Risk management
in marketing accounting services
 As an Accounting
professional, you're accustomed to assessing the risk factor
in various financial matters.
In financial
management, a certain dose of conservatism is required to ensure
continuous growth and viability for a business activity.
We try to avoid
doing anything unorthodox or exceptional in order to minimise
the risks. In financial matters, it's best to follow those established
golden rules that ensure a continuous (if often minimal) growth.
But avoiding
risks can go too far for one's own good.
Prove it to
me!
Now, there's
a special fixed idea that all of us buy a share of. For lack
of a better name, I call "prove it to me!"
This is the
concept of the business owner being unwilling to think for himself
but demanding that someone else proves every datum to him instead.
Now, that's
not possible. It isn't possible to prove that a business owner
will USE the advice you give him. It isn't possible to prove
he will BENEFIT from your advice... simply because that would
require him to TAKE it and ADHERE to it.
One cannot
prove everything in this world. It's easy enough to prove
the existence of a physical piece of material, such as a table.
But try
proving that it's a GOOD table or USEFUL one...
It's all down
to opinions at that level and you simply cannot prove an opinion
to someone who opposes that opinion.
I'm sure you've
experienced prospective clients that have a bad case of "prove
it to me!"
You can't.
The right thing
to do is... don't go there.
Don't ever
get into a situation where you're made to prove the genuineness
of your intention to help or the level of your expertise.
It's a no-win
situation. The fact that someone DEMANDS such proof already proves
he doesn't BELIEVE YOU. So, is he going to believe you when you
start trying to DISPROVE his (hostile) claim that you're LYING?
Of course he
isn't. In fact, the more eagerly you try to explain how you are
NOT trying to cheat him, the more it convinces him of exactly
the opposite.
"If
he's not guilty then why does he defend himself so...?"
See? You
can't win with a "prove it to me" -case because they're
not listening.
They're not
interested in being proven WRONG in having those suspicions
and — quite frankly, HOSTILE — "gut reactions"
toward you, see?
In any case,
these things are something that a person can either see for
himself or then not.
You know what
I'm talking about. Just look at the person offering his
services to you.
Does he seem
to know what he is talking about? Is he giving new, exciting
information in his presentation? Does he seem to know the problems
you're having, has he understanding of your realities?
If yes, then
he is your best choice. If no, then not. It's no more complicated
than that... just listen to what he says and see whether or not
it makes SENSE to you.
But a "prove
it to me" -case doesn't have what it takes to make these
adjudications. He doesn't think for himself... which makes it
practically useless to waste your breath trying to prove something
that's there to be seen.
There's no
point in trying to prove your good intentions or skill to someone
who refuses to believe his own eyes and who already thinks that
you're just a crook trying to cheat!
Here's a little
speech I use when someone tries to wedge me into proving the
obvious:
"George,
I understand that you are reluctant to believe your own eyes
and see the evidence that's in front of you. Isn't it obvious
that I can make a profit from out cooperation ONLY if you continue
long enough on this service... and isn't it so that you would
continue on it only if it delivers what I've promised?
"Why
would I claim that my system delivers these benefits if
it didn't?
"George,
I think you KNOW it does and possibly that's why you are so reluctant
to ADMIT it even to yourself... for if it WAS true that these
results could be achieved then isn't it so that you would never
forgive yourself for NOT EVEN TRYING...?
"Seeing
how I trust my system enough to allow you to start with MINIMAL
cost and commitment, don't you think it's worth your while
to TRY it at least... after all, we're talking lunch money
here and yet the possibility of achieving remarkable improvements
of life-changing quality?"
Now, it's admittedly
an ice-water-dip kind of an approach, but that's about the only
hope you have of waking him up so he starts LOOKING at
what's in front of him.
"But," you may ask, "isn't
it so that every business owner WANTS his business to succeed
and only looks for proof that this system will do so...?"
Well, that
would be logical, wouldn't it.
Unfortunately,
life isn't all that logical and people run on EMOTIONAL issues
much more than we care to admit.
And so it is
that not every business owner works for the success of his company.
In fact, quite a few entrepreneurs work hard to achieve just
the opposite; they're on their way out, they're on their
way to perdition, doing their best to jump into a bottomless
pit and be done with it.
They may not
be AWARE of it, though.
It is always
hidden under strong fixed ideas of the kind explained here...
fixed ideas that, if used in evaluating ANYTHING THAT COULD HELP
THEM will always result in a negative decision.
Their swan
song has lyrics along these lines:
"It's
not possible..." "...he couldn't prove that it works..." and "I really
tried my best but there was nothing I could do..."
And these justifications
start well before the end of their business activity. Well before.
These are easy to recognise because of the same logic of justifying
how something CANNOT be done, always looking for the one thing
that "proves that it wouldn't have worked anyhow..."
What you look
for you will find in the end. The easiest way out is to disbelieve
everything and force others to prove it... which isn't possible.
So you may
want to try to wake him up. If you do, then do it with direct-enough
talk so he can't just bury it under social niceties. That's the
only way you could help him.
