Clients are only interested in the end result

Today I’d like to share a really important pricing tip I gained from marketing.

One of the most important lessons you can ever learn is that your clients aren’t buying what you do. They're not interested in it. What they are interested in is the end result.

People buy benefits, not features

The problem is, when we talk about what we do we often describe it in terms of its features. What we can learn from marketing, from top marketers, is that people don't buy features. They buy benefits. Which means that in all our written and verbal communications we need to make sure we're constantly talking about those benefits.

To illustrate, I’ll give you a practical example. I’d like you to imagine that you’re discussing annual financial statements with a potential client, and that your brochure or proposal says something like: “As part of your annual accounts, we'll also carry out a tax-planning review.”

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Referrals don’t just happen – you need a system

As regular readers of my blog will know, I’m a great believer that referrals are one of the best ways you can find to grow your accounting or bookkeeping firm. However, you can’t just sit back and expect them to happen. It’s vital that you have systems in place to make sure you get referrals systematically.

That’s why I’d like to share a really powerful system for doing just that. It’s based on something I learned many years ago about the best time to ask for referrals. When I put it in place in my own firm – way back in 1999 – I saw the results immediately.

The best time to ask for referrals

The best time to ask for referrals is right at the start of a relationship. Why? Because when the owner of a business first employs you, they’re incredibly grateful. They get to breathe a huge sigh of relief. We tend to forget that finding a great accountant, bookkeeper or tax...

Why referrals is the best system to win new clients

Do you want to grow your business?  If so, there are many marketing tactics for doing just that.  But there is one that is still the best for the accounting professions.

It’s the power of referrals.

Although there may be many exciting new tools at our disposal – social media for one – referrals continues to be one of the most powerful. I believe it’s the best way to win new clients. And I know that many of you will agree.

If you prefer to watch rather than read you can watch the video here.

There’s a but…

Whilst you may agree, how many systems do you have in place to systematically win more clients and win more referrals?

I suspect the answer is, “None“.  It usually is.

Yet if we believe in the power of referrals so much then why are we leaving it to chance? Why are we just hoping that our clients are saying good things about us, and recommending us to other people,...

Why identifying your ideal client should be step 1 of your marketing strategy

When you want to really grow a business then a marketing strategy is key to attract new clients and more work. But it’s an involved process that can get complicated.

Instead first there is a basic, and what I believe, most important step to take. You need to identify your ideal client.

When I started my accounting firm back in 1996 I was simply focused on growing the size of my firm by getting as many clients as I could. Two and a half years in and my business was a mess. I didn’t make any money. I had cash flow problems and I had way too many clients to manage effectively.  

And, as well as having too many, those I did have were a mixed bag. Some were good, some were bad and some were downright awful. I had taken on lots of poor quality clients simply because I thought growing my business was about numbers – about scale.

And I wasn’t alone.

Even today I speak to many accounting...

Increase your sales leads – automatically

List building – building up your database of prospective clients, of those people you'd like to work with – is one of the fundamentals of marketing. Yet when I ask most accounting firms and bookkeepers how big their list is, typically it’s less than a hundred.

A list of less than a hundred severely limits your potential growth. Even sole practitioners should be aiming for a couple of thousand. But how do you go about reaching this?

You can watch the video here.  And here are the steps you want to take.

Stage 1: Establish a system

The answer is you put a system in place that will nurture and grow your list. It’s what I see as one of the main strategies of social media, including the big three: LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

In addition you should have – actually, not should but must have – either a YouTube channel (video’s the most powerful form of marketing there is), or a blog. Or best...

How webinars can increase engagement – and conversion rates

Have you ever run a webinar? If you haven't, then it's time you did because they’re incredibly powerful. And, to help you get started, I’m going to share some key tips.

If you prefer to watch rather than read, you can watch my video here. 

 Live? Or pre-recorded?

The first big question to think about is whether you should run webinars live or pre-recorded.

Some great software exists that allows you to create webinars as videos and then run them on any schedule you like. Once a week, for example. People log in to watch the webinar, and it feels live. As a concept it has a lot of appeal. However, one problem I’ve found – and other people’s research bears this out – is that even though pre-recorded webinars may feel live, conversion rates are significantly lower.

Tip #1: Run them live

My first tip then is to run them live. That way, you can give whatever offer...

Events can help you win leads – and business

Have you ever spoken in public, or thought about speaking in public? If you haven’t, it’s a great way of establishing yourself as an expert and winning new business. But, incredible as it may seem, although the event lead-winning system has brought me hundreds of thousands of pounds of business over the last 12 months, I don't see any other speakers using it.

If you prefer to watch than read you can watch the video here.

The secret behind winning new clients…

If you've been invited to speak at someone else’s event, for example one organised by your local chamber of commerce or bank, what’s your primary goal?

Of course you want to add value. You want to deliver great content. And you want to be seen as the expert. But your primary goal is always to capture the contact details of everybody in the room.

But, before I teach you how to do just that, let me talk briefly about the three-tier event...

I want to share seven powerful ways to become a sought-after expert. To become the person clients are queuing up to work with.

If you prefer to watch the video, you can watch the video here.

#1 Write a book or e-book

I can already hear you thinking “I can't write a book. I'm an accountant. And anyway, where would I find the time?”

The good news is that nowadays technology makes it much easier than you think. One process I teach shows you how to write a book in less than seven hours. And whether you work in tax planning or business growth, your book will ensure you’re seen as an expert and win you business.

#2: Blog – regularly

Regularly is the key word here. Blogging once and then forgetting about it won't establish your credibility. You need to post at least once a month or, even better, once every fortnight or week. One tip is to write posts in batches – if you try to write one a week, things always crop up to stop you. Instead, write a year's...