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5 mistakes accountants make which prevent them from becoming the Go-To Expert

28th Mar 2014
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With the recent publication of The Go-To Expert, I am having some interesting conversations about why accountants and other professionals, despite their best efforts, are not becoming The Go-To Expert. One of the challenges I hear is 'isn't it hard to become a Go-To Expert?'. Actually, it is much easier than you think, all it takes is focus and commitment.

Here are five of the common mistakes I see time and time again, which are stopping accountants from making their marketing and selling simple...

1. Keeping themselves open to opportunities which they 'can' do

I ran a webinar this week for Warwick Business School on 'how to use your network to find your next role'. One of the questions at the end came from a highly experienced and qualified senior professional who was struggling to find his next role. His dilemma was trying to keep himself open for opportunities he 'could do' rather than focusing his LinkedIn profile, on-line brand on opportunities he wanted to do. You see this all the time with small professional practices or potential partners in larger firms, claiming too many specialisms to either be credible, or devote enough time to market to these sectors effectively.

Trying to be all things to all people is probably the best way of diluting the power of your message, experience and credibility. 

2. No congruent on-line footprint

The business world is changing. Most potential new clients, introducers or influencers will meet you on-line first. Based on that first impression, they will then decide on whether to further the contact...  They can also find many similar accountants to you with just a simple LinkedIn search. Can you afford not to be found for the right type of potential new client?

3. Lack of regularly produced valuable content

Becoming a blogger is not the best route to being The Go-To Expert. (How many blogs on firm's sites have you read recently which are genuinely interesting and contain valuable content?) However, becoming someone who regularly produces highly valuable content, which could be shared via a blog, youtube, LinkedIn, Facebook, PR, Instagram, Pinterest... is the way to becoming the Go-To Expert. Your content is very often what will give you the authoritative online footprint.

4. Poor quality network

Your network will often be the difference to getting profile raising and work-winning  opportunities the easy way. Stop nurturing your network and your credibility, reach and authority will start to dwindle.

Download our free guide to building your networking strategy to make sure you are always in the right room meeting the right people when networking.

5. Not doing a little marketing every day

The last mistake I regularly see is accountants stop their marketing activities when they get busy. How many accountants did you see out networking during the self assessment tax return season? If you are going to become the Go-To Expert, you need to make sure you always have a drip-drip-drip of marketing activity to help you secure a steady stream of good new client enquiries.

To help you do a little marketing every day - but do the right marketing activities - download now our free Guide to writing your marketing plan. (email required)

Which mistakes do you see regularly?

Author Credit

Heather Townsend helps professionals become the Go-To-Expert. She is the author of the  award winning and best-selling book on business networking, the ‘FT Guide To Business Networking’ and the co-author of 'The Go-To Expert', and ‘How to make partner and still have a life’. Over the last decade she has worked with over 300 partners; coached, trained and mentored over 1000 professionals at every level of the UK's most ambitious professional practices.

Heather blogs regularly at How to make partner and still have a life and Joined Up Networking.

Heather works with owners of small professional practices, as well as  future and current Mid-tier and Big 4 partners.



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Replies (5)

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By User deleted
28th Mar 2014 15:14

Sorry but

I'm sorry but everytime I read the phrase 'go-to expert' I really feel the need to thrown something heavy at the person using it. By all means be an expert in something but why the need for 'go-to'?! If you feel the need to state the obvious why not be the 'email me when you get a minute expert' or the 'ring me at an inconvenient time expert' or even the 'only person you can think of that might have a clue expert'. 

I can honestly say that if someone proclaimed themself a 'go-to expert' in an area in which I needed expert help they'd be the last one I consulted, and under sufference. Using fancy words doesn't fool me nor does it impress me. I like people to say what they mean and not try to dress it up (usually in the hope of charging me more).

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the sea otter
By memyself-eye
29th Mar 2014 19:41

congruent on line footprint...

What a load of utter tosh

almost as banal as 'go-to expert'

Jesus, who writes this crap?

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By User deleted
29th Mar 2014 22:25

Whatever bells and whistles ...

... you put on it, in general practice an accountant is an accountant is an accountant. Clients will choose on a range of criteria, mainly being referred, if they find you online it is likely one of the three P's, price, proximity or personality upon which they make their choice.

My expertise is dog owning clients, they like it as I let them bring their pooch in! 

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Heather Townsend - accountant's coach
By Heather Townsend
06th Apr 2014 21:07

You can't please everyone all the time

Looks like this blog post didn't hit the sweet spot for @memyself-eye and @flash gordon.

As with any client/professional advisor relationship, sometimes you need what they are selling and sometimes you don't. 

We, my business partner and I, coined the phrase 'Go-To Expert', as that was something our clients and prospects were telling us they wanted to become. They translated this as a person who via building a profile and reputation, found that clients were attracted to them. They also wanted to get away from having poor quality leads with price sensitive clients.They saw this as the solution to using cold-calling, telemarketing, leaflet dropping etc. 

Whilst, the phrase 'The Go-To Expert', may not work for every accountant all the time, it is working very well at attracting many accountants who do want to become this.

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