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Test your own Expansion State of Mind and get new ideas on how to expand your Accounting firm!

Here's a tongue-in-cheek "test" to get a feeling of the degree to which you favour expansion. The test measures existing preparedness for expansion as well as your attitude toward increasing your clientele.

You won't be scored for result in this test — not by us anyhow. But the alternative replies to each question should give you an idea of how well prepared your firm is in that specific subject. This is explained further after the test. Choose the answer that is closest to the present reality as you see it.

And don't take it too seriously!

Part 1: Accounting services

1.1	What's your policy on giving advice — the most valuable part of your service — to your clients?
A)	I've included a monthly consulting session into my basic service and the client pays for it whether he uses it or not. Additionally, I've included a small fee for the availability of telephone advice so clients can call at any time to get immediate help.
B)	I try to charge for my advice when clients ask for it but I'm not very successful in getting them to pay for it.
C)	I charge them an hourly rate automatically after they've asked me for advice.
D)	I give advice to clients free of charge when they ask for it.

1.2	How have you packaged* the BASIC service with which you try to tempt business owners to change from their current Accountant over to you?
A)	I've acquired a full packaged service system along with proven prospecting & marketing tools to get it sold successfully.
B)	I've created some special services but I'm not having much luck selling them.
C)	I'm delivering the basic compliance services as they are.

*Packaging services: Forming a unique service concept based on the wishes of the majority of business owners and a marketing method using the points that are known and understood by your target audience. CLICK HERE to read a special article on packaging your services.

1.3	Outside tax filing, do you ask what clients want and then deliver it to them on monthly basis?
A)	I always deliver what the client wants and then discreetly ensure it also contains what he needs and that all regulations are complied with.
B)	Actually, I've never thought of asking my clients if they want something on top of basic compliance services... but I like the idea.
C)	I refuse to deliver what they want because they don't know. I always tell them what they need and then deliver it.

Part 2: Marketing

2.1	To which degree have you established a weekly-occurring marketing function within your firm?
A)	Bigger firm: I have a fully trained person handling the marketing of our firm and services on full-time basis.
A)	Smaller firm: I have set aside at least one day every week (or couple of hours on most weekdays) of my own time to do marketing.
B)	I haven't set any schedules or times but I do something for marketing every month here and there.
C)	I don't really have time to do any marketing to speak of.

2.2	What type of a system do you have for marketing?
A)	I have a fully tested and proven system with lots of ready direct mailing letters, interviews and other systems to brief my target audience about my services and these give continuos responses in form of interested contacts from business owners.
B)	I have some tools but I get little or no response from my marketing efforts.
C)	I don't have anything prepared for marketing.

2.3	What type of a message do you send out about your firm and services?
A)	I have surveyed the target audience and my message concentrates on communicating to business owners from THEIR viewpoint, starting the message from their realities and offering them solutions to problems they are aware of and want to solve.
B)	I'm trying to find a way to ask my target audience about their views, needs and wishes but haven't found anything as yet.
C)	I haven't really thought of needing any type of planned message. I just talk with people.
D)	I don't need any surveys as I know fully well what business owners think about accounting services and I know much better what they need. I've created an impressive message presenting my firm in a formidable light, using the best traditional marketing techniques to show my target group that I'm the best in this area.

Part 3: Acquisition of new clients

3.1	How do you obtain new clients?
A)	I have a weekly system of prospecting and presenting my services to interested contacts and we basically get a steady flow of new clients.
B)	I don't have any continuous client acquisition programme but I get a few referrals and an occasional contact through Yellow Pages or other listings during the year.
C)	I have not found any effective way to interest business owners to change Accountants and I have no certainty of receiving new clients in a given month or quarter. It's just all dependent on chance, really.

3.2	Could you successfully turn over the task of client acquisition to a staff member if you wanted to (due to expansion or for wanting more time off, etc.)?
A)	Yes, I have the full client-acquisition system documented into a full instructional manual along with ready tools which can be used by another person within days. I also have full troubleshooting tools to locate and correct any mistake causing him to get no results.
B)	Well, it's all in my head but, I suppose I could teach someone to do it, given that I had a few months to train the person and show him or her how to do each part of the work
C)	It would be totally impossible to get someone else to succeed in acquiring new clients for the firm. I will have to do it on my own from here to eternity

Part 4: Structure of basic service delivered, client satisfaction, referral programmes

4.1	Does your service include an element of continuous consultation & education so that the client learns to handle his finances better month by month?
A)	Yes, every month I go through the past month's figures with each client, showing the positive and negative developments and helping him to correct these. This brings me new assignments all the time and more fees as clients want more key figures monitored once they understand how it all works... and it automatically heightens client-satisfaction and gets me more referrals.
B)	Well, I offer some form of monitoring & consultation service but haven't had much success in getting my clients to buy this service.
C)	No, I only help clients when they inform me that they need it. I know clients wouldn't want any continuous consultation or monitoring of the financial figures.

