Page 1 Page : 1. Page 2 TURNING CLIENT PROBLEMS INTO LUCRATIVE ENGAGEMENTS Make more money in the...

Preview:

Citation preview

Page 1Page: 1

Page 2

TURNING CLIENT PROBLEMS INTO LUCRATIVE ENGAGEMENTSMake more money in the process

Presented by Rick Solomon, CPACEO, RAN ONE Americas

Contents Copyright © 2011 RAN ONE Americas, LLC

Page 3

Agenda

• Business client migration

• Your new role

• How to deliver

• Understanding the problems

• Getting into action

• Discussion & next steps

• www.TryRANONE.com

36% of business clients report they are likely to switch CPA firms in

the next year.

The top reason clients would consider leaving their firm is if the firm did not check with them

on their changing needs.

CCH Accounting firm client survey

Page 5

Which end of the migration pattern will you be on?

Most clients will not tell you they are dissatisfied unless you

ask them.

They will just stop doing business with you.

CCH Accounting firm client survey

Page 7

Formula to Win

Help clients solve business problems

and becomemore successful.

They will love you stay with you

pay you very well&

Your practice will flourish

Text 1

Traditional Services– Accounting

– Tax

– Audit

Results– Commodity

perception

– $ = Hours

– Buy because they “have to”

What Clients Want– Success:

– $

– Quality of Life

Results– Value Perception

– $ = Value

– Buy because they “want to”

Text 1

Traditional Services– Accounting

– Tax

– Audit

Results– Commodity

perception

– $ = Hours

– Buy because they “have to”

What Clients Want– Success:

– $

– Quality of Life

Results– Value Perception

– $ = Value

– Buy because they “want to”

60% of businesses are becoming more focused on the return they are getting from their CPA firm.

CCH Accounting firm client survey

Page 11

Any concerns about being an advisor?

Page 12

Poll

What % of your clients would be likely candidates?

50% or more

30% - 50%

15% to 30%

5% to 15%

Few, if any

What stops you from having a greater impact on business clients?

Page 13

It’s not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?

Henry David Thoreau

Page 14

It isn’t that they can’t see the solution. It is that they can’t see the problem.

G.K. ChestertonEnglish Journalist and author

Page 15

Business Advisory Made Simple

Page 16

Five key advisor abilities:

1. ask questions

2. listen and understand

3. analyze information and draw conclusions

4. creatively solve problems through facilitation

5. communicate and relate to people

Page 17

Personal Goals

Business Planning

Monitor/Manage

Result: Profitability & Professional

Wellbeing

Result: Profitability & Professional

Wellbeing

Business Advisory Components

Help business owners clarify their personal and quality of

life goals

Page 18

Personal Goals

Business Planning

Monitor/Manage

Result: Profitability & Professional

Wellbeing

Result: Profitability & Professional

Wellbeing

Align business and personal objectives.

Develop a plan to achieve them

Business Advisory Components

Page 19

Personal Goals

Business Planning

Monitor/Manage

Result: Profitability & Professional

Wellbeing

Result: Profitability & Professional

Wellbeing

Keeping an eye on actual vs.

intended results greatly

increases chances for success.

Business Advisory Components

Page 20

Personal Goals

Business Planning

Monitor/Manage

Result: Profitability & Professional

Wellbeing

Result: Profitability & Professional

Wellbeing

As they win, you win

Business Advisory Components

Choose Your Level of Involvement

Provide a road map &

intelligence for their journey

Show up periodically to help them stay

on track

Walk with them on their

journey

Page 22

Poll

What % of your clients would be likely candidates?

50% or more

30% - 50%

15% to 30%

5% to 15%

Few, if any

What’s your current advisory role?

