distinguish yourself from the competition by being the go-to pro.
by russ alan prince
accounting services are commoditized. however, this does not mean that all accountants can deliver the same level of expertise, but it does mean that better accountants can provide better expertise. what is more telling is that clients—both individual and corporate clients—are usually unable to discern the quality of the accounting services they receive. for most clients, it can be tough to differentiate between accountants when it comes to filing tax forms or providing tax advice.
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for higher-margin practices, the competition for clients is intense. for example, one of the most significant growth areas for accounting firms is having a family office practice. the wealthy—especially the ultra-wealthy—are regularly choosing to work with family office practices over other providers. furthermore, the profitability of a well-run accounting firm’s family office practice is significantly better than most other practice areas. with so many accountants positioning themselves to provide family office services, even with exploding demand, some will seriously underperform.
the ability of accountants to bring in new preferred clients constantly is essential to success. most rely on client referrals for new business. most of these referrals are from satisfied clients, and a smaller number are from other professionals.
consider how you are souring new preferred clients. beyond doing a perfect job for current clients, what steps are you taking to ensure a steady stream of desired clients? put another way, why would clients refer their peers to you, and why would other professionals refer their clients to you? again, because you can do a good job is usually not enough.
while accountants, for the most part, recognize the need to stand out from the crowd to garner new business, relatively few of them are being successfully proactive in this regard. although you may be an expert in your field, who knows this to be the case?
most accountants fall into the category of hidden talents. they are competent professionals but are not well known in the circles that enable them to grow their practices meaningfully. a powerful way to be recognized for your expertise is to become a thought leader.
while there are different ways people think about and define a thought leader, the following two-part definition captures the actions and business outcomes of being a thought leader.
definition: part 1
a thought leader is an individual or firm that is recognized by clients, prospective clients, referral sources, intermediaries, and even competitors as one of the foremost authorities in selected areas of specialization. as a result, that individual or firm is the go-to expert.
being a thought leader is about being a recognized leading authority. but, in the context of business, there is more to being a thought leader.
definition: part 2
a thought leader is an individual or firm that financially benefits from being recognized as the go-to expert.
part 2 of the definition incorporates the commercial nature of thought leadership. within all professions, the thought leaders are regularly the most accomplished. to become and maintain the stature of a thought leader requires being able to meaningfully add to the industry conversation, which often takes a concerted effort.
even if you are well established and well known, becoming a thought leader can still majorly boost your ability to generate considerable new and higher-quality business.
many accounting firms of all sizes take steps to become thought leaders. they might publish reports, write articles, produce webinars, and have their partners speaking at conferences. while some of these firms are effective, most accountants and accounting firms are not thought leaders. they are going through the motions and producing content, but without the strategic planning and related actions that tightly connect high-caliber intellectual capital to a constant flow of high-caliber, very profitable new business.
for many accountants, becoming thought leaders is a powerful way to grow their practices. as a thought leader, your practice and your firm can significantly benefit. being a thought leader is also a way to generate substantial personal wealth.