make the leap from accountant to consultant.
by gale crosley
crosley co.
admit it. you’re good at what you do. your clients trust your proven ability to help improve their businesses. perhaps it’s time to take the step of enlarging your vision of yourself from accountant to consultant.
leader-driven growth. not just a bunch of rainmakers.
by gale crosley
crosleycompany.com
i see it all the time. well-intentioned accounting firms do what they believe are the right things. they sponsor events. they publish articles. they meet and greet. but they don’t grow.
more on growth strategies for multi-partner firms: are you creating a sustainable firm? | don’t confuse marketing with a true growth strategy | overcoming four imaginary barriers that limit cpa firm growth | how firms unleash the power of diamonds, cash cows and fat cats | how smart firms use market research |
at most firms growth is an individual contributor activity. lone ranger partners do their own thing, attracting clients here and there and offering services they believe clients need. but despite the efforts of individual partners, there’s little solid growth to show for the effort.
that’s when they call. “gale, we need your help! market conditions aren’t great and we’re getting hammered with competitive pricing. we have to increase our marketing so we can grow!”
whoa cowboy, sit back in that saddle and let’s talk a while. read more →
many cpa firms may be on the path to extinction.
by gale crosley, cpa
the world’s population is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability. for several decades we’ve developed an understanding of preserving our planet’s resources. the recent sustainability conversation has amped up the focus among corporate executives on their social responsibility to insure our world’s future.
it’s an especially relevant time, therefore, to discuss the sustainability of our firms. and that’s what this book is about. managing partners spend significant time pondering their firm’s strategy. one of their greatest challenges is engaging their partners to be as committed as they are.
adapted from the preface to “how to engage partners in the firm’s future: the secrets every leader needs to know,” by august j. aquila and robert j. lees
there are lots of reasons for the challenge. these include a “nose to the grindstone versus up to the wind” mentality, partners not spending enough time dedicated to the task, abdicating their leadership role, putting their own interests before the firm’s, or just plain apathy. it’s easy for a partner group to sit around a table and discuss their future. but talk is cheap. after the strategic planning is done, leaders actually have to do something. it takes significant effort to develop as a leader, work as a team, subjugate one’s own interests for the greater good, learn new competencies, solve complex problems, and exhibit leadership behaviors. read more →
practice growth is a delicate balance of art, science, intuition and diligence. one thing it isn’t, however, is marketing.
by gale crosley
crosley+company
marketing can be a powerful lever to fuel business expansion. but alone, it will not take you where you want to go. marketing helps till the soil of growth. at the end of the day, however, tilled soil with no seeds taking root is pretty much a useless pile of dirt.
well-intentioned firms often invest a great deal of money in marketing and wonder why it doesn’t result in growth. one reason is that what they’re really spending on is unrelated marketing activities (or tactics) rather than on growth strategies.
it’s an essential distinction that can make all the difference in your efforts.
in this report:
recommended reading:
change your thinking. change your results.
by gale crosley
crosley & co.
sometimes it’s not what we’re thinking, but how we’re thinking that keeps us from the success we deserve. in this case i’m referring to the limits we impose on ourselves, which i call thought borders.
while not necessarily geographical, they constrain our forward movement much as the absence of a passport prevents us from entering another country.
more gale crosley at 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 for pro members:
how firms unleash the power of diamonds, cash cows and fat cats
how smart firms use market research
got leads? get real. learn how to qualify big opportunities
it’s a new generation in lead generation
at the best firms, growth is no accident
four keys to success at seiler cpas
how accounting firms are re-building their sales pipelines
how to get started on ifrs in one easy step
learning to identify these artificial limitations and move beyond them is a powerful tool for growth. read more →
dozens of accounting firms are turning a business cliche into new growth.
by gale crosley
crosley & co.
an internet search for the term “predictable growth” yields millions of links to websites, videos, books, and consultants. there seems to be no doubt about the idea that growth can be planned and charted.
but for accounting professionals who are trying to grow their firms, it may seem that there’s nothing at all predictable about sources of opportunity and how to manage them. if that’s your situation, it may be because you haven’t yet unlocked the power of the product lifecycle.
more gale crosley at 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 for pro members:
in the 1970s, bruce henderson of the boston consulting group introduced the concept that products and services have a predictable, consistent cycle. some four decades later, the bcg matrix that he developed remains a popular growth tool. dozens of accounting firms are adapting a version of the model and are using it to help determine how to grow each service line and industry. read more →
four strategies for focussing on the win.
by gale crosley
crosley + company
eighty percent of lost opportunities are due to poorly qualifying a lead. countless hours and effort are wasted on prospects with odds to win near zero. firms with a thin pipeline pursue any potential buyer who has a pulse and fogs a mirror. in order to stop this insanity, discipline is necessary in lead qualification.
click here for more from cpa firm growth consultant gale crosley. or buy her book.
the old ways just won’t cut it any longer!
by gale crosley, cpa
cpa firm growth consultant
the more things change, the more we need to change with them. massive shifts in market conditions are profoundly affecting our profession. but it’s not just the market that’s recalibrating. we’re also in the midst of a revolution in information gathering, which influences how our buyers think and how they make decisions.
these changes represent a realignment of our universe. they demand that we move beyond old, familiar ways of generating leads and adopt new strategies that reflect today’s environment. read more →
winning new business is a team sport. spectators need not apply.
by gale crosley, cpa
crosley+company
the best firms are involved in the relentless pursuit of creating a firm-wide growth culture. read more →