Tag Archives: managing partners

Future Success of Your Firm?: Interview with Jennifer Warawa

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Meet one of today’s leaders in the accounting software world, Jennifer Warawa. As the Vice President, Partner Programs and Channel Sales at Sage North America, Jennifer has a wealth of experience working with accounting professionals. Enjoy this insightful, educational and entertaining Q&A…

Q: The world of accounting marketing has obviously changed dramatically in recent years. What has surprised you in terms of what public accounting firms have done (or not done)–both positively and negatively?
A: Every year we do a membership study for the Sage Accountants Network and when we ask accountants what keeps them up at night, the #1 response for many years now is how they can get new clients. What I find very interesting is that although this continues to be a top challenge, we still haven’t seen the profession really change their approach to how they get new clients. In fact, I spend a great deal of time visiting accountants all over North America and quite often when I ask about their marketing strategy, I find they often don’t have one at all. In our recent research of U.S. accounting firms, 65% say they actually don’t even have a website. In order to grow their firms and attract new clients, there will need to be a shift in the profession’s approach to marketing which needs to include embracing new marketing methodologies such as digital marketing and social media. On a positive note, we are starting to see more and more of the “next gen” mindset emerging in public accounting. I believe next gen is unrelated to age but is more in how someone embraces change and new ideas. We’re seeing professionals of all different ages step up with a great deal of passion, ready to transform their firms, and we love working with those individuals as they create their new future.

Q: If you had to jump on a time machine and go forward 20 years, what would you tell CPAs?
A: Innovation isn’t about technology alone. Change is happening at an unprecedented rate and we don’t see any signs of it slowing down in the near future. Few people have taken time to really think about what “being innovative” means to their firm or business. Many view innovation as technology alone but I challenge that thinking because I believe innovation in how you run your business or firm is equally as important. From the services you offer, to your customer and employee strategies, to how you brand yourself; this all should be thought of as innovation. If a firm sees picking up the latest and greatest technology as their key to being innovative, they are missing a large component in their future success.

Q: How has your role at Sage evolved over the last couple of years?
A: When I started with Sage almost five and a half years ago, I was solely focused on the Canadian market and about three years ago added the U.S. accountant business to my responsibilities which has made for a very exciting time in my career. I love the North American outlook and there are so many learnings each market can take away from the other.

Overall, I think my role has evolved and changed as Sage itself has evolved and changed. Over the last few years Sage has become increasingly focused on its core solutions, has made some tough but necessary decisions, and has restructured its product names and focus to a unified Sage brand. All of these changes require everyone at Sage to reinvent ourselves in many ways and it keeps us learning, growing, and challenging the status quo. I love it!

Q: What have been some of the key things you’ve learned throughout your career? What might you do differently if you had it do to all over again?
A: Wow – that’s a big question!

First, I would say that sometimes your biggest roadblock is your own opinion. You think you know something but quite often, it’s really just your perspective, and the ability to be able to set your opinion aside and be open to new ideas and alternate solutions is critical to success.

Second, the outcome is always proportionate to the effort you put in and nothing good just falls in your lap. There is no replacement for hard work, commitment, and dedication.

Third, it’s all about the people. It goes back to that saying that no one will remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel. Treating people with respect and maintaining your integrity are so important through all circumstances and situations.

As far as what I’d do differently, I can honestly say nothing immediately comes to mind. I grew up with entrepreneurial parents who owned their own businesses and learned many lessons about business before I even learned how to drive. I then spent a wonderful (and adventurous) 12 years starting, growing, and then selling a small business. Entrepreneurship taught me an incredible amount – lessons I still use every day. Now I am working for a global company with endless opportunities. I have been very fortunate!

Q: You travel a lot. How about sharing an interesting travel story?
A: There is certainly no shortage of interesting travel stories – I think I have one from almost every week I’ve spent on the road! One of the most memorable was when I was traveling to Vancouver from Atlanta with a connection in Seattle. Our flight out of Atlanta was delayed and as a result, I missed my connection which happened to be the last flight of the day. The airline put us up in a hotel in Seattle and after a very long day of travel, I arrived at the hotel just after 1:00 am. There was a lady on my flight that was on the same shuttle bus as I was and when we arrived at the hotel she was informed she had mistakenly gone to the wrong hotel and was told to go back to the airport and catch a different shuttle bus to the correct hotel. She almost started crying realizing she would get minimal sleep as it was literally the middle of the night and her new flight was before 7:00 am. I felt her pain and after confirming my room had two beds, I offered her my second bed which she gratefully accepted. The funny part is as we were lying there dozing off to sleep, she quietly asks “Um… what is your name?” I was happy to wake up after my brief 3.5 hour “nap” and see that my purse had not disappeared!

