{"id":13699,"date":"2018-10-09T08:00:19","date_gmt":"2018-10-09T13:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/?p=13699"},"modified":"2021-12-14T10:28:25","modified_gmt":"2021-12-14T16:28:25","slug":"how-to-identify-connect-and-get-referrals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/practice-management\/how-to-identify-connect-and-get-referrals\/","title":{"rendered":"How to identify, connect, and get referrals"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve definitely come a long way since the days when advertising for accountants was \u201ca violation of professional ethics,\u201d a notion that was dissolved in roughly 1978, as I recall. And, no, I was not practicing; I was still in high school. But, my father was, and therefore, I vaguely remember.<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, as a profession, we\u2019ve slowly changed our marketing strategy ever so slightly over the years. The mode prior to 1978 was \u201cwhoever walks in the door,\u201d and largely that same style exists today. It\u2019s time to see marketing as a core activity to help you develop the kind of firm you envision. But, before you embark on a marketing campaign to grow your practice, I think it\u2019s wise to develop clarity on three key items:<\/p>\n

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  1. Identify the kind(s) of prospects you want to attract.<\/strong> Are you looking for business or individual clients? If business, is there a specific industry you would prefer, such as professional services, or maybe even more specific, such as dentists? Do your best to clearly identify the type(s) of clients you want to serve.<\/li>\n
  2. Articulate what you want to sell these ideal prospects.<\/strong> If it\u2019s client accounting you\u2019re after, clearly define exactly what it is you are trying to sell to those accounts. (Think technologies, processes and deliverables.) Even consider turning the service you want to sell into a product. For example, your \u201cConcierge Accounting\u201d product, with services bundled together to make it easy for the client to understand and purchase.<\/li>\n
  3. Make sure your marketing support material lines up and accentuates points 1 and 2 above.<\/strong> I suggest having an awesome website and a simple-but-clear, single-page fact sheet for each of your products. As for your website, does it clearly articulate the products you want to sell and to whom you want to sell them? Is it aesthetically appealing to the demographic you\u2019re targeting? Whether it\u2019s prospects across the country or across the street, your web platform will be their first impression of your firm.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It\u2019s very tempting to create marketing collateral and just begin sending blast email campaigns, but before you do, I want to share a few insights from a recent survey provided by Liscio<\/a>:<\/p>\n