4.2	Do you have programmes to heighten client-satisfaction and to activate clients to bring referrals?
A)	Yes we regularly do either a client-satisfaction action or a referral activation every month. We have series of letters and tools for both areas and help our clients to find, approach and successfully refer new potential clients to our firm.
B)	Yes, sort of — I occasionally ask clients for referrals and if they dissatisfied, I do my best to handle the situation to their satisfaction.
C)	No, we are too small to need any form of programmes for either client-satisfaction or referrals.

Evaluating your replies

We don't score this test but if we did, here's how it would give points:

The basic principle of this test is that the first reply to every question (A) is the one that would score very high points (10 points, for instance), the second (B) would give some points (something like three points)... and answers below that — C and D, if applicable — give no points at all.

That doesn't mean that those alternatives are bad. It simply means that EXPANSION is achieved by the type of structure and thinking shown in every answer marked "A" — the first answer to each question, while not having the right tools but WANTING to expand is what "B" usually stands for.

But these questions are here only to bring ideas, not to test anyone's abilities or intentions. It's a very much tongue-in-cheek thing, more of an idea-awakening mental exercise than a test.

The questions about your services and policy on giving advice are there because expansion does not only require a positive attitude and tools of marketing but also a product which is packaged to sell.

Offering just the same service as everyone else (seen to an identical service by business owners) isn't going to give a strong-enough reason for someone to change Accountants.

We actually offer an introductory telephone consultation if you want to find out more... and then there are the unique theme seminars for accounting firms, click here to read the intro of our most popular theme days.

There are also couple of articles on our site about this. The first concerns PACKAGING and the other a packaged basic Accounting service called Monthly Financial Consulting Service.

CLICK here to read about packaging your Accounting services.

CLICK HERE to read about Monthly Financial Consulting Service, a ready-packaged basic service built on the wishes of business owners and proven in practice

Marketing & sales questions basically search to find out whether you have a multi-step, preplanned and proven SYSTEM in place or simply go at it by the ear.

A systematised method with clearly defined smaller steps and actions gives a standard by which things can be adjusted and improved... and without such a system, it's impossible to develop valuable tools for marketing.

If you want to read more on how remarkably ready-to-use tools can affect your success ratio, CLICK HERE for the article "Ready-to-use tools: Prospecting, presentation, sales and resales" elsewhere on our site.

The same applies to the ability of handing over the tasks of marketing and client acquisition to someone else.

A good system should include a plausible way to get chosen members of personnel to take over the responsibilities of obtaining new clients for the firm successfully and continuously. There comes a point in every firm's expansion where you just cannot handle everything on your own.

If it's all in your head and you're the only one who can do it... well, it's going to be your responsibility forever and sooner or later expansion is stalled.

If you don't want to be the only one who can get new clients (or if you don't like having to be the marketing & sales person), CLICK HERE to read the article "Handing over the Accounting service sales functions" to see how you can get someone else to sell your services successfully (while still retaining the control over the system so no-one can steal your tools or clients).

There's also an article called "Vital necessity of troubleshooting in marketing systems" that pertains to this subject. You need the ability to manage your marketing & sales people and the only way to do that is through having troubleshooting tools for the whole system.

If you want to prepare for long-term expansion, you need to empower your (present and future) personnel as well as get clients active in finding new referrals.

Part 4 measures how well you keep the clients you've acquired and how active these are in bringing you referrals. CLICK HERE to read a special article about increasing the flow of referrals.

The simple way to utilising your full expansion potential

The clearest and most organised road to increasing your expansion potential continuously is through a tested and proven route that others have taken before you.

While great ideas have their place in marketing, expansion comes from doing the things that bring results directly.

