even services need to be packaged.
by august j. aquila
price it right: how to value accounting services
marketing and business development do not have to be a painful experience. if it is, then i suggest that you simply stop what you are currently doing. how many of us are successful in doing painful activities? i know i’m not.
more: five rules for a marketing orientation | the damage that traditional fee methods do | four ways to prepare for new business development | ten keys to marketing success
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start your marketing thinking with the following question: “what kind of firm do i want to have?” while i can offer some suggested answers, the real answer must come from you, and it shouldn’t be determined in two minutes.
think about this question from another perspective for a moment. let’s recast the question in the following way: “what kind of person do i want to be?” i believe that the two questions are very similar yet require the same amount of work over the course of a lifetime.
you may say that you want to have a firm that can have an impact on increasing the wealth of its clients. if that is your answer, then think about the types of services that you will need to provide to achieve that vision.
for business clients you must offer some type of:
- profit improvement and enhancement services,
- operational advice,
- personal financial advice for the business owner and
- employee benefit plans.
do you currently provide these services?
for individual clients, you must move into the area of financial services. some of these services may already be offered by your firm.
for example,
- wealth management
- personal financial planning
- retirement planning
- succession planning
- asset management
look at your existing services and products and identify how they can increase the wealth and peace of mind of your clients. there may need to be a repackaging of your services. yes, services like products, need to be packaged. it’s true that you can’t get a client to touch or feel the service, but you can try to “productize” the service by showing the client a sample personal financial plan, by bundling your wealth management services into a brochure or powerpoint presentation, or by offering various levels of your service.
you will know when you are successful when your clients say to you and others, “my accounting firm is helping me make my business more successful and more profitable.” if they don’t say that then, in this case, you are not being the firm you want to be.
remember, only if you market without tears will you be successful. so put the box of kleenex away!