, one of the most fundamental pieces of communication is how we talk about what we do.There are many challenges to be overcome here. We want to avoid sounding just like everyone else in the same field. We want our

Debunked: Can you really rely on referrals to sustain or grow your practice?

By |2022-05-17T08:49:57+01:00May 17th, 2022|Accountants, Lead generation, Referrals, Sole practitioners|

Most established accountants running their own firms claim to get most of their new clients via referrals. I see at least three potential flaws with this perception. Firstly, it’s rarely based on empirical evidence. Often it is simply an easy answer to the question: 'Where do most of your new clients come

Seven ways for general practice accountants to improve their marketing efforts

By |2022-04-11T11:23:41+01:00April 12th, 2022|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Marketing and promotion, Referrals|

Not everyone wants to follow the widely promoted advice that you will benefit more from advertising, marketing, networking and referrals if you focus your attention on trying to reach a specific group of people. The idea being that we can then let everyone else continue trying to be all things to all

Don’t make this marketing mistake especially if you are reliant on referrals

By |2022-04-19T10:52:04+01:00March 1st, 2022|Accountants, Experience and expertise, Marketing and promotion, Networking, Referrals, Social Media, Sole practitioners|

I am frequently surprised when apparently successful accountants tell me that they know they should start being active on social media. And that they want to beef up their marketing activity. Both such aspirations typically reflect a belief in the mystical power of generic marketing and the hype surrounding social media activity.

What can you do if you want to attract a better type of client?

By |2021-09-10T18:48:26+01:00September 7th, 2021|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Experience and expertise, Marketing and promotion, Networking, Referrals, Reputation, Sole practitioners|

When I ask accountants what they would like to be different in their practice, one theme is more common than any others. They frequently express the desire to have better quality clients, to increase their average fees and to be doing more interesting work.One sole practitioner accountant I was mentoring expressed this quite

Why you need to tell people who you are – beyond being an accountant

By |2021-06-28T13:32:35+01:00June 29th, 2021|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Experience and expertise, Marketing and promotion, Networking, Referrals, STANDING OUT|

No one is 'just an accountant'. And you know that already. But how clear do you make this on your website, your online profiles and when you are networking? Lots of accountants make the mistake of assuming they only need to evidence their credibility as an accountant. And it's true that sometimes

Why you need to be remembered to get more referrals and recommendations

By |2020-11-20T14:02:02+00:00October 6th, 2020|Accountants, Networking, Referrals, STANDING OUT|

For some years I have been advising accountants of the benefits of being better Remembered, Referred and Recommended ("The 3 Rs"). After all, Referrals are often identified as being the most valuable route to securing good new clients. Despite how often this topic has featured in my talks about standing out from

Your referrals are good (enough) but are you missing something?

By |2020-02-10T12:39:26+00:00February 25th, 2020|Accountants, Client servikce, Marketing and promotion, Referrals, STANDING OUT|

Classic. Talking with a partner in a top 50 firm of accountants, I asked how they get most of their new clients. It was no surprise he answered 'referrals'.  Many accountants and lawyers, claim that they secure most of their new work through word of mouth referrals. This suggests that clients are

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