Marketing is a dirty word for accountants
Accountants often sell themselves as if they’re Virgin Atlantic when really they’re Ryanair. Barry Soraff, partner at Raffingers Stuart accountants, explains why unlike fixed assets, marketing shouldn’t be about intangibles.
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Marketing metrics
It is all about measuring what matters. How many proactive calls did you make last quarter? How much tax are you currently saving clients per annum? What is the turnaround time on year-end accounts?
These are easy numbers to collect and mean more to clients than how many hours you spent on a client. You can share these numbers internally to keep the team focused and rewarded for doing the right things and/or externally as part of your PR or even on your homepage. You copuld even create your own Proactivity Index!
Bob
I think more is required I'm afraid
An interesting post Barry but my heart sank a little when I got to your 3 promises - respond to every phone call within three working hours / always agree fees before we carry out work / answer every e-mail within one working day.
Surely, in 2010, these promises are now a "given", as you say in elsewhere in your post. If I were looking to work with an accountant, I would totally expect these service standards, as a minimum.
In fact, the clients of tomorrow (today's teenagers) will expect real-time communication - by text, twitter, facebook or live messenger. Ask any teenager how often they send an email.
Measuring what matters
Yes, many agree as to the minimum - but they still aren't achieving it and they aren't measuring what's important to them and their clients. Whilst tomorrow's clients may want twitter and today's want email and yesterday's wanted letters, they all want:
- the "results" as agreed, on time or even ahead of time
- great service
- communication and conversation (to suit them, their style and their timetable)
One small example - which annoys many clients and contacts: How many service providers have voicemail responses "we'll get back to you as soon as we can" or "we'll return your call within x working hours"? Nearly all have the first, the odd few the second. How many deliver this - consistently? How many are measuring it to see where (or who) the issues are? How many put in new telephone systems to make it easier for clients to contact them .... and then don't ensure there is consistency in messages, responses, covering for each other etc let alone basic knowledge of how to transfer calls without losing them and set and check their voicemail when out of the office?
Sue
Is marketing a dirty word?
Barry
Great post; yes, have core promises (the right ones for you); monitor them and keep them current.
Sue