PRACTICE MARKETING blog

On May 11, 2010, I was a panelist on AICPA/PCPS’ webinar: The Future Is Write Now: How marketing your expertise must change! I previewed the webinar in my April column. Pithy writing sparks more referrals when your practice is already distinguished.

More and more CPA practices are becoming specialized and focused. Thus, many accountants are enjoying the same peer-to-peer referrals as attorneys have for decades. Moreover, distinguished practices tend to be more profitable and fulfilling. If you run a humdrum practice, you can add more luster to your practice with these 4 facets:

1. Specialized Credentials

Beyond CPA, what other specialized designations enhance your name? The AICPA offers many accreditations, including Personal Financial Specialist (PFS), Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) and Certified in Information Technology Professional (CITP). Likewise, many CPAs are also attorneys, MBAs and more.

Originally published in the AICPA ‘CPA Insider’ newsletter. Please click here to go to their site and to read more.

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On March 11, Mark Bullock gave a talk to about 35 members of the Family Divorce and Mediation Council of Greater New York (FDMC) on the subject How to Market Mediation Practices.

The Family and Divorce Mediation Council of Greater New York (FDMC) is a membership organization made up of mediators, lawyers, mental health professionals, and financial specialists. One of the group’s functions is to educate, inform and support those who work in the family mediation field through monthly continuing education events and membership networking events

Coordinated by Joan Moo Young, Esq., Mark’s 45 minute presentation covered a range of subjects from starting and growing a practice to marketing cost effectiveness and personal branding.

Along with Mark, Ada Hasloecher, Mediator, Adam Berner, Esq., and Joy Rosenberg, Esq. served as panelists talking about their experiences in building successful mediation practices. Questions were taken throughout the presentation and during each panelist’s talk. The attendees received a lot of practical and usable information for marketing and growing their mediation practices. In the end, feedback from the attendees of the event was very strong and positive.

Mark is looking forward to possibly doing another hands-on workshop in the fall for the FDMC membership.

To learn more about FDMC, you can click here to go to their website.

To speak with Mark about your marketing needs, please feel free to give him a call.

Mark V Bullock
Partner / PMA
Practice Marketing Advisors
Mark@MBullock.com
631-754-0800

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Practice Marketing Advisors Sponsors
NYSCDM 28th Annual Conference

Practice Marketing Advisors (PMA) Mark Bullock and Vik Rajan are proud to be sponsors of the New York State Council on Divorce Mediation’s 28th annual conference entitled Mediation, Taking It to the Next Level. The Conference will be held May 5-7, 2011 at The Doubletree Inn, Tarrytown, NY.

The New York State Council on Divorce Mediation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the highest professional standards of divorce mediation. Among its services to the community, the Council works actively to promote family wellness by increasing public awareness of mediation as an alternative to the traditional adversarial divorce process.

Mark and Vik advise numerous mediators on how to successfully market their practices and create name brand recognition. Keynote speakers last year, Mark and Vik, strong proponents of alternative conflict resolution which the mediation process provides, and are both very happy to continue their ongoing relationship with the NYSCDM as conference sponsors this year.

If you would like to learn more about the conference and/or register, click here or you can go to the NYSCDM website and click on the “Calendar of Events”.

For more information on membership in the NYSCDM, click here.

For information on the Best Practices for marketing your practice or business, please contact Mark and/or Vik. Their methods have worked for others, and can work for you!

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Over the summer, my partner (Mark Bullock) and I finally became frustrated!

We would show our clients what to do, how to do it, and even schedule marketing activities into our clients' calendar. Inevitably, some exigent client or staff matter would arise. Our clients simply could not take time away from clients, practice management, or family to do what they knew they must: Consistent blogging, Linkedin activity, and deploying their monthly newsletter. Many also lacked the patience and tech skill often required.

So Mark had a simple idea which I turned into an efficient process. I explain it in this video:

Voila... now our clients would have the blogging, the e-networking, and newsletter DONE for them, with their words, their personality, their brand, their approval, with very little of their time. There were a few kinks to work out... and improvements underway... but it was ready to launch as a public offering: Thus, phoneBlogger.net launched last month. It's a simple administrative program, with profound results...

What do you think about our premise: "Would consistent marketing to your contacts lead to more word-of-mouth referrals?"

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Sow your marketing seeds now before tax season really besieges your practice.

