client service opportunities

4 components of a high-net-worth practice

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businesswoman holding giant dollar symbolhow to apply what you already know.

by anthony glomski and russ alan prince
your $5-million high-net-worth practice

the world has changed in ways we can see and some that we do not yet understand. some of these changes have been in process before the covid-19 crisis, such as greater competition, the use of artificial intelligence, and the immense increase in private wealth.

more: life insurance as part of wealth management | mistresses, mister-esses and accountants | the coming boom in tax services for the super-rich
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other changes, such as the way people are and will likely continue to interact, are a function of the crisis. for example, video calls and conferences are going to become a bigger part of the way professionals interact with clients and each other.
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judy trepeck on how to think beyond accounting, with steven sacks

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clients need so much more than basic accounting & write-up.

^ click to play the video

with steven sacks
the new fundamentals

armed with the latest technologies, accountants can do more than ever – faster, better, and cheaper. but too many accountants are missing the biggest opportunity that technology creates, according to judy trepeck, long a leading figure in the profession.

more from steven sacks: bill reeb: new rules for the covid era | is your message open to interpretation? |  effective communications in the age of covid | why proper communication is critical | how to create effective internal communications | how to select your firm’s board | trust is a key organizational ingredient | real influence vs. immediate gratification | fake it ‘til you make it: an ultimate goal? | 4 ways to boost job satisfaction | have you gauged your staff’s enthusiasm? | why knowledge maintenance is key
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

in her conversation with steven sacks, trepeck, currently senior vice president for customized training at the michigan state cpa society,  outlines how cpas can go beyond basic accounting to provide more value-added services. it requires experience, talent, ambition, and, maybe most of all, intuition.


^ click to play the podcast

trepeck provides a framework for any accountant to add advisory services to their menu of offerings.

some of the key takeaways and the full transcript:

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opportunities in common and uncommon services

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bar chartwhat do your clients want that your competition doesn’t offer?

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

virtually every cpa firm faces two common challenges:

  • get the work done.
  • find more work.

more: three hidden surprises in ppp loan forgiveness | cloudy forecasts call for rainmaking  |the forecast: partly gloomy, chance of doom  |  busy season benchmarks in free fall  | say hello to the new 24-month busy season | maybe the pandemic isn’t all bad |  covid drives new m&a trends  |  re-thinking today’s firm with five global leaders|  clients want to pay you more (really!)

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

or, to put it another way:

  • satisfy clients.
  • find more clients.

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creating a cross-selling culture

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two businessmen talking at officeif you can help, why wouldn’t you?

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

part of my success in getting new business was getting additional work from existing clients.

more: when time-based pricing works | the clients that got away | upselling made painless | boosting a fixed fee substantially | creative ways to retain staff | what cpas can learn from lawyers and doctors | advising cheapskates | getting bonuses from clients | be an accountant, not a salesperson for other things | when clients don’t know
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i was always good at this, and i think it was because of my attitude of helping the client beyond what the routine services were. early on i felt queasy about mentioning that there would be an additional fee for the extra services, but after a few times, i got over that.
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cloudy forecasts call for rainmaking

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have you assessed your clients’ needs, or just provided what they asked for?

the average monthly price paid for accounting services: clients who do not receive advisory services pay their firms an average of $1,108 a month. they’d be happy to pay $564 more.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

rainmaker alert! the cloudy skies of 2020 show a good chance of precipitation.

more in surveys & research: covid impact: 17,500 tax & accounting jobs lost | cas: critical success factors for the covid age | clients want to pay you more (really!) | the forecast: partly gloomy, chance of doom | busy season benchmarks in free fall | say hello to the new 24-month busy season | accounting firms take billions in ppp payouts | the more monitors, the better | the top portable monitors for working from home

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

but praying for rain isn’t going to work. neither will a rain dance. the most effective action is often simply a matter of asking and offering.

a new survey of small and midsized businesses and their cpa firms finds that clients are generally willing to pay 50 percent or more for additional accounting-related advisory services … but only if their accounting firm offers them.

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clients want to pay you more (really!)

