Do you ever struggle to make a lasting impression beyond the generic label of being “an accountant”?
Most of us have experienced it. You meet someone at a networking event, a business gathering or even socially, and the inevitable question arrives: “What do you do?”
The moment you reply that you are an accountant, you can almost see the assumptions forming. Some will assume that you’re as boring and ineffectual as their ‘old school’ accountant who is neither inspiring, interesting or referable.
Other people simply picture tax returns, spreadsheets and bookkeeping that they feel sounds boring compared to what they do. So they make the leap that any person whose job involves those activities must be equally uninspiring.
The challenge is to be remembered, referred and recommended
There is another issue as well. Many people assume that all accountants are broadly the same.
In reality the tax returns and accounts produced may be similar, but every accountant brings a different perspective, style and approach to their work. Your experiences, client base, commercial outlook, preferences and personality all influence the advice you provide and the way you support clients.
To suggest that accountants are interchangeable is nonsense.
Yet many accountants reinforce that misconception every time they introduce themselves.
If you simply say, “I’m an accountant”, there is very little for anyone to remember about you. Worse still, if they already know other accountants, they may assume you are just like them.
You become another face in a crowded marketplace rather than someone worth remembering, referring and recommending.
Those are what I often call the three Rs.
This challenge can feel particularly acute if you are new in practice or run a general practice without a clearly defined niche. When you work with a wide variety of clients, it can be difficult to explain what makes you distinctive. Nevertheless, failing to address the issue will make it harder to generate opportunities from networking, social media and business conversations.
“What do you do?”
My favourite ever response by an accountant to this question dates back a good few years.
At networking events he used to stand up and say, “I collect brown envelopes. I’m an accountant and my clients know that I want them to contribute to my collection. That means they need to give me all the brown envelopes they get from HMRC.”
Another favourite is the accountant who introduces himself by stating that he helps his clients to pay MORE tax. “I’m an accountant and I look after my clients’ accounting , tax and filing obligations. My focus Is on helping them to make more profits which means they will pay more tax”.
As these two examples show, the key is to get your message across in a way that will really capture the imagination of prospective clients and of potential referrers of work. You want them to understand that you do not fit the old stereotypical preconception they might otherwise assume applied to you.
I do not suggest you adopt either of the examples I just shared (the first one makes less sense these days anyway); Instead I would encourage you to prepare your own response to the question using one of the following four approaches.
Any of them would help you to explain what you do in a way that makes you more memorable, in a positive way, than simply stating that you’re an accountant.
Four better ways to answer the question
1. Talk about your clients
Who do you work with? What do they have in common? Are they consultants, tradespeople, property investors, start-ups or owner-managed businesses? Are they all based locally? Have they typically moved to you from another accountant and, if so, why?
The more specific you can be, the easier it becomes for someone to recognise a connection with themselves or with somebody they know.
Many accountants worry that being specific could be limiting. In reality, specific examples are far easier to remember than a generic list of services offered to everyone. Most people will remember one clear picture rather than ten vague descriptions.
2. Talk about the problems you solve
Most clients initially appoint an accountant because they are aware they have legal obligations to prepare and file accounts and tax returns. They may feel unable to do this, have found it more challenging than some software adverts imply, or don’t trust themselves to do it right and on time.
So they engage accountants because they want clarity, reassurance, growth, protection or peace of mind. Perhaps they need help dealing with HMRC, getting their affairs up to date, reducing stress or making better business decisions.
What prompted your clients to choose you? What issues were they hoping you would resolve?
When you focus on the problems you solve, people gain a much clearer understanding of your value.
3. Talk about what matters
Few non-accountants care about your preferred software, technical processes or filing systems. Those things matter to you, but they are rarely what interests someone who has just met you.
In my experience, most people who ask what you do fall into one of three groups.
Some do not really care and are simply waiting for their turn to tell you what they do.
Others want to know whether you might be able to help them or someone they know.
And some are really asking a different question altogether: “Why should I remember you?”
Simply saying that you are an accountant, or even a chartered accountant, rarely provides a compelling answer.
4. Tell stories about outcomes
Stories are naturally memorable because they involve real people facing real challenges.
Think about clients you have helped. What situation were they facing? What changed after they appointed you? What was the outcome?
You do not need a polished case study. A simple, truthful story that demonstrates the impact of your work can be far more powerful than a list of services.
Keep your stories honest, vivid and easy to follow. The more memorable the story, the more memorable you become.
How I answer the question
I regularly attend meetings of the Professional Speaking Association where I am asked what I do. And whether speaking is my main source of income. (It isn’t!)
Typically I say something like this:
“I provide strategic and business development support to accountants. Do you have one? Do they run their own practice?”
That immediately changes the conversation and often results in a follow up question: “Are you some sort of consultant?”
And I might say:
“In a way. Some accountants join my online club for sole practitioners who want to learn from each other. I also mentor sole practitioner accountants one-to-one. Typically they approach me when they are facing a key decision and feeling isolated, overwhelmed or frustrated. They probably don’t let on to their clients, but those feelings are more common than many people realise.”
I then explain that I welcome introductions to sole practitioner accountants running their own practices, whether or not they have staff.
Notice that I don’t talk about my qualifications, credentials or the mechanics of what I do. I simply focus on who I help, the situations they face and the support I provide.
That is often far more memorable than simply stating a job title.
Give people a reason to remember you
The next time someone asks what you do, think carefully before giving the standard answer.
If all you tell people is that you are an accountant, you make it easy for them to place you into a category and forget you – especially if the next accountant they meet is more memorable. If instead you help them understand who you help, the problems you solve and the outcomes you create, you become much more memorable.
That, in turn, increases the likelihood that you will be better remembered, referred and recommended.
If you would like to explore how you present yourself, how you differentiate your practice or how to generate more referrals through stronger conversations and relationships, give me a call. A short conversation may be all it takes to identify a more compelling and memorable way to explain the value you bring to your clients.
