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

marketing & sales

ten-point checklist for your next business development appointment

young black businessman looking at his reflection

bonus: ten questions to check your comfort level.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

i’ve been asking you to believe in yourself, to get your potential clients to open up to you, and to demonstrate to them the outcomes that working with you and your firm would create in their personal and professional lives.

more: what rich accountants do | attract clients, don’t sell to them | how to attract clients | four reasons accountants struggle with selling | think of it as service, not selling | eight questions for personal preparation | perception, even your own, is reality | eight questions that target personal accountability | how to prepare for partnership | stop waiting for business to come to you | are you projecting confidence? | five questions to help forecast your firm growth | four key questions about leadership | does client perception match your firm’s reality?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

now here’s a checklist for you to run through before you begin your next business development initiative, and before each new business appointment that you have.
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bissett bullet: who is in control?

today’s bissett bullet: “resolving concerns is an area in which the new client process can easily collapse if handled incorrectly, but it doesn’t have to be a showstopper.”

by martin bissett

it’s natural to feel a little helpless. notice how you put in all of that hard work only to hit a roadblock? notice that you keep hearing the same concerns? “we will do something with you, but not right now” and “we need to think about this, we’ll come back to you” are two that you will hear time and time again.

in this situation, all the prospect is telling you is that they feel like they’ve lost control of what’s happening and are pushing back to regain that control. let them take it. control the process of sale so you know it’ll happen and can forecast your growth, but remove their discomfort by allowing them to dictate the timescale.

today’s to-do:

understanding and resolving concerns is a specialist ability that takes practice to develop. prepare your responses to the examples above so you’re not caught on the back foot the next time you hear them and are able to focus on convincing your prospect that it is in their commercial interest to make the move to your firm.

see more bissett bullets here

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marketing & sales

what rich accountants do

woman using calendar planner on tablet

make these three things second nature.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

you may be thinking right now, “well, very good, martin, but we have finite time. we’re very, very busy people and we need to get business in the door, and therefore creation of opportunity becomes the issue.”

more: attract clients, don’t sell to them | how to attract clients | eight questions for personal preparation | how to prepare for partnership | five questions to help forecast your firm growth | do you deliver on your website’s promises? | five questions about facing challenges | be clear about your roi proposition | it’s time to prepare the next generation | who are you more committed to, your firm or your clients? | nine checkpoints before every prospect meeting | three questions about conversion | six keys to turning prospects into clients
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

regardless of whether we’ve got 20 opportunities on our plate today or none, when the next one comes along we can’t afford to be anything other than confident, comfortable, assured relationship builders who have tremendous value to offer. because people will see that body language, those voice tones and hear those words and it will be attractive. they will want to get to know more – they’ll want to be able to look at options. they’ll want to know what you’ll charge, and they’ll want to know what they’ll get for what you charge.
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bissett bullet: a word to the wise

today’s bissett bullet: “as you push for partnership, be conscious of how you make others feel with your words and actions because you are a part of a team and no one member will ever be greater than that.”

by martin bissett

think before you speak or act and be conscious of how you respond to the actions of others, as this will be noticed by those who decide your future. be known for displaying tact and diplomacy and your career will move in the right direction because of your measured behavior.

today’s to-do:

think of a situation that may have played out differently if you had taken a moment to consider your response to a colleague or client. what can you learn from that?

see more bissett bullets here

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marketing & sales

attract clients, don’t sell to them

woman points to laptop to explain something to a female client

make your expertise a magnet.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

it’s about time to realize that value is not about time.

more: how to attract clients | four reasons accountants struggle with selling | perception, even your own, is reality | stop waiting for business to come to you | four key questions about leadership | showing leadership through customer service | the real math behind the sales pipeline | keep business development going during busy season | walk the commitment walk | two steps toward mastering selling | thirteen ways to show commitment | clients can’t grow without you | seven mistakes in winning new fees
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

when i look back on the research that has been conducted by various groups as to the biggest obstacles accounting firms cite to growing their practice,

  • 50 percent said creating opportunities,
  • 25 percent said knowing how to close deals
  • and the remainder said having self-confidence in presenting and then being able to positively differentiate from their competition.

let’s not sell, let’s attract.
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bissett bullet: the price is the price

today’s bissett bullet: “if you want to become a trusted advisor then there must be no discounting. the price is the price.”

by martin bissett

many, at the first sniff of fee resistance, will jump in with a discount to close the deal but what does that indicate to a potential client about your true value?

if you truly believe that your proposal is worth the price quoted then you must present it as such. maybe there is room for a negotiation conversation further down the line but never discount without obtaining something in return.

today’s to-do:

be ready to stand firm when you present your next proposal. practice explaining politely but firmly that you do not discount your services. if your next potential client were to dig their heels in on price, how much would you be prepared to negotiate and on what terms?

see more bissett bullets here

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bissett bullet: make it personal

today’s bissett bullet: “your clients are people, too. what could you solve for them in their personal lives?”

