Build your dream client

Andrew Grill, an IBM executive in his forties, recently threw the cat among the demographic pigeons by labelling himself a ‘millennial’. From a strictly age-bound perspective, Gill was taking a chance - but for marketing purposes, the term has no age limit.

“It is a nice stamp that marketers use, but it’s not necessarily about age,” said Grill, referring to the common wisdom of the millennial. “It’s more about looking at the things you have an affinity with, regardless of age. I’m 47, but I class myself as a millennial because I have millennial tendencies. I’m a lot more active on social than my peers, for example.”

According to Alex Tucker, head of marketing at PracticeWEB, marketing to this group is about avoiding the lure of stereotyping. For accountants, the demographic has become somewhat of a marketing Moby Dick: Diligently pursued, somewhat mystical and little understood. “My advice would just be to get over the term 'millennial',” says Tucker. “It’s somewhat overused.”

Instead, Tucker encourages accountants to create personas to help identify the market segments they would like to service. Creating a persona means everything - not just finances. “What publications do they read?” asks Tucker, “how do they live? Think about how your niche slots into what that persona wants.”

At last month’s Xerocon, Karen Rayburn of The Profitable Firm also emphasised this point: “Come up with what they care about, what they don't care about, what kind of family they have - this will inform what content you make and share,” she said.

Let’s build a persona

So, how would a buyer persona work in practice? Let’s say you’re interested in working with creative freelancers like designers and illustrators. Formulate a complete picture of who they are.

Kai Nødland is a 31 year old designer and illustrator based in Bristol. He is employed full time as a designer, but occasionally does freelance illustration work.

Previously, says Nødland, he filed his self-assessment returns by himself because he felt his freelancing wasn’t serious enough to warrant accountancy services. “I wasn’t earning enough in the past, so it felt like I would be getting a professional to assess my hobby,” he explains.

But as his income has grown, he’s now looking for an accountant. “When I look at a lot of accountants’ websites, I don’t feel welcome, like I’m not right for them,” he says. “I’ve never worn a suit in my life.” That feeling of inadequacy is, of course, unjustified; accountants are professionals and can help anyone. But it’s about consumer perception.

Daniel Bright, a 37 year old freelance illustrator, agrees with Nødland’s feelings of apprehension. “As a ‘lone creative’ I felt very much like [accountants] inhabit a different world to me, and I know they get frustrated with my lack of financial understanding and organisation,” he explains.

Bright has been with his current accountant for three years, and although he is happy he notes, “Their website does feel very ‘corporate’ and geared towards larger clients that myself, it isn’t particularly friendly or welcoming. And I probably wouldn’t have gone with them based on that.”

There’s a strong desire among freelance creatives to be taken seriously. An accountant interested in working with this demographic should make an extensive effort to assuage self-doubts.

Finding an accountant

Nødland, like many people flustered about getting an accountant, will rely heavily on recommendations from his peers. “I have absolutely no idea how to find an accountant otherwise,” admits Nødland. He will, he explains, ask for advice from colleagues in creative jobs.

Bright found his accountant through personal recommendation, but intriguingly the recommendation came from his father. “They’re the firm that have done my dad’s business accounts for the past 40 odd years.” It pays to be familiar with your long term client’s families - do they have kids? What do they do? Don’t be shy to offer to help them, too.

For creatives like Bright and Nødland, things like aesthetics are a consideration. A nice, clean, well designed site is an important draw. That doesn’t necessarily mean getting a web designer: If money is tight, solutions like Squarespace allow you to create simple sites.

In all, a lack of familiarity with tax, tax law, tax reliefs and general business administration shines through. It can be hard for a seasoned accountant to appreciate just how frazzled someone like Nødland is. “Zero percent,” says Nødland when asked about his understanding of tax reliefs.

For freelancers hit hard by the rising cost of living, professional services like accounting are often incorrectly seen as a luxury. The accountant’s ability to lessen the tax bill is highly attractive to a freelancer like Nødland – so tell them about what you can do.

There are also everyday challenges that people don’t know their accountant can help with. “My accountant was a great help at the beginning – advising on bank accounts, setting up stuff with HMRC and generally explaining what I needed to do," says Bright.

Building a persona on a budget

There are firms like Nielsen that have an excellent pedigree in consumer research. If you’re so inclined - and you have some spare cash - that may be an option. For the rest of us, it’s going to be a little more guerrilla. “If your budget is small,” says Tucker, “then you can get a feel for it just through conversations.” As your practice grows, you can start using technology like CRM systems to log the trends.

In the end, as the author Simon Sinek said, it starts with why: “Accountants need to think about why they want to work with freelance creatives,” says Tucker referencing this article’s persona. “It shouldn’t just be about wanting to make more money. If you can identify that it becomes mutually beneficial.”

“[L]ook at people’s needs, passions and goals, and design experiences to meet these. Needs, passions and goals unite people of different ages," wrote Rachel Hatton, Oliver's chief strategy officer. “Brands should be uncovering the deeper emotional truths about people’s relationship with the category, the tensions that stand in their way, and the subconscious factors that have an impact on their behaviour."