four questions to ask yourself first, plus 10 more things to know.
by marc rosenberg
cpa firm growth: keys to practice development
many firms struggle with revenue growth for many years and then, reach the point when reality sets in: the partners recognize they don’t have the skills or the desire to be active and effective at business development.
more: how and why to hire a marketing director | marketing plans and why you need one | working business development into your day | how marketing systems produce business growth | 6 keys to developing new client prospects | protect and grow existing clients | 19 takeaways from the history of cpa firm practice development
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many of these firms decide to hire a marketing consultant to jump-start their marketing and get them on a path to growth.
does this mean every public accounting firm should rush out and hire a marketing consultant? absolutely not. the decision should be carefully thought out.
here are some questions that firms should ask before investing in a marketing consultant:
- will the revenue increase that is conservatively expected from hiring a marketing consultant exceed the cost?
- if the marketing consultant is successful and develops leads for you, do you have the time and willingness to pursue these leads? if not, then don’t bother hiring the consultant.
- some visioning is required here. does the approach proposed by the consultant seem doable? can you get behind it enthusiastically? can you see it happening? the cpa firm needs to see itself as part of the process. the wrong attitude:
“gosh, this marketing consultant is creative. the ideas proposed seem weird and kind of crazy. but what do i know about marketing? next to nothing! so what the heck, we’ll give it a shot, throw some big bucks at it, cross our fingers and hope for success, even though we are skeptical.”
if this is how you are thinking, your investment in the consultant will most likely be very disappointing.
- do you realistically have the time to devote to working with the consultant and implementing what is expected of you? mainly that means following up on leads generated by the consultant.
many marketing consultants help cpa firms “professionalize” their practice development function by serving as the firm’s outsourced marketing department. the marketing consultant focuses on implementation, and most of the marketing tasks are completed by the consultant’s team.
the consultant asks the cpa firm to get involved in the practice development program where the rubber meets the road, when an opportunity occurs to expand an existing relationship, pursue a referral, or develop and build a relationship with a prospective client.
the result should be the delivery and implementation of practice development plans that are suitably scaled and customized for each firm.
the benefits and features that cpa firms should expect from their marketing consultant include these:
- your marketing consultant should have the experience of working with many other accounting firms. if a consultant you contact doesn’t have this experience, take a pass.
- the consultant should have a team of professionals: strategists, social media specialists, graphic designers, writers, and lead-generation call representatives who work with the cpa firm.
- if the firm hires the marketing consultant as an outsourced marketing director, it won’t need to hire, train, and retain in-house marketing professionals (whose turnover has always been high).
- your marketing consultant should stay abreast of the latest marketing and business development news and trends in the cpa profession.
a good way for your marketing consultant to start: a practice development audit
to get started, many marketing consultants conduct a marketing audit. this is a systematic approach to diagnosing the strengths and weaknesses of the cpa firm’s marketing activities. the audit usually culminates with a comprehensive 24-month growth and development plan that incorporates a specific schedule and budget to implement recommended suggestions for growth and profitability.
in gathering information for the practice development audit, the consultant
- interviews key members of the firm
- reviews existing marketing plans, strategies, collateral material, proposals, newsletters, social media, websites, branding, etc.
- gathers information on the firm’s key metrics, such as revenues, profitability, billings, billed and worked hours, and realization
- analyzes the firm’s top clients
- conducts a local market analysis to evaluate the competition, niche potential, prospect, and general market potential
- reviews the firm’s marketing expenditures
the audit should culminate with results and recommendations, which are prioritized with the firm. recommendations should be customized based on the consultant’s understanding of the firm.
lead generation
marketing consultants can help generate leads. a lead generation campaign builds slowly and courts the firm’s target prospects methodically. the consultant’s goal is to successfully position the cpa firm personnel in front of prospective clients through a series of telemarketing calls and other tactics. over time, this positioning matures into deeper relationship building and culminates with the acquisition of new clients.
lead generation campaigns can include some or all of the following:
- verify the accuracy of the prospect database.
make rapport-building phone calls, which gradually evolve into a long-term nurturing strategy.
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- when contacts are made, the consultant sets up a time for a firm member to speak with them.
- if they decline, the consultant should get permission to keep in touch for a potential meeting in the future.
- during the calls, the consultant requests email opt-ins.
- create a series of written correspondence and mailings.