Let’s take a bi-monthly approach. Two-month seasons help you to better focus your time and money. Six seasons: 1) January and February, 2) March and April, 3) May and June, 4) July and August, 5) September and October and 6) November and December. Take some time to feel the priority of each season.

Originally published in the AICPA ‘CPA Insider’ newsletter. Please click here to go to their site and read more to read more.

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How using a dashboard can make all the difference.

A marketing plan is typically a bound document, predicting the right actions for growth. It usually covers more than a few months, often a year and sometimes longer. It includes your vision, interim goals and other purpose statements of why you’re doing what you intend on doing. Writing a marketing plan sounds great. Actually finishing a comprehensive market analysis can feel even better.

A marketing plan, by itself, can be pretty ineffective. Rather, for our clients, we implement “Marketing Action Plan (MAP) Dashboards.” An actively-managed Dashboard can help your marketing team stay nimble, pro-active, strategic and focused on the most time- and cost-effective marketing efforts.

Originally published in the AICPA ‘CPA Insider’ newsletter. Please click here to go to their site and read more to read more.

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A new way to zero in on new clientele.

October 18, 2010
by Vikram Rajan

“Seminar Marketing” is a catch-all phrase that includes public presentations, speaking engagements and classes. In some form, it should be a mainstay of your Marketing Action Plan (MAP). When done right, seminars produce a bounty of leads, client loyalty and billing and brand you a niche expert. Here are five specific dos, don’ts and thumb-rules when it comes to seminar marketing.

Do: Have a Goal for the Year How many seminars do you want to do this year? “As many as I can,” may be your answer. A goal is meant to challenge you: How many seminars do you do now? If the answer is close to none, or sporadic, at the very best, then a goal of four seminars in the next 12 months would be a good start. In my column, Six Marketing Seasons of 2010, I revealed the pros and pitfalls of two-month segments. You can use that as a guide as to when you should schedule your seminars.

Originally published in the AICPA ‘CPA Insider’ newsletter. Please click here to go to their site and read more to read more.

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Five marketing strategies show you how

You survived September’s quarterlies, and this month’s extensions. As you begin to endure the flurry of compilations, audits, and review, don’t let your marketing lapse! The last quarter is the perfect time for CPAs to grow new business, for two main reasons:

1.In the next few weeks, you will naturally be speaking to your clients.

2.Financial review is end-of-year zeitgeist.

Originally published in the AICPA 'CPA Insider' newsletter. Please click here to read more

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Is Your Business Card Hurting Your Business? Use these strategies to avoid damaging firm growth.

Even more than your website, your business card is the single most important marketing material you have. It’s low cost, most kept and most handed out to potential clients (by you and referral sources). Ironically, a CPA’s business card is often the most uninteresting and uninformative part of marketing the practice.

While thousands of hours and dollars are used to glamorize websites (and for good reason), a fraction is often paid to designing the form and function of business cards. People take an inordinate amount of time staring (hopefully reading) clever business cards. Moreover, a simple “call to action” on a business card can quickly turn a new acquaintance into your next big client.

Originally published in the AICPA 'CPA Insider' newsletter. Please click here to read more >>

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Last week, the AICPA published my latest marketing column, which previews my May 11th webinar: AICPA/PCPS The Future Is Write Now: How Marketing Your Expertise Must Change!

My column excerpt is below; or click here to read the published column in the AICPA 'CPA Insider'.

The purpose of all marketing writing is two-fold, R&R: It must help you be more Remembered and trigger Response. To enable the right response, e.g., Referrals, your writing must Repeat a simple “call to action.” In other words, what do you want the Reader to do? When should they take action? Why should they choose you?

Often, a prospective client or referral source won’t drop everything to give you a call (or give your number to someone else). Rather, you must be Remembered at the right time (“trigger moment”). Moreover, there must be a Reason for them to Recommend you. Beyond your personality, your Reputation increases as you distinguish your expertise, while Keeping It Short & Simple (K.I.S.S.).

We remember what is Repeated. From logos, jingles, taglines, to sound-bites, Repetition is the end all, be all, of branding. Lengthy, esoteric jargon is difficult for your referral sources to Remember, let alone Repeat. There are 7 rungs of action-enabling expertise. As you proceed up the 7 rungs, you and your expertise will be more Remembered & Recommended. Read my AICPA 'CPA Insider' column for the first 4 rungs (attend the May 11th webinar to learn the final 3):

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Whatever you call it: accountant marketing, marketing accounting or CPA services; lawyer marketing, law firm marketing; client development, networking, referral / word of mouth marketing, seminar marketing, blog / blawg, e-newsletters, book marketing; personal branding, or rainmaking: Let's discuss it in our own LinkedIn group (of course, you must first be a LinkedIn member).

