| If you've read any of my other marketing articles you'll | | | | techniques. They are intelligent and often reasonably |
| know that I believe that one of the key foundations of | | | | creative and open to ideas. |
| a strong business is to have "good clients". From a | | | | Above all they are interested in business, in growth |
| small business perspective Accountants come high on | | | | and in profit. It is their interest in growth and profit that |
| my list of the type of companies who make good | | | | makes them open to good ideas for growing their |
| clients. | | | | businesses. |
| So, what it it about accountants that tends to make | | | | When you're selling to accountants you need a good |
| them good clients? Before I get in to the positives, let | | | | idea the benefits of which are clear for all to see. Then |
| me just mention the two great weakness that | | | | you must have some really strong logic or evidence |
| accountants have as business people. They tend to | | | | that what you're recommending is likely to work. |
| look back rather than forwards. This is probably | | | | Accountants are practical people who believe in |
| because of the way they're trained. They deal with | | | | concrete "evidence" and not in "airy-fairy" ideas. |
| accounts which are always in the past. They look at | | | | Present your case well, with good projections of the |
| the patterns of the past to work out what went | | | | likely benefits when it's implemented and you will find |
| wrong and then try to correct errors to create a more | | | | an accountant is paying close attention to what you |
| profitable future. | | | | say. They will ask you intelligent questions. And, once |
| The other negative point about accountants is that | | | | they decide that you're proposal has merit they will |
| they tend to be "risk averse." Yet many small | | | | adopt it and support it with a level of resources that it |
| businesses need to take risks in order to move | | | | likely to achieve ultimate success. |
| forwards. Sometimes we need to stretch our finances | | | | My advice to anyone seeking to build a strong |
| beyond reasonable limits, and accountants don't like | | | | business is to have an accountancy practice in their |
| taking such risks. | | | | client portfolio. |
| Having said all that I still believe that on the whole | | | | Do a good job for an accountant and they have a lot |
| accountants make good clients. The reasons are that | | | | of clients to whom they can recommend your |
| they tend to operate very stable businesses. They are | | | | services. |
| logical and can see the benefits in practical business | | | | |