Thus, the main part of your system should be one that's PROVEN to produce the kind of results you want... new clients staying longer, cooperating more (and at a higher profit) and bringing you more referrals.

It should be a practical system, geared towards attainment of tangible results... something you can start USING and obtain the results without having to start creating the "how-to-do" of it.

It should be based on practical tools that can be used by any Accounting professional without any preparations or need for prior sales experience.

The effective ingredients (marketing messages, sales technology) should be incorporated into these easily usable tools so that you don't have to into a lot of preparations, study and such before you can start using it and obtain results. CLICK HERE to read an article on how to evaluate the practicality and usability aspects of an Accountancy marketing system.

Basically, you should not just wish for a few new clients but DEMAND to get the skill and the system to open up a CONTINUOUS FLOW of new clients.

One of the most influential future-forming factors for an Accounting firm is to have the power to obtain new clients at an affordable (and sustainable) cost whenever you want.

Don't settle for anything less.

CLICK HERE to read an introduction to Modern Accountancy Marketing & Sales Course that will give you that power.

And keep on thinking expansion!

Best wishes,

Harry Kafka
HDK Consultants U.S.A. Inc.
PMB 211, 411 Cleveland Str.
Clearwater, FL 33755, U.S.A.
Phone (727) 474 1206
Calls from outside USA: +1 727 474 1206
CONTACT FORM

- Monthly Financial Consulting Service: Introducing the proven superior BASIC accounting service that will give you a steady flow of new clients: The MFCS practically sells itself!

IF there was a way to ensure that clients understand and use the information they receive from YOUR basic Accounting service... you would have a mile-long queue of business owners outside your door, all begging for you to accept them as new clients!

CLICK HERE to read how to start delivering a basic Accounting service that 85% of business owners consider so valuable that they would immediately start considering a change of Accountants if they thought it was available...

How to ware your Marketing Hat with a creative, results-producing viewpoint?

As the owner of an Accounting firm, you have many separate tasks and hats. In this article, we examine how easily one can think about marketing "wearing the wrong hat"... and how to avoid the inevitable cost...

CLICK HERE to hold onto your Marketing Hat and make life a lot easier!

Why not offer what businesses want MOST?

51% of small businesses turn to their Accountant for advice...but are we WASTING this natural demand by NOT advising SMEs on the most make-sense and NEEDED areas of enterprising... just because they don't know how to ASK FOR IT?

CLICK HERE to see how you can give clients what they want most....

Packaging Accounting services into highly desirable products

What on earth is PACKAGING? Well, it's the first and most important part of marketing... something without which you will have enormous hardships in getting your services sold effectively because you're not utilizing the PULL that's there. If you read nothing else from our web site, PLEASE read this...

CLICK HERE to read how you can package your Accounting service so it has tremendous pull for your main market — so the service will SELL all on its own!

Instead of paying thousands, how about GETTING PAID for marketing your Accounting services?

In your wildest dreams, have you ever imagined that marketing your services could DIRECTLY BRING INCOME instead of costing an arm and leg?

No, you didn't misunderstand and there's no mistake here... and it's not a wild scheme but something a growing number of firms are employing today...

CLICK HERE to read how Accounting publications can start bringing you a direct income AND new clients!

Looking for inexpensive marketing ideas for a small or startup Accounting practice?

A small Accounting firm has some very speficic requisites for any marketing system. Otherwise, you're playing with the very survival of your practice.

There are certain simple basics on how to EVALUATE Accountancy marketing systems on whether these really have what it takes for you to get new clients.

CLICK HERE to learn how to evaluate your needs for an Accounting service marketing system!

Making use of normal people in selling Accounting services... or are you planning to do it yourself forever?

Read this article to find why it's seemingly impossible to get someone to sell your services successfully. Once you KNOW, you can actually DO IT...

CLICK HERE to learn how you can help average people become highly effective sales persons for your Accounting firm!

EXPANSION-MINDED OR NOT? Why not take this tongue-in-cheek test to measure your readiness for expansion...

Expansion doesn't just happen like a lightning out of blue skies. It requires favourable circumstances... Here's a test for you if you have what it takes to BITE bite into this hot chilli pepper...????

CLICK HERE to test how ready your firm is for healthy expansion at this moment!

Ready-to-use tools for finding prospective Accounting clients and to present & sell your services successfully:

What's all the fuss about ready-to-use tools for marketing & selling Accounting services? What's the difference — if these are NOT software solutions then WHAT are they?

