Have you ever taken one of those personality tests like the Myers Briggs, or DISC that help to nicely or neatly (maybe?) put you in a perfect little box? They can tell you whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, or feeling vs. thinking, or any number of other things about how you’ll get along with certain other personality types. I have a love/hate relationship with those tests. Why? Because I’m convinced that I’m pretty close to the middle on most of the categories, and so I see them as a challenge. “Ha, you little test with 100 questions – you think you know me! Have at it!”
For instance, most of the time, I really enjoy being with other people and I get energy from being in networking situations – an extrovert! My husband will tell you that I love to accept a microphone and speak in front of a crowd – an extrovert! These are good qualities to have if you want to talk about your business, and build a pipeline of referral sources and clients. They need to you know you’re out there. Yet, in the next breath, I could tell you that one of my favorite things is to hang out with a glass of wine and a book on a Friday night – an introvert? And yes, after a speaking engagement, I’d love to just run a nice hot bath and soak alone and not do it again for a few days. A long walk in the park with my dog is my idea of a good time too. Introvert?
Along those lines then, can accountants be good at marketing? No way – you have to be one or the other. (Of course that’s NOT true! Really – I promise.) I love being an accountant – love the sensibility of numbers, love the way Excel magically delivers formulas that give us results on tax liability or refunds! And, yes, I even love doing the tax research that will provide the right answer for my clients. AND on the flip side….I love getting out there and spreading the word about multi-state tax issues and how, by working with me, clients can make sense out of the crazy, can get their arms around confusing issues, and can sleep better at night because we’ve addressed their concerns. I also like talking about the benefits of using my services to prospective clients. Yes – selling! Not very accountant-like, is it? But that’s OK. Sell shouldn’t feel like a four letter word. Sell is not that kind of four letter word.
Yet, so many of us are uncomfortable selling our services. Many accountants feel that since we’re technical and we know our field that people should just come to us for help. But, let’s be honest – it’s competitive out there. Why should they pick you? So much of it is about the relationship. They have to know you’re out there, know what you do, know they need your service, and then, like you enough to hire you. Any one of those can be a broken link. I got a great referral from a colleague the other day. The new client said to me – “We are so glad we found you. We didn’t know that people specialized in state tax or where to find you. You should advertise more.” OK, I’ll try! You all know me – I do a lot of outreach. But maybe I’m STILL not doing enough marketing. I can’t let that discourage me though. This client will be a fan. She came to me by referral – another great form of “advertising”. And someday soon, I’m confident that she’ll refer me to others who will become fans. We’re not trying to change the world in a day – just one day at a time. So, think about it for a minute. If you’re responsible for bringing in business, what’s the one thing you could do differently today to bring out your inner marketer? She’s in there somewhere. Stay tuned, we’ll help you find her!
Now, I’ve got to run. I’m done doing the marketing for today (the extrovert stuff) – I have some client projects that need my full attention (the introvert piece)!
Happy marketing!
Monika Miles is President of Miles Consulting Group, a firm specializing in multi-state tax consulting for middle market businesses. Clients include technology, manufacturing, software and SaaS based companies doing businesses across state lines. Miles Consulting Group assists companies in determining the sales tax and income tax ramifications of creating a taxable presence in a state and how to address these issues with the various states. When she’s not assisting clients with multi-state tax issues, she passionately shares Rainmaking strategies with other professional services firms. Check out her upcoming “Jumpstart Your Rainmaking” webinar series, starting November 4th. https://www.milesconsultinggroup.com/speaking-webinar-rainmaking.html
