Is it producing the high quality referrals you’d like to see come through your door, every day?
If you’re like most accountants, the answer is no. But by following a few simple tips to adjust your approach to marketing for clients and referral sources, you can energize your marketing strategy and produce a steady stream of leads that will help your firm thrive.
Consider this Story
Robert is a accountant at the top of his game. He knows his business like the back of his hand, he’s got great credentials and he’s good at what he does. His marketing program is designed to show clients and referral sources all the benefits he brings to the table. It shows that he’s a very smart accountant, and leaves him in a position to win the business.
The only thing is, it’s not really working.
Does that sound familiar?
The truth is, accountant marketing isn’t successful because it communicates smarts, or credentials, or benefits. But accountant marketing isn’t some hit or miss affair. There’s a clear solution that I’d like to tell you about. Accountant marketing succeeds when it follows three simple tips. These are the same three tips I give my consulting clients, and I’m going to give them to you right now, for free, so you can put them to work immediately.
Ready?
The keys to accountant marketing are to build relationships, to educate your prospects, and to differentiate your firm from all the others.
It’s that simple. Let me dig into each tip so you can put them all to work for you today. We’ll start with building relationships. Building strong relationships is the goal of all accountant marketing. Relationships are the key to acquiring clients and to getting referral sources.
That’s because working with a accountant is a personal decision, and your prospects need to trust you. More than that, they need to like you. The good news is that you get people to like and trust you by being yourself. That means you should use everyday language. Speak naturally. If you blog, write naturally, the same way you speak. Don’t use professional jargon, even to a group of executives. Networking is the same. Make a human connection; talk about life, not accounting.
Do that, and the relationships you develop will pay dividends for years. The second tip is educating your prospects.
The trick is to do it without making prospects feel like they’re being educated. Do this by telling a story. Nobody appreciates a lecture, but everyone loves a good story.
So teach people how you can help them by telling them a story that Illustrates the lesson you want them to learn.
If you do it well, they’ll probably even learn something without even realizing they’ve been taught. The third tip for successful accountant marketing is differentiation. Be careful, here! It’s easy to go down the wrong path on this one. Let me ask you this.
How many times have you seen a accountant claim they have thirty years of practice, or that their firm has a former ATO agent on staff?
If you look around the Internet, you’ll see how common these claims are. That’s not very good differentiation, is it? Don’t make the mistake of trying to differentiate yourself in a way that isn’t different at all. So how do you do it? Well, consider this.
What prospects really want to know is what you can do for them. So let’s talk about two ways to show them what you can do differently. First, differentiate through communication. A lack of clear, reliable communication is the number one reason accountants get fired, and it’s easily avoided. Set up a business process where you communicate with each client, by phone or email, at a regular interval: weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Their choice. Then send your clients regular updates, even if nothing is happening. When you explain this process to future prospects, they’ll understand that you won’t leave them stranded by the phone, hoping something is happening with their case, but never hearing anything. And they’ll love you for it, even though you have nothing to report!
The second way to differentiate yourself is your fee structure.
If your competition charges by the hour, switch to flat fee. If they charge flat fees, find ways to add value, or a longer term relationship, to fees for similar services.
You’re not trying to be the cheapest accountant in town; you’re demonstrating you offer the best value in town. You can even charge more than everyone else, if you create enough value to justify your fee. Those are just two ways to separate your firm from the competition. There are hundreds more. Find them, and use them in your marketing. Don’t make the mistake of marketing your firm like a box of biscuits. Professional marketing is personal. It’s building relationships, and it’s done over the span of years. Do it right, and the relationships you build will keep you in business. It’s worth giving it the time and attention it deserves.
If you’re serious about doing that, I can help. I’ll provide you with a free __________________ so that you can get started turning your accountant marketing strategy around today. All you have to do is pick up the phone. Call me now at 0419 222 344. Or just email me at matthew@orbitstrategies.com.au.
But do it today, so you can start building the business that will keep you prosperous tomorrow. Call now.
mbrannelly February 10th, 2021
Posted In: business
Tags: marketing, strategy
Leave a Comment
Hi, I’m Matt Brannelly.
How is your marketing going ?
Are you happy with it !
Well, how about I give you some TIPS that you can use right now to grow your accounting or law firm today.
Does this Sound Familiar?
You are busy looking after clients ,managing staff, and all the other issues involved in running a business…you are basically under the pump… but know ,you need more clients or jobs over the coming months .. and you jump at the first shiny object that comes along as a panacea for all your marketing needs eg , social media, SEO , adwords, billboards, sponsorship .
And surprise surprise , ..it fails to deliver and doesn’t work .
This situation is not unique ..… it is not you….it happens to all my clients at some stage.
