cas continues to be a huge opportunity.
by carrie steffen
the rosenberg map survey: national study of cpa firm statistics
during the pandemic, sheltering in place is allowing s to be more human and ourselves.
more: outlook 2023: private equity pumps up paychecks | tech automation takes hold | irs hires will add pressures | look who’s making money now | capacity strategies drive change | top five trends | compensation gets creative | the office is over | accounting firms face up to private equity
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
in marketing and sales and in managing relationships at work, we’re moving away from “personas” and toward “person.” that will translate into more individualized marketing, supported by automation tools like email marketing.
social media will evolve from platforms to share information with the masses to tools for maintaining relationships and in building and engaging with communities.
i’m already seeing this take shape on twitter. i’m hopeful this trend will also recalibrate firms’ hiring processes and that they will do more to build relationships with communities of potential candidates vs. the largely impersonal, traditional process of posting ads and reacting to whatever candidates happen to respond.
on the services side, client accounting services will continue to be a huge opportunity for firms. more and more firms i work with are looking at their practices with a fresh perspective and an open mind about what it could be. it’s a practice area that offers so many options in terms of specialization and also is the ideal landscape for incorporating (and monetizing!) advisory services in client relationships. this is a specific area in which i’ve seen an increase in strategic marketing planning as firms grapple with both business and pricing models and define what their practice is and what it isn’t. i expect it will only continue in the coming year as there is so much opportunity.
it will be interesting to see what happens in the next year with inflation, rising interest rates, and whispers of recession. most firms i work with keep one eye on the economic situation, but i haven’t encountered many firm leaders who have changed their behavior or plans as a cautionary measure.
my clients have used the most common word to describe the past 12 months: “busy.” the profession has been operating in a constant state of change for the past two years. most firm leaders are fairly grateful for the abundance of opportunity, but every firm i know is worried about balancing growth and capacity.
as it has been in many sectors of the economy, finding and retaining employees has been challenging. the major difference i see for public accounting vs. other sectors is that this challenge has been brewing for years – since long before the pandemic. the pipeline of accounting grads isn’t as flush as it once was, and it’s getting more difficult to compete with the salaries and lifestyle offered by private industry at the more experienced, non-partner level. i sense that firms and practitioners have reached their limit, fueling one of the biggest trends i see in accounting: talking more openly about mental health. never in my 25+ years in the public accounting space have i seen so many articles, conference sessions, and webinar events focused on the health and well-being of professionals. kudos to those who are lending their voices to this. i’m learning a ton from them.
another trend i’m seeing is that firms are working toward becoming more strategic about marketing and sales. many firms of all sizes struggle to define precisely what strategic marketing means – but they want and know they need it. they are seeking outside support to facilitate strategic marketing planning. they’re defining who they want to serve and what they want to do for them in a more focused and intentional way. they’re creating specialized niche practices. they’re embarking on client-based right-sizing (or client culling) projects to transition some of what isn’t a good fit in an effort to create space for more ideal clients and ease the pressure on their people. ultimately many firms have recognized that specialization accelerates a firm’s ability to deliver advisory services and that focusing on one or two niches is not limiting for practitioners but liberating. it allows people to go really deep into a client’s business and serve them more holistically, leading to profitable revenue growth and better opportunities for their people. addition by subtraction.
finally, a significant trend i’m seeing is an emphasis on enhancing people’s relationship development skills – whether those relationships are inside the firm, inside the client base, or outside the firm with referral sources and prospects. this focus on relationship development and communication gives many firms context for their digital media strategy. i’ve seen an increased emphasis on using digital tools to build relationships no matter where people are.
there has been a rise in authenticity in marketing and candid discussion of fees in the sales process. i believe that relationships and focus on individual needs will continue to shape firms’ cultures creating places where people matter most, and bolstering recruiting and retention efforts.