Regular readers will know that, on this blog I share, what I hope is, constructive and unbiased advice for accountants in practice. Today I offer you a cautionary warning about what have been termed ‘marketing bullies’. The Believable Approach A few years back, after I spoke at Accountex, I recall being touched by one
One of the topics that often comes up is the challenge of prioritising anything (non-billable) you might think you want to do when there is client work that could be done. Certainly, some of the accountants I work with tell me that they struggle to make time to prioritise developing, building and promoting their
Many of the sole practitioners who contact me are feeling isolated, frustrated and/or overwhelmed. During our initial conversations I always ask what has prompted them to get in touch 'now'. The details will vary but typically there will have been a catalyst - even if they were only prompted to get in touch 'at
Are you like many of the accountants I meet who claim that most of their best new clients come through referrals? This is certainly great when it's true. But when I dig a little deeper I find that it's often not quite as accurate a statement as the accountants thought. It's an easy answer
Over the years, my conversations with sole practitioner accountants reveal that many are "happy enough" once their practice is generating sufficient income for them. They have reached the stage where they feel comfortable, some might say, complacent. ‘Happy enough’ is hardly an enthusiastic summation of how things are going as it can imply a
Have you ever thought you 'should' be doing more on social media and on Linkedin, but are not sure how or what to do? Or maybe you are very active online but are not getting the business benefits you really want? Are you envious or skeptical about the the results others appear to be
As 2023 dawns here are 10 New Year resolutions that I would encourage you to consider. Where possible you will also find links to earlier posts I have previously written about the topic. 1. Reducing the January rush Although I want to blame my clients for ignoring my persistent requests I have had enough and
Most of the accountants who approach me start by talking about their problems and what appears to be an immediate challenge. As the conversations progress I am typically able to help them consider the real issues that are causing the challenge that prompted their call. This is much the same as the way that
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 activity which will work for everyone all the
Although many people have heard of this 'rule' very few accountants consciously think about how applying the rule could help them and their clients. The 80:20 rule is also known as the 'Pareto principle', the 'law of the vital few' and the 'principle of factor scarcity'. Simply stated, the 'rule' suggests that for many
Many management consultants would argue that if your practice fails to grow it will stagnate. Is that true actually? I think it depends on what one means by ‘grow’. Grow the client base? Turnover? Profits? Range of services? Efficiency? I prefer the word ‘evolve’ as I’ll explain below. Many years ago I was headhunted
Not all of my clients want to discuss profitability issues with me. So I don’t always know how profitable they are. If it doesn’t come up during our conversations then I assume they are happy enough with their current level of profitability. Or perhaps they are embarrassed because they are less profitable
A popular approach to getting your attention (and often your money) is to tell you that there is ‘one thing’ you must do to achieve your ambitions and succeed. I see this all over the place, in blogs, articles, videos and social media posts. Those who suggest there is just 'one thing'
Many of the accountants who take up the opportunity to book a call with me start with variations on the same question: How can I attract new clients? How can I grow my practice? What can I do to get more clients? I need more clients, what should I do? I never
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
In the past I believe that a majority of established accountants ran their offices from commercial premises. But is that still true or even necessary? The purpose of this article is twofold. Firstly to support those who are happy with their current choice. And secondly to encourage those who are unsure to
You are not alone if you get frustrated by some of your clients. In fact, it's very rare for me to hear from accountants who love ALL of their clients. If you do, this isn't the blog post for you. It's more for those who have one or more clients who are
Do you assume you know what (new) callers will want from you? Are you able to distinguish real prospective clients without devoting too much time to the others? Do you operate like other professionals or by reference to wishful thinking? These are key challenges for all of us. We want to encourage
You have probably heard the suggestion that it’s important to help people get to 'know, like and trust' you. Only then will they buy from you. Only then will they even consider becoming your client. This idea originated in the book ‘Endless Referrals’, written by Bob Burg, who said: “All things being
This week I am sharing with you 15 of the key points I referenced during a recent conversation with an accountant who wanted to know what they should be doing in year 3 of their newish practice. Background The accountant had booked a one-off focused mentoring call, having started their practice just
In this blog post I explain five key issues in the context of your competition as an accountant. I have discussed them many times with clients during mentoring sessions. Often I find an accountant's perception as to who is their competition is blinkered and limited. They are often shocked to realise they
Do you ever think about how your practice and your client base might be impacted by changes and developments over the next few years? Historically most clients stay with their accountant for many years. They generally move only when they feel their accountant doesn't care enough about them, puts their fees up
Over the years I have worked with hundreds of accountants. I have also judged hundreds of entires for multiple accountancy awards. Having completed the judging process for a recent competition I reflected on what it takes to win and to be successful generally. Let me be clear here. I am talking about
Not everyone who calls me for my input becomes a client. I sometimes offer some simple advice to accountants who are not yet in a position to need or afford my mentoring services (even though these are much more affordable than you might expect). One of the accountants I spoke with recently
Too many accountants struggle to distinguish themselves from their competition. This is a shame as it is what makes each of us different that makes us memorable and the reason why we are referred and recommended. And then why we are engaged by clients. Challenge this if you must. Tell me that