It's only open to accountants & attorneys. Special exceptions are being made for marketing specialists in these fields. So far we have 39 members and a few active discussions. Request to join (please mention you saw it on this blog).

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WALL STREET JOURNAL: MAY 20, 2009

Bankers, consultants and marketers aren't the only professionals looking to beef up their business skills for competitive advantage these days. At a growing number of law firms, top attorneys are being trained like business people, using executive education courses designed to strengthen management and business skills.

Click to read rest of the article.

Click here to read the ABA Journal review, with some interesting blog post comments from attorneys.

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Personal Branding – Thumb Rule #48

Belong to very few networking groups, and be active in them.

So its 8:30am, you walk into the grand ballroom with your pocket thick with business cards. The room is buzzing with conversation, there are about 150 professionals dressed in their business attire. Each has that “Hello My Name Is” sticker hopefully on there right side of their lapel. You start to weave through the crowd to find a familiar face. Ah you see one but they are engaged so you wait close by until you decide to seek another face. As you begin to walk thru the maze you notice many faces of net workers whom you have seen at other events over the past few weeks.

I have been attended countless of these types of events for the past 15 years. A learning experience yes, but a lot of wasted time and dollars spent out of my own pocket. So here is the scoop

Eliminate the word networking from your mind and replace it “Relationship Building”

Do not belong to more than 3 groups, and one to be a non-for profit.

Get involved, become active, and join a committee. Become valuable to the group.

Build relationships that are based on trust, integrity and that you are an expert in your field.

If you give you will get without trying. Approach conversations whit a how can I help get you business. Once you help another they will do the same for you.

Order a professional name badge, include your logo, and name. Get the one with magnets. Just by being distinctive you will be noticed. Where the badge at every event you attend including tradeshows, and sales calls.

Be patient in my experience it takes 8-12 monthly meetings to get a referral. Don’t give up.

You need to continue to build these relationships between meetings. Meet for breakfast or lunch with at least on member of the group each month.

Go to every event and get there 15 min before it begins, that’s when the rainmakers show up.

Always smile, present an optimistic view, act energized, give complements, be genuine and follow up, follow, up follow up. Oh and please don’t forget the breath mints.

For example, check out this blog post: http://marketingcatalyst.blogspot.com/2008/08/avoiding-people-traps-at-networking.html

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Practice Management Thumb Rule #22

Yes it took a while but I finally understood why some become leaders before others. For the first 10 years of my big company corporate career, I never understood the puzzle. My co-workers and I always spoke of management as “They”. “They” never did this or understood that. “They“did not know as much as we did. We knew what had to be done but there was no sense of empowerment. Frustrated and disappointed, I knew what had to be done, but my senior manager was focused on managing up, and seemed not interested. After a period of time I realized that “They” would never address some of what I thought were important issues and initiatives. On evening at home I looked in the mirror and words came out and I said “I Am They”.

The next morning I called an impromptu department meeting and discussed the issues we all have been complaining about. I told my group that “They” would not be helping us. I brought a mirror and asked my group to stand together on one side of the conference table and looked in the mirror as a group, and I said “We Are They”. My group thought I was loosing it. I repeated it again “We… Are… They”, as I repeated it I looked right in the eyes of my each team member. After about 5 times we said “We Are They” in unison, they/we all finally got it.

So don’t wait 10 years, and don’t wait until “They” give you the opportunity to become a leader. Take charge “Leadership is taken not given”.

TOM PETERS - LEADERSHIP

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Personal Branding Thumb-Rule # 29

I must admit this is very easy for me because it is my nature it is part of who I am. Realizing that this is one my strengths has been a critical component in my success as a marketing professional, and a as a manager of sales people.

As a 30 year veteran of the home financing industry (most cringe at the mortgage word these days), I have had to rely on realtor's to refer me business. Realtors are bombarded my sales people and usually put up a thick wall when you meet them. They want to avoid you like the plague. My success has been based upon likability. I always try to make them feel good. Offer a complement, give a smile and always a positive attitude. Ask their opinion, listen to their challenges, offer help, just make them feel good and that wall will soon disappear.

All people Like to do business with those they like. As you help people feel good, they will like you.

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