Q: Outside of your work duties, what else do you like to do? How do you spend your down time?
A: I am married and with all the travel I do, when I finally get some down time it’s great to just hang out with my husband and our “fur babies” and stay relatively close to home. I love reading, writing (I have various blogs I contribute to), and just getting outside. I have been told I am “solar powered” and it’s true – I love being outside on sunny days!

Q: What’s in the future for Jennifer Warawa?
A: The future is truly an endless list of opportunities. Five years ago if you would have told me I’d move from my small, hometown of Kelowna, BC, Canada to Atlanta, GA I would have laughed and wondered how on earth that would happen, but here I am. It proved to me that if you’re open, there are all kinds of opportunities out there and the future is limitless (and excitingly unknown!).

Jennifer Warawa

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Fewer Clients with Higher Realization? Spend More Time with Those Better Clients?

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Some live it, some dream it, and some say it can never happen. Where do you stand on the topic of realization and the role that it plays in your practice? These insightful, very brief video clips are a useful resource that I want to share with you. If you’re trying to get a better handle on realization, you’ll jump on this like a hobo on a ham sandwich.

How does continuous monitoring help you improve realization?

How do people know where they stand against realization targets?

How does early-warning of realization issues help your firm get paid?

How has better visibility of realization improved management of the firm and morale of the staff? 

What if realization just doesn’t improve?  When is time to let a problem-client go?

How do you enforce realization goals across the firm?  Is everyone “bought in?”

Workers 7

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As The Audit World Turns: Interview with Francine McKenna

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Meet one of today’s leaders in the accounting profession, Francine McKenna, CPA. With more than twenty-five years of experience in consulting and professional services including tenure at two Big 4 firms, both in the US and abroad, Francine has a lot say. Through her speaking engagements, articles, her blog re: The Auditors, and more, Francine lays it on the line. Smart, engaging material…spectacular reading, I must say.

Q: Coming from a Big Four background, you’ve carved out a very interesting niche for yourself. Was this by design?
When I look at all my experience I see a straight line through the scatter diagram that’s led to writing and to writing about what I know the best and am most interested in the world of business. I can’t say it was by design but I don’t do anything by default. I just create as many options as possible. I started out at the end of ’06 thinking the blog would be the platform for a book. I haven’t yet written the book. But the blog took off, mostly because of what started happening in 2007 then 2008. The more I wrote about the business of the big four firms in a critical way, the less employable at what I was doing before I was. And the more attention I got for my writing the more I wanted to write. So I committed to write as well as I could and make it a success, at least professionally.

Q: Any insights on where the future of auditing is headed? Or the future of Big Four (or whatever number that’s going to be)?
I would agree with PCAOB Chairman Jim Doty’s latest comments: “The audit industry is flirting with stagnation.” I said on Twitter that the industry is worse. It’s whoring for quarters, selling audit as a commodity again, capitulating to executives to save the engagements and looking for consulting to save the day. We’ve come full circle in ten years since SOx.

Q: If a young professional told you he/she wanted to get into auditing, what would you tell them?
Go into consulting instead.

Q: What would you most like the accounting profession to know about what’s going on in Washington D.C.?
There are good people in Washington DC who want to serve the public. Fortunately for the audit industry they are few and far between. Most from both parties can be bought. Unfortunately, it’s going to cost lobbyists and the audit industry PACs more and more to buy them and politicians are fickle. You have to keep paying to maintain their attention and loyalty.

Q: What’s the most rewarding aspect of what you do on a daily basis?
When journalists I respect say I’ve written something with impact. When my parents say don’t stop because I’m finally using my talents.

Q: What have been some of the key things you’ve learned throughout your career? What might you do differently if you could go back in time?
If I could go back in time I wouldn’t listen to anyone who said I had to wait to earn bigger pay and bonuses, to get my stripes first. I was doing the work well. I deserved to be rewarded for it long before I ever was.

