here’s what you’re looking for: martin bissett

avoid the funhouse mirror effect.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

there used to be an old exercise used in training sessions about customer relations or selling or leadership that went like this. the trainer would ask the group to think about the color green. a few seconds later he would ask them what type of green they were thinking of, and of course there would be many variations of green.

more: your website promises. do you deliver? | a lesson in customer service and reputation | prioritize your prospects | consistency is key to business development | five questions about your network | seven things that good advisors skip
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the point is that, as the saying goes, perception is reality. whatever each person perceived as green, that would be the reality for them – but it would be different for each person in the room.
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if not, undercharging might be to blame.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

there’s an overall sameness to the majority of accounting firm websites, and typically they make a lot of promises – promises like

• we’re big enough to cope and small enough to care, or
• we are proactive, or
• we’re not just bean counters, or
• we have your best interests at heart, or
• your business is our business.

more: a lesson in customer service and reputation | 10 questions for reconsidering your prices | would you make yourself a partner? | a list is not a pipeline | prepare the next generation now | are you committed to your firm? | nine points to check before hello
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you’ve seen all those, haven’t you? are these or similar promises on your website?
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… and how to solve them.

by martin bissett
passport to partnership

a big concern in recent years has been how the incoming partners will purchase equity or fund the capital account and exit of a retiring partner.

more: prioritize your prospects | would you make yourself a partner? | a list is not a pipeline | prepare the next generation now | are you committed to your firm? | nine points to check before hello | why clients struggle with growth | nine biz-dev metrics for making partner
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much has been written that examines the mathematical complexities of this topic but the bottom line is simple. would-be partners in the age demographic of 28-42 are part of a generation who are already heavily borrowed in the form of credit card debt, mortgage debt and other forms of personal loans.
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can you deliver some value in advance?

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

after you have listed business prospects, then what? it’s time for a good hard look at those prospects, and an honest appraisal of their value.

more: would you make yourself a partner? | four biz dev tasks to start the new year | what the next generation of practice leaders faces | five ways to show commitment | selling isn’t hard |  selling happens all the time | do you make your firm look good?
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how long do you think each prospective client will take to make a decision to move to your firm or not? is it a month? six months? a year or more? this information is the next filter you will use to prioritize your time and efforts.
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the science behind pipelines.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

i’ve taken many accounting firm partners through this process, and it’s quite common for them to balk a little at the pipeline idea when they see the amount of work involved.

more: good enough is not enough | a list is not a pipeline | prepare the next generation now | nine points to check before hello | why clients struggle with growth | nine biz-dev metrics for making partner
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they see it as just another call on their time when they already have far too much to do, and they ask me why they can’t just write down a list of prospects and go to work on them.
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yes, even during busy season.

by martin bissett
how to win the new breed of client

you may be asking yourself how you will know when you are successful in your selling efforts. many people have asked me that, but it’s the wrong question because firms have different goals.

more: prepare the next generation now | five ways to show commitment | selling isn’t hard | selling happens all the time | do you make your firm look good?
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

some want to simply tick over and replace the clients they lose, some want to grow exponentially, some want steady and consistent growth they can measure and monitor. so there is no one definition of success. but no matter what yours is, you will never attain it if you are inconsistent in your process of winning new business.
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