But to be honest,
only about one in ten will have the greatness required to stop
and realise the self-destructiveness of their thinking. It has
evolved to that during many years of disappointments and failures.
Those "hard-nosed businessmen" aren't really tough
at all... they're merely hopeless, bitter and hurtful... but
not good at what they do, no matter what appearances they put
up.
Try by all
means. But do it for yourself, do it because you want to ensure
that you've done your best to help him.
But a lot of
people cannot BE helped, really.
You can't
help someone who's not willing to help himself.
And it's pointless
to try getting anyone to ADMIT to such thinking. The further
down on the road to perdition he is, the more vehemently he will
deny having any such intention.
All right,
that's the ATTITUDE or fixed idea behind "prove it to me"
-thinking.
But in marketing,
there's an additional mountain to climb when it comes to assessing
(and tolerating) risks.
That's because
marketing and sales work under very different set of rules from
finances in terms of risks.
Risk-free marketing
can only be achieved through accepting some risk
There IS
a thing called "risk-free marketing."
But it's not
something you could achieve DIRECTLY and without any risk. It's
more of an END RESULT of having taken SOME well-chosen smaller
risks.
Once you HAVE
a system to obtain new clients at affordable cost (and with a
fast repayment of investment), then that's free of risk, of course.
If it works and produces new clients predictably, then there
is no risk to speak of, naturally.
But no Accounting
firm HAS such a functioning marketing system from the onset.
It's something that has to be obtained and tried until it produces
the expected results.
And you'll
never get one unless you're willing to take some risks.
In marketing,
you HAVE to take SOME risk to start with if you ever hope to
get any results.
There's no
way to find the level of certainty required in client acquisition
without spending some time and money in TRYING.
After all,
it's your firm and your future. Only YOU can be responsible for
obtaining new clients for your firm. No-one can do it for you
so that there's absolutely no risk for you.
It's just not
possible. And it's useless to search for a solution that would
have no risk and yet guarantee new clients.
You can TRY,
of course... and you may well FIND some solution provider who,
in his desperation to get a sale, PROMISES to take that responsibility.
But deep inside,
you KNOW it's not going to work out, don't you?
Let me give
you an example of my own marketing system for Accounting firms.
Now, despite
the fact that this web site contains more than 50 in-depth articles
about the subject of marketing Accounting services — which
hopefully show that I know something about it — and despite
that it's obvious that IF I can give so much new information
for FREE then the course I'm selling MUST contain something exceptional...
despite all these, I get an occasional enquiry asking me to PROVE
that there's absolutely NO RISK whatsoever in buying this course.
Well, I try
to explain that the only risk is the cost of Part 1 (that we
sell at less than half price just to make the risk practically
nonexistent) and that the ONLY WAY he can find out whether this
course suits him is to GET Part 1 so he can see it for himself.
I further explain
that since he has the FULL RIGHT TO TERMINATE his course subscription
at any time (and as I sell the first part at less than half price)
then it's easy to deduct that it would not be worth my while
to DO SO unless the course itself was of high quality and usability
for my clients.
I really only
start earning any income if and when my client CONTINUES his
course subscription beyond Part 1 and, since I'm still here,
it's obvious that most do. And they do so ONLY because they think
it's value for money.
But, of course,
it all falls on deaf ears.
These people
have long since stopped listening because they've fallen prey
to this shutdown mechanism of "there can't be any risk in
anything... and unless they can prove there isn't, then there
is."
Well, with
all due respect to these occasional enquiries, I have to say
that I'm not INTERESTED in trying to eliminate every last bit
of risk from this marketing system.
To do so would
GUARANTEE FAILURE.
See. When you
started your practice, did someone guarantee that you'll make
it?
Did someone
say "Here, I take all the risks for your firm and, if
you make it work, you then get all the profits?"
Obviously not.
And, had someone
DONE that, you would probably have FAILED!
Yes, you would
not have made it because you would not have TRIED HARD
ENOUGH.
Necessity is
the mother of invention... and to make it in business, you have
to get very inventive very fast or else, you won't BE in business
much longer.
But take
away the element of necessity and you'll see what happens.
Very little, compared to having that necessity, right?
Can you see
how I wouldn't be making you any favours if I tried to take away
every little bit of risk from this system?
It would not
only be counterproductive but also a lie. There's no way anyone
CAN bear the responsibility for someone else's business.
But what I
can promise you is this:
Order your
Modern Accountancy Marketing & Sales Course today and you
will learn how to get new clients comfortably and with affordable
cost. This is the tested and proven way to get to the level where
client acquisition is risk-free.
The initial
risk you'll be taking here is comparable to the cost of a Sunday
lunch. And don't tell me that's too high a risk for someone of
your caliber!
CLICK
HERE to read an introduction to Modern Accountancy Marketing
& Sales Course!
Best wishes
Harry Kafka
HDK
Consultants Ltd
32 Manning Close
Richmond Square
East Grinstead
West Sussex RH19 2DR
United Kingdom
Tel. (01342) 328 116
CONTACT
FORM
E-mail: info@accountancymarketing.co.uk |