The biggest trap stopping you from obtaining Accounting clients at will...

There's an insidious, invisible TRAP into which we've all fallen. If allowed to remain unnoticed, this trap mechanism will effectively keep any Accounting professional from ever gaining the ability to obtain clients at will.

Knowing the anatomy of this insidious trap (and knowing how to get out of it) is probably the most vital piece of knowledge for unleashing your true potential in acquiring new clients at will.

CLICK HERE to learn the biggest trap stopping accountancy client acquisition... and how to guarantee it won't stop you from obtaining accounting clients at will!

Why you can't find anywhere NEAR as many prospectice clients as you want:

If only you could FIND MORE PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS...

Why does it appear impossible? Why do you get SO FEW referrals and prospects? What's causing this?

Well, chances are you've totally overlooked the biggest source of prospective clients in your area!

CLICK HERE to read an amazing article on different types of prospects and what you need to find and sign these onto your services successfully!

Pricing Accounting services at value... but what's the value to clients?

Pricing your service by hourly rates will always result in lots of upsets and unnecessary explanations.

Why not adopt the principle of charging for availability of advice and at the value your expertise really represents to clients?

How can you CREATE that value in the minds of your current and future clients? Its not all that hard if you know how to do it...

CLICK HERE to see how Accountants have been able to achieve freedom from hourly rates while increasing profit by an avearge 22 percent....

Do you KNOW what what business owners think about, value in, and want from Accounting... or just THINK you do?

Are you LOSING THOUSANDS by assuming business owners think the same way you do about Accounting services? Could it be that their viewpoint is very much different?

One thing is for certain: If you align your marketing message to meet EXACTLY what business owners want from Accounting services, you will start gettin a lot of new clients. Read why most Accounting firms are SO CERTAIN THEY KNOW while they still can't get new clients...

CLICK HERE to read this amazing and life-changing information on how you can start controlling the flow of new Accounting clients!

Accounting service marketing: Getting your message across

Why is it so difficult to get ANY response to marketing letters, ads and sales promotions? What can you do to change it?

CLICK HERE to read how you can get your Accounting service marketing message across and create lots of interest for your services!

Why "hiring a marketing expert" won't cut mustard if you want new clients...

One of the most common misconceptions among mid-sized Accounting firms is to think that all they need for marketing is to hire a marketing expert.

But that's really like solving a transportation problem by hiring a chauffeur and forgetting that he needs a VEHICLE to drive before any results can be hoped to be obtained...

CLICK HERE to read what you need BEFORE hiring a marketing expert for your Accounting firm for RESULTS...

So you're looking for a faster, easier solution to finding new Accounting clients?

Many Accounting professionals in public practice don't really want to get involved in marketing and sales that much. Instead, they're looking for a fast and easy solution to finding new clients.

But BUYER BEWARE... does such a system EXIST at all? Well, many CLAIM that it does but if it sounds too good to be true...

CLICK HERE to read why looking for an easy way of finding Accounting clients can make you vulnerable for untold trouble!

-Vital necessity of troubleshooting-- When choosing a marketing system for your Accounting firm...

Learn the insider secret on how you can instantly spot a functional marketing system and reject untried and unproven systems. The secret lies in whether or not the system has TROUBLESHOOTING TOOLS...

CLICK HERE to read why the inclusion of troubleshooting tools is so vitally important when choosing a marketing system for your Accounting firm!

Risk Management: Controlling the risks in marketing Accounting services

CLICK HERE to read this eye-opener about risks of marketing Accounting services and how to minimise them for yourself!

So you HATE cold calling and don't AT ALL believe in telemarketing?

Then JOIN THE CLUB... you're definitely not alone!

But is telemarketing really a waste of time and money... or is it simply that you need a completely DIFFERENT approach (and system) to get lots pf prospective clients for Accounting services by way of telemarketing?

CLICK HERE to read how altogether 10,000 preselected prospective Accounting clients were obtained by a simple telemarketing speech...

Prospective Accounting clients through direct mailing?

Many Accounting professionals in public practice have tried their hand in creating sales letters. And most of us have had to give up for it's very expensive to find out that the letter doesn't bring results...

To get results, you need to use exactly the right words and concepts in your letter. And while it's not much of a secret, it makes a huge difference in response...

