look for additional service areas as well.
by ed mendlowitz
202 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice
question: as a young staff accountant, how can i bring in new business and clients?
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response: you shouldn’t be as concerned about bringing in business as you should be about planting seeds to be able to bring in business in the future.
eleven points worth considering:
1. become active in one or two charitable or religious organizations working on specific projects and being an extra hand when needed. the objective is to get involved and develop relationships.
2. develop and maintain a list of everyone you know and meet; and then
3. find ways to have at least a couple of contacts with them a year. i define a contact as any interaction –
– you can call them on their birthday,
– send them your firm’s current newsletter issue with a personal note,
– mail them an article from a magazine or newspaper (i suggest postal mailing it, and not email) or
– send an email to forward something about an activity of your firm.
4. look for opportunities to mention your firm to clients and acquaintances.
5. look for openings to bring additional service ideas to your supervisor’s attention. people at clients’ premises might mention things that they need or would like help in – this can present additional service opportunities for your firm.
6. ask your supervisors, managers and partners questions on ways you can do things better when networking.
networking is like growing a tree. it takes time to root, grow and develop and reach maturity. allow at least five years for your contacts to take root. if you aren’t getting any bites after five years with an organization or contact group you have been developing, examine what you are doing and seek assistance.
be aware of the potential for business from the organizations you are considering becoming involved with.
- consider the overall age of the people – you should seek out people who are your age or not more than five years older.
- consider if there are many other cpas involved with that group.
- consider the general economic strata of the contacts – are they all blue collar, or entrepreneurs?
- are they middle-level office staff or upper-level executives?
- assuming you have equal feelings toward two organizations, you should volunteer with the one that appears to have the greater potential.