{"id":52497,"date":"2017-08-19t08:01:18","date_gmt":"2017-08-19t12:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/48e130086c.nxcli.net\/?p=52497"},"modified":"2019-03-04t08:02:07","modified_gmt":"2019-03-04t13:02:07","slug":"build-reputation-credentials-testimonials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.g005e.com\/2017\/08\/19\/build-reputation-credentials-testimonials\/","title":{"rendered":"build reputation through credentials, testimonials"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>plus how to craft your biography.<\/strong><\/p>\n by sandi leyva<\/i><\/p>\n reputation is a very common way that experts get business, and the power of this method for marketing is often overlooked.<\/p>\n more small firm growth strategies:<\/b> partnering: referrals on steroids<\/a> | 3 more kinds of referrals<\/a> | turn to the abcs for client feedback<\/a> | use client \u2018touch plans\u2019 to stay in touch<\/a> | build your revenue plan in reverse<\/a> | 5 fast, easy ways to turn annual clients into year-round clients<\/a> | how to teach financial literacy<\/a> | best practices for growth: network, specialize, share<\/a> | 10 easy tips to boost your business cash flow<\/a> | 2 ways to serve clients better<\/a> | how to fire a client<\/a> | how to manage client expectations<\/a> when you are hired through repute, the client initially learns about you from some other source other than yourself or your firm\u2019s employees. they may see your work or discover your work ethic in a variety of ways: building your accounting reputation\u00a0works a lot like referrals. in fact, the media outlet, the publisher, the conference host, the credentialing body, the award host, the association or the church acts as a referrer of sorts by \u201cendorsing\u201d you and your work. when you receive a prospect via your reputation, the prospect already knows something about you, likes you and has some level of trust.<\/p>\n although it can cost money and time to build your reputation, the prospects who come from this method are easier to close than others. this is a great method for accountants to use because it requires limited selling. your reputation precedes you, so to speak.<\/p>\n tip: become an expert, and people will treat you differently.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n in most cases, you will need to have at least one of the following skills in order to benefit from this marketing channel:<\/p>\n there are varying ways you can leverage your reputation. we\u2019ll discuss building your reputation through credentials and creating the core materials\u00a0you\u2019ll need to develop your reputation.<\/p>\n credentials<\/strong><\/p>\n it\u2019s definitely worth it to get certified in your area of practice. the cpa continues to rank high in trust\u00a0among all professions, even over doctors. getting certified in specialty areas, such as cpp for the payroll area, denotes a level of expert knowledge that conveys trust. earning a software certification like the certified quickbooks professional advisor lets your clients know you have expertise in the quickbooks software packages.<\/p>\n list of accounting credentials:<\/p>\n and hundreds more!<\/p>\n you can also get several add-on certifications for software that you might be working in. one example is bill.com, which has an expert and guru status.<\/p>\n be sure to mention your credentials in all of your marketing materials\u00a0including your bio. also, look for the logo for each certification, and display them on your webpage prominently.<\/p>\n your biography<\/strong><\/p>\n it\u2019s important to understand the difference between a resume and a bio. a resume will get you hired for an employee position. a bio will mark you as an entrepreneur and a small business owner, which is what you want. in a bio, results and accomplishments are more significant than where you went to college or what your title was in a particular job. when you write your bio, stay results-focused and list the money and time you saved clients, awards you\u2019ve earned and other accomplishments.<\/p>\n your bio should be about four paragraphs long and should focus in on what\u2019s in it for the client. when i write bios, i use the following formula:<\/p>\n paragraph 1: write your elevator speech and include what you are passionate about.<\/p>\n paragraph 2: describe benefits of how you have helped past clients and continue with any media, awards, credentials or association memberships, or if none, list industries you\u2019ve served.<\/p>\n paragraph 3: describe your experience prior to starting your firm, but keep it brief and summarized.<\/p>\n paragraph 4: list your education, and wrap it up with a personal statement about your hobbies, favorite tv shows or sports teams.<\/p>\n it\u2019s truly best if you have a professional writer create your bio. it\u2019s a lasting investment in your company and will put you in the best light.<\/p>\n if you\u2019d like us to write your bio for you, we do offer this service as an a la carte or included with every web package we sell. http:\/\/acceleratorwebsites.com\/services-2\/la-carte-services\/<\/a><\/p>\n biography sample <\/strong><\/p>\n al bee, ea, of abc taxes helps detroit-based corporations and individuals keep more of what they make through his tax planning, tax representation and tax return preparation services. for 20 years, al has enjoyed digging into complex tax issues for his clients and has developed a reputation\u00a0for tackling the toughest cases. other tax professionals often give al their complex cases.<\/p>\n recently, al represented a five-physician office on a multi-year, multi-entity irs negotiation, resulting in a favorable result for his clients. he also recently completed an estate settlement, working with a team of attorneys and other accountants to provide the best outcome for his client. al earned his ea, enrolled agent, designation and attends several tax conferences annually. he is a member of the national association of tax professionals and the national association of enrolled agents.<\/p>\n prior to starting his own firm, al worked for five years in the corporate tax department at kpmg, one of the \u201cbig four\u201d accounting firms, and another five years for a detroit law firm in the estate area. he currently teaches tax law at wayne state university.<\/p>\n al received his degree in accounting from the university of michigan and earned his master\u2019s in taxation. when he is not working, he is speeding around the great lakes on his motor boat.<\/p>\n headshot<\/strong><\/p>\n social media has pretty much demanded we put our photo on our profiles and webpages. to not do so these days looks like we are hiding something.<\/p>\n do take the time to go to a professional studio with quality lighting and a good backdrop. make sure your photo is approachable with you smiling and good eye contact. you should also be wearing professional work clothing. what\u2019s important is that you invested in your marketing materials\u00a0and have not taken shortcuts that look unprofessional.