Q: What’s in the future for Francine McKenna?
I just started in the Masters in Liberal Arts program at the University of Chicago. I want to teach. I’ve been visiting a lot of universities lately, talking with students and faculty. Before too much longer I’d like to fully live the life of the mind. And I will write a book, but it may be fiction.

Francine McKenna 1

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Adding Onion to the Accounting Burger: The Tom Selling Interview

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Ever read The Accounting Onion? It’s a great addition to our profession’s giant accounting sandwich. Find out more about its creator, Tom Selling PhD, CPA, in this delightful, informative interview. You’ll never think about an onion the same way.

Q: What would you most like the accounting profession to know about what’s going on in Washington D.C.?
Ever since the FASB and IASB have embarked on convergence, it seems that the SEC has disengaged itself from accounting standard setting. The result, I believe, is that standard-setting projects take forever; because there is no longer a credible threat that the SEC could preempt a stalled or misdirected process by issuing its own guidance. For example, it seems to me that bankers, and not the SEC, are effectively the clients for the proposed loan impairment standards. The bottom line is that I don’t think the SEC is doing its part to ensure that low-quality accounting standards will not play a role in any future financial crisis.

Q: How did The Accounting Onion come about?
I took early retirement from university teaching about seven years ago.  I have to say that the 25-year cumulative effect of petty politics from life as a faculty member was becoming unbearable; so I reluctantly left classroom teaching to focus on my consulting practice and a software company (www.grovesite.com) I had started with two other partners. I knew that a web presence would be essential for visibility and networking, and I had also discovered that search engines particularly favored blogs, ostensibly because of the relatively more current content that blogging generated — as opposed to static websites.   But, those practicalities aside, I think that blogging was also providing me with a source of stimulation that I missed by no longer being in academia on a day-to-day basis.

Q: I love how you describe The Accounting Onion with the line: “Peeling away financial reporting issues one layer at a time.” What motivates you to keep that garden growing?
I don’t know if “motivation” any longer describes what drives me to blog. It feels more an addiction! Seriously, I do miss the classroom, and I’m fortunate that blogging to inform my readers, and perchance to provoke decision-makers, has been a very fulfilling experience for me. You’re supposed to blog about what you know, and I was worried at first that I would run out of pet peeves to write about in fairly short order. But, even though my perspectives and philosophy on financial reporting have stayed relatively fixed, events like the financial crisis, international convergence and other regulatory developments continue to add to the complexity and uncertainty of the financial reporting environment. For me, as a blogger, it’s been like a gift that keeps on giving.

Q: The world of accounting has obviously changed dramatically during your lengthy career. What has surprised you in terms of what public accounting firms have done (or not done)–both positively and negatively?
The professional ethics rules emphasize that the “P” in CPA is paramount. Our government-granted franchise as gatekeepers to the public capital markets must be predicated on the principle that conscience, rather than the financial bottom line, will drive our actions as professionals— both individually and as firms. This, I believe, is the real “expectations gap.” Everybody knows to a certain extent that, even in ideal circumstances, audits and other assurance services are not panaceas. But, perhaps starting with the Enron debacle, the public is starting to realize that there is little to differentiate the motives and actions of the AICPA from other powerful and widely resented political lobbies. I have been a member of the AICPA for about 35 years, and this more than anything disappoints me.

On the bright side, though, I never cease to be amazed at the quality of reference resources that the international firms put out on the web for free. The Accounting Standards Codification by the FASB has largely been a very positive development; however sometimes it can make both new and old standards more difficult to read, in part because the topical organization of the Codification means that the main message of a standard is dispersed and no longer self-contained in one relatively readable document. Perhaps, the firms realize this shortcoming, and that’s one reason why they do such an excellent job of providing summaries, detailed explanations and examples. It seems like the firms compete with each other to have the highest quality free materials, and I am extremely grateful for that.

Q: What have been some of the key things you’ve learned throughout your career? What might you do differently if you could go back in time?
That’s a difficult question for me to answer, because I’ve always enjoyed my work and have had a great life, in no small part due to my wonderful family. I really do consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to enjoy learning and working.  I suppose there are times when I could have been more diligent or humble enough to admit my ignorance and seek one-on-one support. I have come to realize that conventional education formats were not always the most suitable learning environment for me. I think that’s why I have a lot of empathy for students who don’t get the message the first time around, and it’s also why the emergence of new learning technologies excite me, and make me want to try them in a classroom setting.

