Unmasking the marketing bullies: how to spot and avoid their tactics

By |2023-08-14T10:21:25+01:00August 15th, 2023|Accountants, Lead generation, Marketing and promotion|

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

What’s better than saying that your business grows through referrals?

By |2023-02-21T09:35:33+00:00February 21st, 2023|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Lead generation, Marketing and promotion, Networking, Social Media, STANDING OUT|

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

12 ways you could make more money in your accounting practice

By |2022-12-20T10:30:11+00:00December 20th, 2022|Accountants, Lead generation, Productivity, Sole practitioners, Strategy|

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

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

Being Known, Liked and Trusted is not enough!

By |2022-03-15T11:11:06+00:00March 15th, 2022|Accountants, Key Business skills, Lead generation, Marketing and promotion, Networking, Reputation, Social Media, STANDING OUT|

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

The 5 key issues to consider re your competition

By |2021-12-12T17:59:59+00:00December 14th, 2021|Accountants, Business Strategy, Lead generation, Marketing and promotion, Sole practitioners, Strategy|

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

What can you do about all the competition from other accountants?

By |2021-08-19T17:02:16+01:00August 17th, 2021|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Experience and expertise, Lead generation, Marketing and promotion|

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

Why you’ll find more success if you have an angle

By |2021-07-13T11:06:26+01:00July 6th, 2021|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Lead generation, Marketing and promotion, Networking, STANDING OUT|

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

Fresh marketing insights for accountants

By |2021-03-19T15:31:28+00:00March 16th, 2021|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Lead generation, Marketing and promotion, STANDING OUT|

Sometimes a post on Linkedin can start a conversation that runs and runs.  This was the case just after the Budget when I posed the question “Is it really worth everyone producing a 'me-too' morning-after Budget summary?” I suggested these were typically simply a re-hash of information already in the public domain

How can a mature accountant start to market himself effectively?

By |2021-02-01T15:53:22+00:00February 2nd, 2021|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Business Strategy, Lead generation, Marketing and promotion|

During our first mentoring conversation a mature accountant told me how they had been struggling to replace clients who had retired, died or gone bust. The practice was well established and he had never previously needed to spend much time or effort on marketing or promotion. He had done the basics. He

“How can I use social media to promote my accountancy business?”

By |2023-03-28T11:37:51+01:00December 8th, 2020|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Lead generation, Linkedin, Social Media, Sole practitioners|

There are two types of accountants who use social media and Linkedin.  Those who understand what works and those who have bought into the hype and hope that what they do will work. The vast majority of  accountants who use social media and Linkedin seem to be in that second category. Often

Solving your recruitment and resourcing challenges

By |2023-03-13T10:11:24+00:00April 16th, 2019|Accountants, Client servikce, Lead generation, Productivity, Recruitment, Sole practitioners, Strategy|

The biggest issue facing accountants in practice these days isn't the rise of robo-accountants, AI or cloud computing. The challenge that seems to hold many firms back is the same old chestnut it's always been. It's the difficulty in finding good people to join the firm. Almost every week I get approached by the

First focus on what you have – before you try to win new clients

By |2023-07-23T10:22:54+01:00March 25th, 2008|Accountants, Lead generation, Marketing and promotion, Referrals, Strategy|

So many professional firms seem to focus on winning new clients - it's scary. What about the existing clients? In some firms around 90% of fees come from the same clients year on year. Here are some questions to ask about your recurring clients before you start focusing on trying to win new ones: Are

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