<\/p>\n it\u2019s not as important what you look like, so please do not procrastinate on this step. we had one member (you know who you are) who waited a year to get his photo done (it\u2019s much harder to get the guys to go for the photo!). as soon as we posted it on his website, the phone started ringing more. do not wait! (it will cost you, and please do not shoot the messenger.)<\/p>\n one word of warning for the ladies. one of my elite clients told a story about how she and another woman were ranked high in the intuit proadvisor\u00a0profile page listings for their city. the other woman used a candid shot from a formal party where she had a low-cut evening dress on. other prospects told my client that they would not consider calling someone who advertises like that. ladies, even if it\u2019s the best smile you\u2019ve ever seen of yourself in a picture, it must not be a glamour shot, and you must be covered up, dressed in business attire. anything that could be construed as sexual will drop the rates you can charge in business, studies show.<\/p>\n if you are in the san jose area, we recommend michael soo photography, and let him know it\u2019s for business. if you have employees, be sure and get them done, too. http:\/\/www.capturethelook.com\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n testimonials<\/strong><\/p>\n a testimonial\u00a0is a short written recommendation from a past or current client. most accountants i talk to hate testimonials and don\u2019t use them. but here\u2019s what they don\u2019t realize: other people love them, and they really make a difference. if you don\u2019t have any, a prospect could assume that you don\u2019t have any clients either. get rid of that objection easily by posting testimonials so prospects know you\u2019re not just starting out.<\/p>\n if you have a stable full of happy clients, gather some testimonials and post them on your website. i just did this for an accounting client, and she said it really made a difference in how new prospects perceived her. if you do not have clients yet, you can use character testimonials, similar to what you would use when an employer asked for your references. as soon as you get clients, and even if you just have one or two, ask them for a testimonial. do not procrastinate on this step either! it has a really big payoff.<\/p>\n testimonials that are honest and not hype-oriented are one of the best ways to improve your credibility among strangers. they will especially help with highly social decision-makers. to get started, all you have to do is ask for them. i do this in a short email, right after i\u2019ve completed the project i\u2019ve been hired for.<\/p>\n here\u2019s a sample of what we recommend sending out via email to each client, in separate emails. just modify the last four questions to fit your business services.<\/p>\n you can\u2019t have too many testimonials. the more, the better. it will look like you have vast experience and that you have seen and are prepared for everything. you want your prospect thinking, \u201cthis many people can\u2019t be wrong about how good this person is.\u201d<\/p>\n testimonial request<\/strong><\/p>\n subject: please let us know how we are doing<\/p>\n or request for feedback<\/p>\n or a favor, please<\/p>\n <\/p>\n hi ___,<\/p>\n i appreciate doing business with you and wonder if you would be willing to write a testimonial\u00a0for me? just a couple of sentences back in an email would be great. what made a difference if anything? what will you tell friends about? anything you can quantify would be very helpful. did we save you money or time on your accounting expenses and\/or with your cpa? if so, would you be willing to share a figure? has your bookkeeper improved via our training? is your accounting team providing you with the reports you need?<\/p>\n i really enjoyed working with you and i very much appreciate your time.<\/p>\n best regards\u2026<\/p>\n displaying the testimonials<\/strong><\/p>\n one of the fastest ways to wow your web visitors is to make your testimonials come alive through graphics, audio and video. add a photo of your client next to the text of the testimonial. better yet, videotape them and post the video file. you can do this the next time you are onsite, at a networking meeting with them, or in my case, when i am at national conferences with you guys.<\/p>\n i was really surprised by how many of you were willing to provide video\u00a0testimonials for me. it\u2019s easy to do with a flipcam, just figure out how to work the video recorder part, find a place where the background is decent, record your client and download the recording to your pc.<\/p>\n you can set up a youtube\u00a0channel\u00a0and upload them there. almost any format works. then create a webpage like we did here: http:\/\/accountantsaccelerator.com\/testimonials\/<\/a><\/p>\n when you can make your website testimonials come alive with photos, sound and video, they become even more effective in drawing new business to your firm.<\/p>\n testimonial formats <\/strong><\/p>\n when you have a really good testimonial, pull the best line out and use it as a headline. if possible get a picture of your client (facebook\u00a0or their website), and put the whole thing in a box with a border around it for emphasis.<\/p>\n here are some visuals so you can get the idea.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n a second way to format your testimonial\u00a0is shown below. bold the best line so that people who skim instead of read will get the best part.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n some things to do with your testimonials:<\/p>\n testimonial limitations<\/strong><\/p>\n if you have certifications in the financial planning field, posting testimonials may be against your code of ethics, so please check with your license and firm restrictions.<\/p>\n also, if your testimonials contain results in dollar figures or percentage increases, you will likely need to comply with the 2009 ftc guidelines on testimonials: http:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/opa\/2009\/10\/endortest.shtm<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" plus how to craft your biography.<\/strong>
\nexclusively for pro members. <\/span><\/strong>log in here<\/a> or 2022世界杯足球排名 today<\/a>.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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materials you\u2019ll need to boost reputation<\/h3>\n
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\nby sandi leyva<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1345,"featured_media":47752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3120,3002,2295],"tags":[1056,6,114,822],"class_list":["post-52497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pro-member-exclusive","category-special","category-solo","tag-entrepreneur","tag-bsg-business-builder","tag-small-firm","tag-solo"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n