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outlook & analysis

why no one listens to you

studies show 97% of what we communicate by phone is by vocal tone.

that means only 3% of your message is understood from the actual words.

voice coach karen lyu suggests: imagine you’re at a meeting, and you hear someone say “hello” with a nervous, giggly nasal voice — or a muffled, monotone mumble. what messages are you getting?

now imagine a radio announcer saying “hello” with a clear, warm and projected voice.

did you notice your body reacting in a different way? how did it make you feel?

so what are some simple things you can do right now improve your voice — and make people sit up and listen?

  • 1. keep your throat and mouth relaxed (exercise by yawning or saying “wow” before a meeting)
  • 2. speak clearly at medium speed
  • 3. smile while you talk, and people will hear the difference (for phone conversations, a mirror nearby can help to remind yourself)
  • 4. sit up at the edge of your seat to keep your body aligned (or stand and walk)
  • 5. drink water or tea with lemon and honey (soda, alcohol, and coffee will dehydrate your throat)

these quick tips could help you to speak with a healthy, understandable, warm and resonant voice so that people stay focused and interested in what you have to say.

outlook & analysis

how to close a sale: the four corners

they don’t teach sales in accounting school.

but every practicing accountant should know the four basic closing techniques.

you’re probably doing some or all of them already. but it’s handy to keep them in mind, nevertheless. they are the basic approaches that make up the four corners of the close.

1. straightforward close — the most direct closing method is to simply ask if the prospect is ready to make a decision and, if they are, how they feel about awarding the business to your firm. this method can make some people, especially those new to selling, uncomfortable. but the prospect may be expecting it. read more →

leadership

what kind of leader do you think you are?

hint: you’re probably wrong.

a new study of cpa firm personnel finds “a significant disconnect” between the way leaders view themselves and the way their subordinates see them.

according to regent university’s jamie early and john b. davenport, leadership behaviors generally fall into these three categories: read more →

outlook & analysis

what accountants are reading

top ten most-read posts at 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间, week ended july 28, 2010:

  1. are you already missing the next generation of clients?
  2. 80 ways for accountants to use twitter
  3. accounting firms dive into digital marketing
  4. cpa staff confidence hits two-year high
  5. new wrinkles in cpa exit strategies
  6. the cost of staff turnover: $32,500
  7. eight ways the smallest accounting firms compete and win
  8. five tips for smooth tax workflow management
  9. client retention tactics you can’t afford to ignore
  10. accounting firms re-accelerate technology spending
outlook & analysis

how to emerge from this recession stronger than before

an astounding 85 percent of growth leaders entering into a recession will emerge weaker, according to new research.

only 9% come out stronger.

what do business do wrong?

  • firms that cut costs faster and deeper than rivals had the lowest probability — 21% — of pulling ahead of the competition post-recession.
  • businesses that invested aggressively more than competitors had only a 26% chance of becoming leaders after the downturn.

what works? a careful read more →

outlook & analysis

are you already missing the next generation of clients?

sure, the current generation of accounting firm owners faces a crisis in finding the people for succession.

but that issue pales in comparison to the problem we have today, right now, with the gap between the generations seen in clients and the cpa firm workforce.

according to data from thomson reuters, the aging client base is much more pronounced than the aging workforce.

generation
% of workforce
% of client base
traditionalists (62+)
4%
7%
baby boomers (44-61)
38%
87%
generation x (28-43)
48%
6%
millennials (under 28)
10%
0%

read more →

outlook & analysis

five tips for smooth tax workflow management

going paperless: “best decision i ever made.”

by mark pricco
mark pricco, cpa, is the owner of x-tax, a lansing, mi, tax preparation businesses, and the founder and president of atom software, a tax office management system.

for many cpas converting to paperless is an exercise in procrastination: “someday.” well, the growing trend to conversion has made many, including myself, face that “someday.” as a matter of fact, the cpa tech savvy survey of 2010 just cited paperless as the leading technology issues cpas are most interested in!

after two years of running three offices through a single paperless management software, i am here to say that the process is less painful than anticipated, and has reaped many rewards: more time to be a cpa and less time acting as an office manager, as well as terrific cost and time saving benefits.

read more →

outlook & analysis

cpa staff confidence hits two-year high

finance professionals encouraged by economic rebound.

the accounting and finance employee confidence index, a measure of overall confidence among u.s. accounting and finance workers, increased 2.7 points to 53.3 in the second quarter of 2010, according to the mergis group, an employment agency.
read more →

outlook & analysis

new survey results: accounting firms dive into digital marketing

networking moves to social media.

click this: the words cpas use most when they talk about marketing (via wordle)
click this: the words cpas use most when they talk about marketing (via wordle)

empowered by technology and concerned about costs, tax and accounting firms are rushing into digital marketing in unprecedented numbers, according to a new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 survey.

the “卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 marketing and business development trends survey” reveals emerging issues and opportunities in practice development strategies, spending plans and growth goals.

click here to join the survey.

website upgrades and email newsletters are among the most important new marketing initiatives that firms are undertaking.

networking with referral sources remains the primary business development strategy for firms. but, increasingly, it’s being done online, through social media such as blogs, facebook, linkedin and twitter.

live survey results:



clearly, tax and accounting practitioners are learning how to harness the power of new technologies to make and maintain contact with clients, prospects, influencers and referral sources. andrew rose at naden lean in timonium, md., for instance, is finding particular success these days in integrating online and direct mail campaigns. evelyn edwards in austin reports, “i’m consistently getting comments from my blog posts” (at http://evelynedwardscpa.com/category/blog/).

but u.s. firms are not the only ones gaining new business from online marketing. new competition for some international accounts may be emerging. in belgium, for instance, johan schoofs at bol international says they are gaining new leads “by offering free publications on our website.” some top lead-getters are “sector-specific guides on how to start up your business.”

other firms are finding success in focusing their energies or pursuing niche business. betsey storey, the chief marketing officer at concannon miller, says they are “narrowing the conversation to very specific industries.” but with the increased competitiveness, some firms may be feeling the pinch of fee cutting. “sadly,” says mitch reno, chief marketing officer at rehmann, “firms are successfully lowering fees to win or retain business. the ramifications on industry profitability will last five to ten years.” you’ve been warned.

more live results:

survey demographics:

click here to join the survey.

updated august 21, 2012