In reality, I have discovered in dealing with 100’s of professionals, you only need one thing to grow your firm successfully….…personal responsibility. You must deeply believe that you and only you are responsible for your success…not your clients, not your advertising guru, not the economy. Once you’ve accepted your role as the architect of your future success you will change your approach towards the business development. Rather than looking for some magic ingredients to drive new clients to your doorstep, look for ways to improve your personal approach towards client attraction.
With this is mind ,over the next few articles I am going to talk you through a series of steps to help your firm Break out of the Sea of Sameness – and make some real progress with the marketing of your professional services firm right now. Today , I am going to take you through the 10 Key Steps to professional firm growth . These are the foundations to growing your firm successfully and methodically … …get these 10 fundamentals right and success will follow.
I am going to show you the exact steps I use when I am consulting with clients in my Practice Growth Program …and you can take these away right now and use them immediately.
1. Match your message to your target audience
Stop talking about yourself…talk about the issues that keep your clients awake at night.
2. Become a thought leader
As you cannot be everything to everyone…pick one area and become the expert at it and make sure everyone knows this is your area of law or business advise.
3. To educate your clients and prospects
4. To differentiate your firm from all others
5. To become referable
6. Create systems
Any activity you do personally and repetitively is doomed. Develop systems for your practice and monitor their effectiveness.
7. Focus on building relationships…do not sell
People want to know you, like you and trust you before they will work with you. Help them do that .
8. Take Action…do not procrastinate
If you can’t figure out which action to do , just chose 1.
9. Continuous improvement
This should be the mantra for not only your professional education but also your education in marketing and business strategy. Your goal is to do things better, faster and more efficiently.
10. Accept feedback from a circle of trusted advisors
Some people call this a board of advice. You need to have a group of people you can rely on to give you direct feedback about your performance.
However, above all , remember, you need to control your destiny as you alone are responsible for the success of your professional services firm. Once you accept this and begin to work on each of the seven fundamental behaviors outlined above, you will find that client attraction becomes natural and consistent.
To help you get started today , I want to focus on the first Tip.. to match your message to your target audience. To assist, I have provided a link to what my Digital Change expert , Billy Kirkley refers to as his “Tribal Profile”. Think of your audience as your tribe and work through the exercise. Once you have completed it, send it back to us and we will give you some feedback to make sure you are on track.
In my next article I will talk you through the process of becoming a Thought Leader which is the the 2nd fundamental behavior you need to master. I am busy putting the finishing touches on this right now and look forward to sharing it with you soon.
To discuss your progress drop me a line at matthew@orbitstategies.com.au or call 0419 222 344.
mbrannelly February 8th, 2021
Posted In: business
Tags: law firm
Leave a Comment
I was doing some one on one coaching for the QUT Executive Leaders program speaking about how to position ones self within an organisation in respect of career progression .
The analogy I used was where you find a vacuum around an issue there is an even greater opportunity to create a solution, show your leadership skills , build your reputation and grow your Tribe of supporters both within and external to the organisation. But you need to accept stepping out of your comfort zone, stretch yourself and risk failure. Problems are not always solved straight away. Leaders forge their skills in the school of hard knocks.
I challenged my mentor to volunteer to solve an issue her manager raised at a recent team meeting. As a result, if successful, she will fill a vacuum by solving a problem, grow her confidence and self-belief, and most importantly build her reputation. This will then allow her to continue to expand her role and career progression because she has been pro active and been seen to be so.
mbrannelly February 2nd, 2021
Posted In: business
Tags: opportunity
Leave a Comment
According to Matthew Brannelly first impression online plays very important role. When marketing your professional firm, it is essential to have a very clear message which is communicated in the strongest possible fashion that will guarantee you have a VOICE in the marketplace so that your firm makes a great first impression – otherwise the potential client may move away from your website very quickly. Your Voice in the market is what gets you heard above the noise of the crowd.
Ever wondered about what makes a website work?
What’s the difference between first impressions online versus in person?
What’s more important…a great office or a great website?
When marketing your professional firm, it is essential to have a very clear message which is communicated in the strongest possible fashion that will guarantee you have a VOICE in the marketplace so that your firm makes a great first impression – otherwise the potential client may move away from your website very quickly. Your Voice in the market is what gets you heard above the noise of the crowd.
For most firms, who do not have unlimited advertising budgets to broadcast a message to anyone that will listen, you need to be clever, succinct and targeted with who it is you are trying to communicate with, and explain why your service is best for them, and how you can help them.
Statistics show us the increasing trend that people make their initial enquiries about organisations with whom they wish to do business online – both through computers and increasingly through smart phones.
With this is mind , we understand will the importance of having an effective website which is accessible on various platforms -computers and smart phones- to ensure your ideal client receives information they require easily and precisely which will lead them to the next stage of the selling process which is to contact your office.
You will be surprised at the number of people who watch TV with their smart phone or IPAD in hand to make immediate enquiries about what they are watching or to be having online conversations.