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new research shows opportunities to boost revenues by up to 31%.

what clients want: adding strategic advisory services to your tax prep and payroll bundle could increase fee income by more than 48 percent. (cpa.com)

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

as cpas know better than anyone, these are turbulent times. whatever the situation was, it just changed. cpas know because they are at the center of it all — the calm, analytic eye at the center of hurricane upheaval.

more in covid trends in surveys & research: the forecast: partly gloomy, chance of doom | busy season benchmarks in free fall | say hello to the new 24-month busy season | covid drives new m&a trends | re-thinking today’s firm with five global leaders | the no. 1 reason accountants fail to build advisory practices

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

so consider for a moment the desperation of the businesses that are or could be your clients. they are suffering:

  • the financial and logistical onslaught of the pandemic,
  • the ever-evolving rules on taxation,
  • the constant change in compliance,
  • the lack of time for issues not within their core business (accounting, for example),
  • the problems and insecurities of their own clients and customers, and
  • concerns about the future.

in other words, clients have more important things to do than keep track of financial matters.

and they’re willing to pay for the freedom to stick to their core business.

the trick…

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the no. 1 reason accountants fail to build advisory practices

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shift your mindset for covid-era client services. stop thinking about selling and start thinking about helping.

by ty hendrickson

what is the number one reason that accountants get stuck providing transactional services?

mindset.

now, i’m not one of those gurus that preaches mindset and how if you want something in your life, all you have to do is visualize it. that’s not the mindset i’m talking about here. i’m talking about the mentality that accountants “feel bad” for charging someone for their expertise and advice.

more: the real problems created in a remote workforce |  can you really grow without adding clients? | 4 reasons to welcome rejection |

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

while this is not a new problem, it has bubbled to the surface amidst the covid-19 crisis. in the vast majority of my conversations with firm owners recently, i hear the same line over and over again, “i’ve spent so much time talking to my clients about loans and explaining their options that i’ve hardly gotten any tax work completed. now, i have to charge them $1,000 for those conversations, and i just don’t feel like i can do that because i know the financial situation they are in right now. i feel bad.”

what?!?!

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when time-based pricing works

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time is money : clock hands on $100 billswhat is most fair?

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

back in 1980, i got a pretty large client and quoted a fixed annual fee to start, which would cover the routine regular work.

more: the clients that got away | cross-selling beyond your comfort zone | a test of concentration | value pricing in uncharted waters | i am an accountant because of clients like stanley | advising cheapskates | getting bonuses from clients
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after about three months i was asked to suggest some methods of compensating highly paid managers and to present them at a meeting in two weeks. i put together a memo with a few suggestions. when i showed up for the meeting, there were four other “groups” who were given the same assignment. one was the client’s law firm, one was the personal accountant for the client’s lady friend (who later became his wife), another was an insurance agent and one was an employee benefit plan specialist.
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the seven simple steps to thrive in the covid crisis

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//www.g005e.com/2020/07/21/thriving-during-the-covid-19-crisis-and-beyond/leveraging the relationships you already have. step 1: make a list.

by anthony glomski and russ alan prince
your $5 million high-net-worth practice

the covid-19 crisis has put a lot of financial pressure on many businesses, including many accounting firms. at the same time, a percentage of professionals, such as accountants, lawyers, and wealth managers, are strategically taking action to deal with the economic pressures.

see also: the three new business models delivering significant profits for accounting firms | the 5 meetings of the (true) wealth management process | collaborative wealth management: defining the framework | protect your clients’ assets | even entrepreneurs must diversify | when clients cash out: four smart financial moves |

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the result is that they are doing well as the crisis progresses and are smartly positioned to do exceptionally well as the crisis abates.

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the clients that got away

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businesswoman at desk smiling as she talks to manlearning the hard way how to manage perceptions.

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

when i started out i lost clients. very few, but still losses.

more: cross-selling beyond your comfort zone | how auditing is like a pirouette | ¿que es bookkeeping? | underpaying others hurts you, too | when the kids don’t want to take over | large clients we landed from quickbooks consulting
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

some couldn’t be helped, such as a bank wanting a larger, more established, and better-capitalized firm. but some, early on, could have been retained, and that is what i want to talk about today.
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the three new business models delivering significant profits for accounting firms

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businessman sitting on stacks of paper currencyhow to upgrade your practice with successful, wealthy clients.

by anthony glomski and russ alan prince
your $5 million high-net-worth practice

competition for high-quality accounting clients is intense, and the current environment is making it harder for many accounting firms to excel.

see also: the 5 meetings of the (true) wealth management process | collaborative wealth management: defining the framework | protect your clients’ assets | even entrepreneurs must diversify | when clients cash out: four smart financial moves |

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

if you’re ready to serve successful business owners and wealthy individuals, then there are three practice models you should consider. each of the three models shares specific characteristics that make them especially attractive, including:

  • high demand from accomplished prospects
  • high fee structures which these clients pay
  • high margins
  • high realization rates
  • high probability of needing the expertise of various accountants at the firm

because all three practice models are relationship-based, many accountants are already well-positioned to provide new, high-caliber advisory services these highly coveted clients.

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