client service opportunities

knowing them is just the start.

by gary bolinger

you know a lot about your business clients. as a  result of the compliance work you do – tax and financial reporting projects – you do know a lot about your clients. you know about profit and loss. you know about payroll. certainly, you have some knowledge about vendors and customers, at least from a financial perspective. you have seen marketing budgets, cost of sales and know what occupancy costs are. all of that is good.

more: why accountants fail at consulting | advisory vs. low-value clients | what + who leads firms to better service | how accountants are profiting in disruption | ask the right question(s) | seven elements of engagement for cpas | true advisory work isn’t just consulting
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but do you understand your clients? do you understand your clients in ways that can give you the kind of insight that is needed to indeed be a most trusted advisor? in fact, to be the most valued advisor?
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templates are handy but don’t show understanding of what the client wants.

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals

do you ever wonder why after spending many hours on drafting, editing, proofing and polishing – and proofing and polishing just once more – your engagement proposal efforts did not result in winning the engagement? and if this happens on a semi-regular basis, the frustration is never easier to take.

more: the future of the accounting profession | 7 signs your accounting firm agreement falls short | five common negotiating mistakes | reaching for authenticity in client service | deadlines? ha! don’t make me laugh | organizational change starts and ends with people | busyness isn’t the same as productivity
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you may have the requisite knowledge and experience and perhaps even a broad view based on a diverse set of clients. however, you may have become complacent by maintaining a “cookie-cutter” approach to developing your proposals. like the old joke defining a consultant: “a person who takes off your watch, tells you the time and gives the watch back to you,” implies an approach that you believe is best for your potential client, yet reflects no understanding of what the client actually needs.
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where is your energy best spent?

by gary bolinger

all firms have low-value clients. sometimes, they take more time than they are worth. there is never any growth with those clients. same thing, year after year.

more: what + who leads firms to better service | how accountants are profiting in disruption | ask the right question(s) | seven elements of engagement for cpas | true advisory work isn’t just consulting
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it isn’t all that much fun to work on those engagements. these clients are generally interested in the lowest fee possible, but they create a lot of work or anxiety in many ways.
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four ways to proceed.

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

many family-run businesses have parents and children who perform excellently together, and i have worked with many proud companies. however, occasionally there is a stumbling block, in that a parent and child just cannot get it together. what to do?

more: how bickering can ruin a family business | ceos don’t always know numbers | finding new business in sustainability | 14 simple, easy tips for a better tax season | how to recoup staff training costs | 10 ways to stay in control
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in many small businesses an underperforming employee hurts, and oft times there is a reluctance to get rid of them. they linger on, holding back the company. it is inevitable that they will be gone at some point, but that point seems to be delayed past when it should have been dealt with. biting the bullet is necessary, and when the owners realize they are better off in the long run, they take the necessary step.
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advise without getting in the middle.

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

i have had many clients where children work in their parents’ business and have seen a lot of private interactions that shouldn’t have ever occurred, but did.

more: ceos don’t always know numbers | wealth is a state of mind | the six types of “impossible” clients | you’re not just taxes | granting unconventional request pays off
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you might think the time i saw a father and son punching and wrestling with each other would be the worst, but it wasn’t. the worst are the psychological games parents and children play with each other, many times without the arguing or evident disagreements.
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