Overcoming "Indecent" Exposure In Your Tax or CPA Marketing

Do you ever feel a little bit cheesy promoting your business?
Do you feel uncomfortable picking up the phone to ask for seminar speaking engagements, promoting yourself online and on social media or letting potential referral sources know more about what you do?
Whether you like it or not, growing your tax or accounting business and reaching new clients depends on exposure in your community.
If you are not constantly showcasing your services and expertise to new clients, referral partners and local organizations every single day, online and offline, you simply won’t get the results you’re after.
Let me make something very clear: although you are a professional, running a white collar practice, the primary business you are in is sales.
If you are not SELLING the value of your services and sharing your expertise to as many people as possible, you are losing on the numbers game necessary to make your practice grow.
For many CPA’s or tax pros, this is the most painful part of hanging out your own shingle. You may have envisioned helping clients with their tax and financial problems and doing the things you went to school and took the trainings for … NOT cold calling, promoting, networking, advertising and pouring your heart and soul into lead generation.
If you feel like this, let me posit to you a mental exercise …
Do YOU receive calls from potential referral sources and local businesses seeking to partner with you? Do you feel uncomfortable, or irritated, when those people have reached out?
No?
Some things you pass on, sure, but do you see these approaches as “slimy” for attempting to build a relationship?
You don’t have to feel slimy or cheesy reaching out and letting other people know what YOU do either. In fact, when you do it the right way, you’ll leave the other person feeling as though THEY have benefited enormously from talking with YOU.
I’ll cover some of these strategies on how to turn the tables and “sell without selling” in the future…
For now, keep in mind, when you truly believe in the value of what you are doing and know your services are making a difference in people’s lives (…and no matter what specific tax niche you serve, you really are helping people…), you should not feel embarrassed telling others about what you do.
In fact, it would be a disservice to NOT open your mouth and let people know.
What have you put off doing because you were afraid to “sell” your services? Who have you neglected to call because you didn’t want to seem … cheesy?
I urge you to shift your mindset about this — today — so you don’t miss out on  the plentiferous opportunities for new clients and referrals. Your business success depends on constant exposure, so don’t be afraid to speak up to those around you.
If you are truly an introvert, you may also want to pick up the following books:
Self-Promotion for Introverts: The Quiet Guide to Getting Ahead by Nancy Ancowitz,
Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed, and the Underconnected by Devora Zack
Both are great resources if you struggle to close sales and market your practice in the strong, confident way that you and your business requires.