make sure you fully understand their needs.
question: i have a couple of clients in a number of industries and when i ask for referrals they tell me they do not want me to handle competitors of theirs, yet i know of many cpa firms that have large amounts of clients in concentrated industries. what am i doing wrong?
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answer: i’ve had clients tell me that, but i think back to my early jobs and each firm i worked for had industry specializations, so i think the current trend is just a continuation of what has always been done. i attribute your lack of getting client referrals to an inability to recognize, sell and communicate the advantages of your firm to your clients.