Page 23

RAN ONE Rocket

Internal factors

The Rest •Start with an idea but no

real vision

•Lack a clear, purposeful direction

•Take whatever work comes along – mortgage over mission

Strategy

Top Performers•Have a clear and

consistent plan •target markets defined

•products/services defined

•start external, then go internal

•Track business performance and act quickly to change if necessary

•Risk management adopted

The Rest •Planning is ad hoc and

informal

•May start internal then “fit” to external environment

•Fire fighting mentality

Structure

Top Performers•Adapt structure to

business needs over time

•Professionalize management

• Identify and seek out the right type of people early, including specialists

The Rest •Have less formal

structures

•Build around leader’s personality

•Are thinner on management talent

Culture

Top Performers•Build corporate

culture – not dominated by founder but on values

•Attitude to growth•high imperative

•growing the pie more important than size of share

•Environment manages pressure, deadlines and priorities

•Willingly take external advice

The Rest •Dominated by

personality of founder/leaders (good in start up but must mature past this)

•Environment endures pressure, deadlines and priorities

•Look for an internal solution ahead of an expert one

Products & Services

Top Performers•Have attractive

products/services to sell •life cycle position

•profit margin

• Try to secure their valuable formula using IP or some other security eg. an exclusive license

•Productize the business•repeat sales become cheaper

•efficiency increases

•quality improves, risk falls

The Rest •Do not critically analyze

and refresh their portfolio frequently enough

•Reinvent the wheel too often

•Too readily justify one offs as “strategic positioning”

Finance

Top Performers

•Some start up capital (usually limited)

•Make working capital management a priority – have KPIs and use them

•Reinvest in the business as a priority

•Profitable business model

The Rest•Have far poorer working

capital management

•Lack profitability

•Are unable to reinvest optimally ie. when funding allows, not when business needs

Systems & Processes

Top Performers

•Systemize the business from an early stage for efficiency, succession and risk management

•Use mainstream technology - stay current but not bleeding edge

•Protect and leverage intellectual property used in the valuable formula

The Rest•Do not systemize the

business, so frequently reinvent the wheel

•Are often technologically challenged

•Are often under-invested in IT

People

Top Performers•Look for the right

type of people early – including specialists

•Create a great place to work

•Attract and retain good people

•Develop & significantly improve their people’s capabilities

•Look to reward in line with business performance

The Rest•Don’t always try to get the

best people they can i.e. not better than themselves

•Have poorer people management skills

•Are vulnerable to losses in key positions

•Don’t invest so readily in their team as a core asset

Marketing & Sales

Top Performers•Very good at

winning business i.e. finding new markets, positioning

•they’re not egg warmers; they create or find new business

•Strong sales culture and ability to convert at all levels

•Strong reputation

•Acutely aware of the competition

The Rest•Compete predominantly

on price over other benefits/value proposition elements

•Poor quality or non-existent marketing plans

•Less market aware overall

Page 33

Page 34

Result: Profitability & Professional WellbeingResult: Profitability & Professional Wellbeing

Personal Goals

Business Planning

Monitor/Manage

Business Advisory Components

Page 35

Poll

What % of your clients would be likely candidates?

50% or more

30% - 50%

15% to 30%

5% to 15%

Few, if any

How do you see advisory fitting into your firm?

Page 36

AdvisapediaBusiness diagnostic process

Process & Deliverables

Skills and confidence

Win the work

Page 39

Solving problems

differentiates your firm

“You can't afford to rest on last year's assumptions in this unpredictable, rapidly

changing world.

The biggest sales mistakes we see accountants making is 'The Don't Ask; Don't

Know' syndrome.

Far too few CPAs make the effort to ask the right questions that reveal prospect's real

needs and desires.”

Rick Telberg, President and CEOBay Street Group

Publisher, CPA Trendlines

Page 41

Poll

What % of your clients would be likely candidates?

50% or more

30% - 50%

15% to 30%

5% to 15%

Few, if any

Interest in RAN ONE’s Tax Season Marketing Program?

Page 42

There is only one success – to be able to

spend your life in your own wayChristopher Morley

American writer

Page 43

Questions & Discussion

For more information about RAN ONE Rick.Solomon@ranone.com

info.us@ranone.com800-806-8050

www.TryRANONE.com

Page 44Page: 44

Rick.Solomon@ranone.com

Recommended