I've never agreed with conventional wisdom that tells every sole practitioner they should always be looking to grow...
Referrals Articles
Beyond buzzwords and hype: Discovering what truly differentiates you from your competitors
It's another day, and I've seen another poorly thought through piece of advice for accountants to identify their USP....
How’s business? – Don’t fall into the easy trap when you reply
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...
First impressions count but here’s proof that they’re not enough and what to do to fix things
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...
Silencing the inner critic: How to conquer imposter syndrome and bring on more new clients for your practice
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...
What is the key to accountants’ survival in the AI era?
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?...
Some accountants undermine their credibility. Do you?
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...
Why so many clients are indifferent and don’t recommend you
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...
Avoid this mistake if you want more referrals
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...
How to get more of the referrals you really want
Although most of my clients have already built up a good base of clients, I am also often asked how can (typically less experienced) accountants and bookkeepers get more clients. And I see plenty of such questions in online forums. Of course there is no single...
Make it easier for people to remember what you do
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...
Debunked: Can you really rely on referrals to sustain or grow your practice?
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...
Seven ways for general practice accountants to improve their marketing efforts
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...
Don’t make this marketing mistake especially if you are reliant on referrals
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...
Top ten blog posts of 2021
Instead of a final post of the year, I offer you a reminder of ten of my most popular blog posts (out of the 50 posted, one each Tuesday) in 2021. I’ve included the links in case you missed them originally or you want to take another look. Early in January I...
Why accountants need to plan their approach to the 3 Rs
In an educational context we refer to the three Rs as being those crucial elements that all children need to master. That is, Reading wRiting and aRithmetic. This is somewhat ironic given that only one of the three topics actually starts with an R. (The phrase is...
What can you do if you want to attract a better type of client?
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...