It is essential your website does not confuse its messages.
In my consulting program with clients we spend a few hours work shopping what I call the Brand Temple that is designed to identify your key messages of your brand ie what makes you the right choice for your ideal client , which we subsequently use to create a website design which is :
- easy to navigate and use
- Professionally designed with aesthetically pleasing and suitable graphics, typography for the target audience
- branded consistently with other advertising and marketing
- Has no DIY graphics or content
- Purposeful , and a clear call to action
- Highlights why you are the right choice for them
If your website is lacking punch and clarity, you risk losing credibility
For advice on how to ramp up your website contact Orbit Strategies for an obligation free discussion.
Originally Posted At: https://dailydialers.com/business/first-impressions-online-matthew-brannelly/
mbrannelly February 2nd, 2021
Posted In: business
Tags: consulting program, initial enquiries, Online Impression
Leave a Comment
I do some occasional mentoring for a QUT Executive program and enjoy getting back to basics. This week I was sharing about the importance of having the ability to connect – both in the workplace and outside. Whether to progress a career internally or expand your opportunities laterally. You need to let people know your skills, desires and that you care and stand out and be open.
As I explored how I go about managing connections over 30 years in business and how to stay relevant ,it occurred to me that maintaining a professional relationship doesn’t necessarily require regular contact – but the challenge is how to keep a relationship “on foot” over a long period. Instagram only works for the photogenic!
It occurred to me that a quality long term relationship is predicated on the “trust bank “you create over the years. Some might call this reputation or good will. But it is more personal than that as it’s determined by how you are perceived by the other person at the time your relationship was most active.
When you need to re activate an old connection, if the trust bank is full, the relationship can be re activated. If not, it is just another valueless exchange of data and the attempt to reconnect will be hard work.
The good news is, people skills will always enhance the way you engage and with practice we can all keep improving.
mbrannelly February 1st, 2021
Posted In: business
Tags: business, connect, trust bank
Leave a Comment
Since Orbit Hub was created to help the Not for Profit bodies and other commercial businesses to improve on their operations and service delivery, Matthew Brannelly came up with another idea of establishing Orbit Switch, as an expert consultancy to focus on his agenda of minimizing power consumption for these entities and it has proved to be a worthy cause over time.
Many of these organizations have been able to cut their energy costs by very huge margins. Something that they never thought could be possible. One very important area that Matt Brannelly seeks to empower them through understanding the important role a quality solar system will play , but without ignoring other technologies .
One of these other technologies is power factor correction. This is simply way of compensating for unused or slow current through the creation of another avenue for current to flow through by connecting a series of capacitors to the main electricity supply chain. The main objective here is to ensure that the power factor has been adjusted adequately and uniformly. Organisations with lots of motors are most likely to have poor power factor measured by a number less than.96 (usually shown on a electricity bill).
Therefore, since necessity is the mother of invention, the number of years that Matthew Brannelly has been in this industry has widened his scope regarding creativity. Now that his Orbit Switch has continued making inroads in terms of efficiencies alternative he is now focused on educating clients about the need to take a holistic approach to reducing energy costs.
mbrannelly January 27th, 2021
Posted In: business
Tags: commercial, power, solar energy
Leave a Comment
Many businesses and not for profit organizations are looking for ways in which to bring down their operational costs including energy costs. Being a well-known champion in the Not for Profit sector Matthew Brannelly has managed to come up with simple but effective ideas that have helped revamp many of these organizations to trim down on expenditure while improving on their performance at the same time.
What makes Matthew Brannelly’s ideas to be the most sought after is that they are so simple and straight to the point and can be implemented with much ease. Therefore, in terms of reducing the cost of energy in these organizations, and make their operations sustainable, using his expertise and vast experience, through his organization known as the Orbit Hub, together with his ever-dependable team, they launched its consultancy solution ,Orbit Switch.
This approach, in the end, has proven to be worthwhile. It has enabled many Not for Profit entities to save huge chunks of their expenditure on energy and channel these funds into other meaningful activities. In other words, the Orbit Hub has enabled these organizations to widen their approach when it comes to energy efficiency by using solar as an alternative source of energy instead of electricity, which in most cases has become too expensive and not so environmentally friendly.
Another approach by Matthew Brannelly’s team rapidly being embraced by many organizations is the issue of wholistic solutions. Since many of them have different needs, hence the need for tailor-made solutions for each site .
Apart from the customized solutions and quality products, they also offer maintenance and monitoring services. There are also long-term warranties on each of their renewable energy products like the solar panels including accessories such as inverters for a period of up to about twenty-five years.
As an organization, you should strike while the iron is hot by taking advantage of all this to cut your energy costs.
mbrannelly January 25th, 2021
Posted In: business
Tags: energy, not for profit, solar power
Leave a Comment