CLICK HERE to read how you can use direct mailing letters to obtain a good number of interested leads!

7 factors governing the success of Accountancy prospecting

You're 98% success... but to get a new client you need a hundred!

- FIGHTING BACK: How certain are you that it is impossible to get new clients for your Accounting firm in today's economic situation?

Midst all the bad news, it's easy to forget that an economic slowdown contains both risks and opportunities, just like any other. Doing nothing is the only certain way to ensure that the situation can do maximum damage.

In fact, during recession you can make a HUGE LEAP FORWARD in terms of increasing your clientele and income... simply because most of your competitors do absolutely nothing. All you really need is to have a marketing strategy that aligns with the economic situation.

CLICK HERE to read how to harness recession to get lots of new Accounting clients!

How to SELL without having to use superlatives about yourself?

If only it was easier to sell...

Selling your own ability - yourself, in essence - is often not too pleasant. Using superlatives can be very embarrassing... and one can also argue that such salesman antcis don't go well with the image of an Accounting professional.

It's a paradox - if you tell the client how great you are, he might get turned off... but if you don't, he just won't know.

CLICK HERE to read how you can unleash your true selling power while remaining in your Accountant's role!

New Generation Accounting Service PRESENTATION techniques

The traditional Accounting service presentation has outlived its usefulness. It still works with referrals and some prospects, but if you are serious about getting a lot MORE clients, you'll want this amazing new technique...

CLICK HERE to read more on how to increase sales remarkably with a new Accounting service presentation technique!

Advertising & Marketing of Accounting services - a complete waste of effort and money?

Well, admittedly it often is. Why is it so difficult to get RESULTS from advertising or marketing campaigns? What's the catch?

CLICK HERE to learn why advertising accounting services doesn't work... and how you can change that!

Are you practical or not when it comes to selecting a marketing system for your Accounting firm?

How can you find out beforehand whether or not a marketing system is practical and easy to use? Is it possible to estimate how fast and easy it is to start using the system and actually OBTAIN the expected results... new clients?

CLICK HERE to read how you can evaluate an accountancy marketing system for its practicality and usability before buying it!

Comparing Accountancy marketing systems: The ease of getting started and the degree of support

In selecting a practice management system for your Accounting firm, it is essential to ensure those offering the system have actually used it themselves...

CLICK HERE to evaluate the practical experience behind any Accounting service marketing system.

THE DIFFERENCE between traditional and modern marketing techiniques for Accounting firms

Traditional Accountancy marketing has a lot of good and perfectly applicable parts and practices. But some parts are ineffective by now. Learn how you can get results by using the MODERN marketing tehniques...

CLICK HERE to read an article that will forever change the way you think about marketing Accounting services.

You don't want to increase the NUMBER of Accounting clients but REPLACE a few with BETTER paying & more cooperative ones?

Sometimes the idea of increasing the number of clients isn't appealing for obvious reasons. Not everyone wants to expand through a vast clientele and take on the hassles of employing many people. A sole practitioner who's been in practice for a while usually has TOO many clients already... and too much hassle. The old 80/20 rule (20% of clients cause 80% of the hassle but not of the income) can be beaten but it takes a bit of cunning.

CLICK HERE to read how to start changing the profile of your clientele so that you get more of those profitable and cooperative Accounting clients and can replace the bad ones!

How to sell advanced added-value Accounting services

Many Accounting Professionals have superb additional services to offer to their clients. But why are those added-value Accounting services, special consulting, valuation and other such excellent services so difficult to sell?

There's a very simple and logical reason for it - and once you know what the barrier is, you can effectively open the door to increase the sale of these additional services.

CLICK HERE to read the full article on solving the riddle of getting advanced Accounting services sold.

How to sell Accounting services: Getting your hourly rates accepted by prospective clients

Majority of business owners seek for low-cost Accounting services. Justifying reasonable hourly rates is a constant pain and source of disagreements.

There is a simple way to help your prospects and clients accept your fees...

CLICK HERE to read on pricing of Accounting services and achieving acceptance the fees.

Do you want to get a lot more REFERRALS for accounting services?

Referrals are the cream of all potential clients for an Accounting firm. They're easy to deal with and you can close almost all of them onto your services.

But why are they so hard to find? And how do you INCREASE the flow of referrals?

CLICK HERE to learn the six factors governing the flow of referrals for Accounting services!