This is not a blog post about advisory vs compliance.
Though, now I’ve said that, you may assume I’m about to wade into that debate. And I will — but only in passing.
This post is really about your marketing messages and the related conversations you have.
What you say at networking events.
What your website says.
What you write (or repost) online.
You may be relieved to hear I won’t be banging on about niches or specialisations either.
I’ve covered that before on the blog.
No, this post is for you if you’re keen to attract and engage more business clients who are willing to pay decent fees for the services you enjoy delivering.
With that in mind, I encourage you to consider this:
Do your marketing messages answer the key questions for anyone who already has an accountant?
Or are you, unintentionally perhaps, mostly addressing the issues that are relevant to start-ups – typically people looking for their first accountant?
As you are aware, most established businesses, the ones you probably want to be working with, already have an accountant
Which means your ideal business prospects fall into one of three camps:
- Happy with their current accountant
- Open to switching – if there’s a good enough reason
- Actively looking for someone new – better, cheaper, or both
Why this matters more than you think
Too many accountants’ websites and conversations ignore this reality.
- They list services, software, deadlines, and either reference their fees or their approach to fees.
- They say “we’re friendly and reliable”
- They promise to understand clients’ businesses
- They mention that the first consultation is free
But here’s the thing:
If someone already has an accountant, none of that stands out.
They assume you can do tax returns and file accounts. That’s the bare minimum they would expect from an accountant.
The first consultation is ALWAYS free, and confirming that you are friendly and reliable is also pretty standard if you want to work with clients.
None of these are reasons why they’d switch or choose you.
As regards the promise to understand clients’ businesses? Can you REALLY do this? How much relevant business experience can you evidence to prospective clients?
The real question
Why would someone who already has an accountant or who wants a new (replacement) accountant, choose you instead?
That’s where most accountants’ marketing messages fall flat.
Now, to be fair, the websites of some of the 70 accountants I’ve interviewed on the Accountants’ Success Secrets podcast, do absolutely ensure that they stand out from the pack. Many do not though. I would say that this matters less if you are already operating at or close to capacity.
What kind of clients do you actually want?
If your current approach brings in enough of the right clients, the ones who value you, pay fairly, and appreciate what you do, that’s great.
No need to reinvent the wheel.
But if you’re not getting enough of the enquiries you really want….
You’re spending too much time answering fee comparisons…
Or fielding vague queries about VAT returns and deadlines…
Or they don’t want to pay you for business advice….
Then it’s time to take a step back.
👉 What would your ideal client need to hear, if they already have an accountant, but something wasn’t quite working?
👉 What would make them curious enough to start a conversation with you?
This isn’t about big promises or being louder
It’s about clarity. Yes it helps if your branding and website content helps you to stand out from the pack. But, of itself, that’s only gets you as far as having a conversation. It will rarely be sufficient to land your ideal clients.
You need to be able to ask the right questions, build rapport, evidence your experience clearly so that a prospective client concludes:
“Oh. That’s what I’ve been missing.”
They may think they want more of what they’ve had before, just a bit cheaper or faster.
But maybe their systems have outgrown their setup.
Maybe their approach to bookkeeping is inadequate but they don’t realise it.
Maybe no one’s ever walked them through the bigger picture.
If you’re the first accountant to ask questions that reveal these issues, to spot what’s been missing, to flag the gaps, explain what their numbers mean, or point out warning signs before they become problems, that’s valuable. That’s different. That’s you.
And it’s the bit your marketing messages need to show. And that you need to be able to reinforce in conversation.
Not by shouting louder.
But by showing you think differently.
More thoughtfully. More helpfully. More aligned with what a good client actually wants and needs.
You’re not losing leads to better marketers
You’re losing them to accountants who explain things better.
Clients don’t always know how to compare accountants.
So they rely on what’s easy to compare: price, packages, speed.
Unless…
You give them something better to go on.
Something they can recognise in themselves.
Something that makes them think:
“This person gets me. They’re exactly who I’ve been looking for.”
Want help making that clearer in your messaging?
If this has struck a chord and you’re wondering how to stand out more clearly in your marketing and conversations, let’s talk.
Sometimes all it takes is a fresh pair of eyes (and ears) to tease out what’s unique about your approach.
If you’d like to explore that in a one-to-one conversation, drop me a message.
No hype. No pressure. Just a genuine chat about what might work better for you.
