“If people did not do silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done.”
– Ludwig Wittgenstein
October is here. Tax season is getting ready to wave at all of us from around the corner. Yikes.
So, as a result, I’ll be spending the next few weeks and months helping you get *ready* to make the 2011 tax season your best yet (so pay attention), but in the meantime, today, I wanted to remind you of what you should always be keeping in front of you as you market your firm. It’s permission for you, so to speak…
The ‘New’ Way To Market Your Tax Firm in 2011
I get emails regularly from subscribers to my list with thanks, compliments, etc… often of a personal nature.
Why is this the case, and what does it mean for you?
Well, in this age of instant internet communication and 24-7 news, the “new” secret of marketing your services is being authentic and real–being yourself.
When you get my emails or newsletters, attend a live event I’m speaking at or hear me on a teleconference, you get the “real me”… for better or worse.
I share my journey with adopting our children (from Ethiopia, and now from Uganda), my personal struggles and fears, “behind the scenes” of directing the marketing for a multi-million dollar firm, etc.
I don’t try to put on an act, or develop some persona to try to “sell” you… I is who I is [sic] :). Some don’t like that person, and they unsubscribe. Some love it, and become long-term clients and friends.
These days, there’s an effulgence of self-styled “gurus” who make themselves out to be almost God-like entities–professional and flawless, insisting on the gospel-truth of their certitude.
That’s crap. We all make mistakes, fall short, and screw up from time to time. I find that it’s just as beneficial to learn from somebody’s mistakes as it is to see their successes. I like to share my numbskull moves with my list (I make plenty), as well as the successes.
So in your marketing… *be yourself*. Let people see the humanity behind the persona. The more you do this, the more clients you’ll attract, more people will glowingly refer you to their friends and family, and more new billings will come your way.
Too many tax professionals stick to the script and seek to be “professional” in all communication with clients and prospects. Frankly, it’s a surefire way to leave your clients and prospects bored into finding another service provider.
But do the opposite–be plainspoken, cheerful and blunt, especially in written communication–and your clients will be fiercely loyal to your business, and to you, in previously-unheard-of numbers.
That’s how you stand out in the marketplace. The world doesn’t need “just another accountant”…it needs YOU.
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Client Story of the Week:
“I have gotten so much thanks and appreciation for the e-mails you help me sent to my list. Even relatives are raving about these to their friends!”
Michael Ornelas
Sacramento, CA
Here’s the service Mike is referring to.
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[Incidentally, before I fully sign off, the above is one of the guiding principles of our weekly email program and monthly print newsletters for tax professionals–helping you form lasting and profitable relationships with your clients through friendly and “real world” personal notes. Hit the link below and get started on the email program (and get the first month free). Your tax business will never be the same!
www.StartEmailingNow.com
Or, contact my staff and ask them to send you a sample of our monthly print newsletter. They’ll help you get started sending this out this month…and do all the writing, printing and mailing for you! Don’t let tax planning season slip away without a clear strategy for skyrocketing referrals and keeping *all* your previous clients come January!