sales

don’t confuse marketing with a true growth strategy

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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:

  • the three elements at the foundation of growth strategies
  • three steps to create a comprehensive strategy

recommended reading:

read more →

five value-add service areas to take you beyond bookkeeping

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by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

every business needs to do some level of bookkeeping for a couple of reasons:

1) various government agencies require reporting and payments based on the company’s results.

2) the owner needs a certain amount of information to manage their business and keep it profitable.

many business owners hire us grudgingly for compliance work because they have to. and they consider what they pay us as an overhead expense that is a required cost.

but what if we could turn that perception around?

more at 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 for soloists and small firms:  six money-making strategies to take you beyond quickbooks   | proactive ways to get more referrals   |  the three biggest money leaks in your practice   |  new client opportunities with mobile apps   |  six questions to launch your summer strategy sessions   |  what most accountants miss in the five simple steps to get more clients   |  10 ways to add a “money maker” hour to your day   |  11 sources of wealth we can celebrate   |  nine value-adds to command a higher fee   |  how to design your business around your strengths

here are five areas to consider offering beyond bookkeeping that will help your clients see you as a good investment rather than as an expense. read more →

proactive ways to get more referrals

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by sandi smith leyva, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

there are many great things about getting referrals.  first, referrals have a built-in trust that helps you move through the sales process faster.  second, there’s almost no marketing cost involved.  third, they tend to make a better long-term client.

unfortunately, many business owners take a reactive approach to referrals, waiting until they come to them, rather than a more profitable approach, which is to proactively maximize referrals. here are five proactive ways to boost referrals: read more →

10 ways to add a “money maker” hour to your day

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simple easy activities to boost your business.

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

every working day, we’re all slammed with hundreds of things to do. we might need to occasionally slow down and ask ourselves whether we are working on the most profitable things we could for our business. are we constantly fighting fires, dealing with urgent but not important client matters and neglecting the things that could grow our business?

here’s how to move off this treadmill to create a “money maker hour” in your business: read more →

show me the margins: six ways to take home more of what you earn this tax season

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options to grow your profits besides raising revenue and lowering costs.

by sandi smith, cpa
 accountant’s accelerator

many accountants these days are anxious to hit the golden $100,000 mark this year.  others are interested in growing their revenues steadily and incrementally.   still others are focused on lowering costs, raising profits from that side of the equation.

sandi smith

more for soloists and small firms:  seven checklist secrets for turning tax season into opportunity season  •  how to stay energized, upbeat, and thinking bigger through busy season • seven ways to wow your prospect • rev up your revenue with these two daily rituals • 10 tips for creating more energy this tax season  • take a cue from venture capitalists: your firm needs a brain trust trinity   •   five ideas to reduce client price-sensitivity • rise to the top with a fresh elevator speech

all of these approaches are well and good to help you keep more of what you make, but there are far more options to grow your take-home dollars besides raising revenue and lowering costs.

here are six more ways to get more profit out of your practice: read more →

keeping score in the accounting business [pro member exclusive]

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learn how to read the scorecard.

keseric

by nick keseric

i have a good friend tucker who over the years has collected over 10,000 golf scorecards from all over the world.

people, even strangers, know of his quest and send stacks of scorecards to his mailbox each year from their travels.

and like a proud father, he’ll pull out his latest batch of cards to show with great pride.

more nick: six ways to stay positive in 2013  • seven steps to leverage the power of positivity in your firm, your career and your life   •  nine bridges to cross in business development for accounting firms   • if business development is a circus at your firm…   •  my attitude??? what’s wrong with my @#$%! attitude?   •  curious minds want to know: are you helping or selling?   •  the six-step roadmap for cpa change agents   •  20 biz dev ideas for your career and your firm   • 

however, if you show too much interest in his cards, he will kick it up a gear (lucky you) and start showing you a hole and begin to tell you what clubs he would hit on each hole according to the yardage of the hole. i always said tucker has too much time on his hands!

you know, a golf scorecard and an accounting marketing plan are very similar.

read more →

seven checklist secrets for turning tax season into opportunity season [pro member exclusive]

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use your time with the client to ask about more than just this year’s tax return.

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

here are some fast tips to help you make the most out of busy season, which is when you have the highest amount of your clients’ attention all year long.

more for soloists and small firms:  how to stay energized, upbeat, and thinking bigger through busy season • seven ways to wow your prospect • rev up your revenue with these two daily rituals • 10 tips for creating more energy this tax season  • take a cue from venture capitalists: your firm needs a brain trust trinity    •   accountants, do you know your opportunity number?    •  five ideas to overcome client price-sensitivity   •    5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients  •  3 steps to start running on millionaire time   •  the missing ingredient in your marketing that will make all the difference   •  on the road to a stress-free life: identify your character strengths  •

1. make a checklist to go through with your prospects during the initial meeting (a/k/a “the sales call.”).

  • this is the time to find out what your prospects need and why they might be switching accounting service providers.  you can get your hands around the scope of a clients’ needs best when you use a checklist.

some example entries could be: read more →

seven ways to wow your prospect

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and stand apart from the competition.

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

as the competition for clients heats up, it’s time to pull out all the stops and make your prospect feel like you’ve rolled out the red carpet.

sandi smith

more for soloists and small firms: • rev up your revenue with these two daily rituals •  10 tips for creating more energy this tax season  • take a cue from venture capitalists: your firm needs a brain trust trinity    •   accountants, do you know your opportunity number?    •  five ideas to overcome client price-sensitivity   •    5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients  •  3 steps to start running on millionaire time   •  the missing ingredient in your marketing that will make all the difference   •  on the road to a stress-free life: identify your character strengths  •

how can you do that? here are seven ways to wow your prospect and help them decide you’re the perfect vendor for them. read more →