by martin bissett

how well do you know your clients? you could probably tell me all about their business ambitions, but what are their personal goals? what would it mean to them to buy their “forever home” in an area they felt safe in or send their child who is struggling academically to the private school they don’t think they can afford? if you could show them how that was within reach, what would that mean for their perception of the firm and what they tell others about you?

today’s to-do:

pick up the phone. choose three clients from your list and have a conversation with them. if you identify a problem that they face or a “want” that they have, give some thought to how you could help them to solve or achieve that and allow time during your next meeting with them to discuss it.

see more bissett bullets here

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bissett bullet: what’s your bottom line?

today’s bissett bullet: “are you maximizing your profitability?”

by martin bissett

are you doing everything you can to leverage your profitability? outsourcing what has been described as “sausage factory work” such as annual returns has become mainstream in recent years, so in order to remain competitive without compromising your bottom line, it is important to make sure that you minimize the labor intensity of the work you carry out, where possible.

if that is not to be achieved by outsourcing low-fee labor, could you embrace practice technology to improve your efficiencies, instead?

today’s to-do:

where are you reducing labor intensity in your firm? what takes up the most of your time that could be delegated to a junior team member, expedited with investment in new technology or outsourced altogether? identify three ways in which you could increase profitability over the next 12 months.

see more bissett bullets here

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marketing & sales

how to attract clients

focus on their needs, not yours.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

let’s start with two simple definitions to avoid any confusion:

  1. the purpose of marketing is to create the opportunity.
  2. the purpose of business development (sales) is to convert that opportunity into a paying client.

more: four reasons accountants struggle with selling | think of it as service, not selling | stop waiting for business to come to you | afive questions to help forecast your firm growth | four key questions about leadership | does client perception match your firm’s reality? | showing leadership through customer service | firm not thriving? five fixes | the real math behind the sales pipeline | five questions for grading prospects | be clear about your roi proposition | keep business development going during busy season | don’t let recurring fees kill your practice
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

when we meet with prospective clients – and i say this as someone who has sat in on many hundreds of meetings of this nature – we rarely give potential clients a reason to buy from us that they care about.
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bissett bullet: innovation

today’s bissett bullet: “what do meta, uber, ali baba and airbnb all have in common?”

by martin bissett

they have all become the biggest in their industry without owning the very thing that they offer. they have all innovated on traditional business models and grown by embracing technology and connecting with people.

what can we learn? moving to the cloud in this profession has huge advantages, but it means nothing without the ability to demonstrate that benefit to our clients in order to convince them to experience the power of real-time accounting.

the work we do for clients is fueled by relationships. the closer the relationship, the better equipped you are to talk about new technology in terms of how it aligns with their business goals and the benefit it will bring to them personally.

today’s to-do:

what is happening right now in accounting tech that would be of benefit to your clients?

see more bissett bullets here

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marketing & sales

four reasons accountants struggle with selling

businessman with head in hands

reframe your thinking.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

let’s take a look at the last 20-plus years of my experience and my research as to where new clients come from in an accounting practice. i don’t think there are going to be too many shocks here.

more: think of it as service, not selling | eight questions for personal preparation | how to prepare for partnership | stop waiting for business to come to you | are you projecting confidence? | do you deliver on your website’s promises? | showing leadership through customer service | firm not thriving? five fixes | the real math behind the sales pipeline | five questions for grading prospects | be clear about your roi proposition | don’t let recurring fees kill your practice | two steps toward mastering selling | nine checkpoints before every prospect meeting
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

what i’ve found is that 82 percent of all new clients in a given year who come into an accounting firm come in from a referral source. this may be a bank or a lawyer or some other source, perhaps an existing client, who has recommended that a particular business meet with your firm and come on board as a client.
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bissett bullet: ‘x’ marks the spot

today’s bissett bullet: “when it comes to identifying ways in which you could grow your fees by providing more support to your current clients, who do you prioritize?”

by martin bissett

imagine, if you will, a venn diagram with three overlapping circles in which to plot your current clients.

who trusts you the most and would believe in your ability to support them in more ways than you currently do?

who would you categorize as a “grade a” or ideal client?

based on what you know about their business, who would benefit the most from additional support that you are able to offer?

the center of that diagram where they all overlap? that’s where the treasure is buried.

today’s to-do:

draw your venn diagram treasure map. those clients in the sweet spot are your priority.

see more bissett bullets here

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marketing & sales

think of it as service, not selling

what are you trying to build?

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

being a successful person according to your own measurement of that, and your own goals and your own standards is different for everyone.

more: eight questions for personal preparation | perception, even your own, is reality | stop waiting for business to come to you | four key questions about leadership | showing leadership through customer service | the real math behind the sales pipeline | keep business development going during busy season | walk the commitment walk | two steps toward mastering selling | thirteen ways to show commitment | clients can’t grow without you | seven mistakes in winning new fees | how to develop your communication abilities
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

if you’re comfortable with yourself, it’s very likely that others will be too. if you understand the value that you offer (how you can improve a client’s situation to move them closer toward their personal and professional aspirations), you’re likely to be able to convey that value in front of a prospect.

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