Here is the last installment of this 3 post series on marketing tips by Harry Kafka @ HDK Consultants.

How do you get prospects interested in changing over to your accounting services?

Let me dispense of a myth first: You don’t make a difference by using superlatives about your own skills and superiority.

See. EVERYONE does that already, so that’s NOT DIFFERENT.

Quite the contrary… by using the traditional marketing & presentation methods only serve to prove conclusively that you’re THE SAME as their current accountant.

He, too, did just that. He told them how great he is, how good his services are… and now the business owner KNOWS it was all “not true.”

What we have to understand here is that the human thinking evolves around self-made truths.

What’s true for him is true… and that’s the long and short of it.

The problem here is that if you try to reason with someone whose self-made certainty is based on a negative FEELING, they just refuse to accept “your truth” and the more you try, the more they’ll stick to their view… and the harder it becomes to convince him or her otherwise.

So the solution is that you DON’T try to “talk sense” to them at all.

Instead, you let THEM tell you how “useless all accountants are…”

The way this is done involves quite a lot of skill though. It needs to be done so that the prospect realises on his own a few things along the way.

See you next post,

James E

Following on from the last post, here is a continuation of the article by Harry Kafka @ HDK Consultants.

WHY THEY DON’T CHANGE ACCOUNTANTS?

As things stand, the “negative ignorance” out there about accounting ensures that business owners do NOT CHANGE accountants easily.

Let’s compare it to a car and the difference becomes evident. Everyone is eager to change their car, provided the car isn’t brand new and they can afford to change… and often even when they can’t.

Why? Well, because a new, better, bigger, faster, fancier vehicle represents POSITIVE things.

They UNDERSTAND the values that come with a better, newer model of an automobile.

Status, pride of ownership, pleasure of the ride, sense of fulfilment… all positive things.

Now, let me assure you that research shows most business owners are DISSATISFIED with their current accounting services.

And yet, they DO NOT WANT TO CHANGE ACCOUNTANTS.

Not only would it be “free of charge” (as the new service would not cost that much more than the one they’re already paying for) but the BENEFITS of a better service would far outweigh any problems of transition… you’d think, right?

But it’s not so.

It’s not so because they’re negative about accounting and emotions take over.

We all know that where people react emotionally, logic goes out the window.

We make silly decisions if upset… and some say we make equally illogical decisions when in love.

Be that as it may, the fact remains that the operating principle with most business owners in this matter is…

“…better the devil you know than the one you don’t.”

Believe it or not, THEIR basic thinking is that “all accountants are the same so why go into the trouble and expense of CHANGING?”

“Once you’ve seen one accounting professional you’ve seen them all,” in other words.

This lengthy explanation actually shows WHY you (like most other accounting professionals) find it so very difficult to acquire new clients.

The problem is that you offer “an identical accounting service” (as seen by business owners) so they don’t see any reason to CHANGE.

You don’t change a dollar to a dollar… that’s the logic here on their part.

To create interest for your services in order to sign on new clients, you need to offer something BETTER.

One more post will round out this mini-series of marketing tips.

Bye for now,

James E

I was doing some research on the web a while back  and came across some excellent material put out by a group called HDK Consultants in the UK. Here is what I found – its is definitely a worthwhile read!

“I was a CFO at a software company, moved back into public practice which I haven’t done since college. Been a year now and have 5 accounting clients. How do I attract business?”

Essentially, there are a few “hidden” barriers to acquiring new accounting clients.

First and foremost, the average accounting / CPA client simply does NOT understand the service he receives.

This is due to his lack of knowledge in accounting procedures and financial planning.

Additionally, the necessity to use accounting services – to keep books, to file annual reports, taxes, collect sales tax and whatnot – is enforced upon him by legislation, and not something he does voluntarily.

I’m not taking a stand for or against taxation or legislation here, merely pointing out that anything we are ORDERED to do under threat of punishment does NOT bring about POSITIVE feelings.

Thus, we have TWO main factors here, both of which make the average business owner negative about all that has to do with accounting.

He doesn’t understand the information he receives from his accountant and he doesn’t like having to pay for it.

Subsequently, he feels negative about his accountant TOO although it’s illogical.

YOU are there to HELP him handle these demands set by the government, YOU didn’t legistlate those laws, right?

Right you are… but here enter the frailties of human thinking where it is based on negative emotions.

“I don’t know and I don’t care” becomes the “defence” against any sensible advise from the accountant.

Tune in next time to read the next installment from the chaps @ HDK!

Bye for now,

James E