Q: What’s in the future for Tom Selling?
I wasn’t kidding when I said that blogging had become an addiction! I’m not getting any younger though, and I would really like to transition from consulting to serving on audit committees of boards of public companies. I recently accepted a part-time position at SMU where I’ll be teaching accounting theory and M&A to both their graduate and undergraduate students. The prospect of going back into the classroom makes me as excited about my future as the day I realized that I had changed my last diaper.

Tom Selling

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A Moment With Rita: The Keller Interview

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Meet one of today’s leaders in the accounting profession, Rita Keller. A nationally known CPA firm management consultant, speaker and author…Rita is a former shareholder and Chief Operating Officer of a successful, regional CPA firm. Savor the Q&A…

Q: You spent a lot of time being a public accounting firm administrator. How has that role changed over the years and where do you see it headed?
I became a CPA firm administrator when the role was in its early stages inside a CPA firm. Law firms had already successfully established the role years before but CPAs were slower to adapt. Most firms had someone inside the firm who took care of the day-to-day – it was usually a high-level administrative person, secretary to the managing partner, although we don’t use the “s” word anymore.

Once ambitious CPAs learned that they could trust someone else to take care of the operational details, freeing them up to serve clients and obtain new ones, the role expanded significantly.

There are still many levels of firm administrators today, depending on the size of the firm and delegation skill of the MP and other partners. Titles include: Office Manager, Office Administrator, Firm Administrator, Director of Administration, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. A handful of firm administrators have actually, like me, achieved shareholder status at their firms.

With all of the succession issues facing CPAs, I believe the role of the firm administrator is key into helping the departing generation make the transition as well as helping the up-and-comers expand and improve their management skills.

Q: How important is it that a firm administrator knows how CPAs work and what they encounter day-to-day?
This is extremely important. The more the firm administrator knows about the “business” of the firm, the more helpful they can be. They should strive to roll-up their sleeves and learn how the audit team puts together a financial statement and how the tax people prepare and process a tax return. This usually comes very naturally with experience.

It is also very important that the firm administrator role be considered a partner-level role in that they attend all partner meetings and retreats so they fully understand the issues first-hand.

Q: What has surprised you in terms of what public accounting firms have done (or not done)–both positively and negatively?
Over all my years working in public accounting, I have been pleased (surprised) at how CPAs have invested in technology to produce a better and more efficient work product. It has been one change that almost every CPA has embraced.

I also believe that even with the intense focus on due dates and the need to possess a great work ethic, CPA firms are wonderful places to work and create a career path. For the most part, CPAs are truly ladies and gentlemen and wonderful people to work with and for. I have found CPAs to be flexible and understanding with their team members almost to a fault. That brings me to some negative thoughts.

CPAs are often much too nice. They go to great lengths to avoid any form of confrontation and thus high performers and low performers are treated almost identically. In fact, high performers get rewarded by receiving more assignments (more work) and low performers receive less work and can almost coast along for years on end. This has to change!

CPA owners/partners need to focus on leadership development and better communication skills. As owners of the firm they should be more focused on their business and less on doing the work of the business (audits, accounting and taxes). Too many firms are under-managed, which is different from micro-management.

Q: What have been some of the key things you’ve learned throughout your career? What might you do differently if you could go back in time?
The most important thing I have learned is that nothing is ever handed to you. Especially as a woman, you have to be proactive, speak-up and work hard to achieve your goals. I like a mantra used by Sheryl Sandberg in her book, Lean In – “Done is better than perfect.” I believe CPAs could learn so much from that simple statement. When it comes to improving their firms (on the inside), I always say, “CPAs have good intentions but no implementation.” They revisit the same management topics year after year.

If I could go back in time, I would start my own business sooner!  I see so many people inside CPA firms – owners and employees – who stay put when they are not really happy.

Q: What are some of the things that you love most about the accounting profession?
I love the people. I have met thousands of wonderful people over the years and had a chance to speak to and work with so many.

I love the opportunity public accounting has provided me to learn new things, continually improve my knowledge and skills. Life-long learning is a fact of life in the CPA management world.

When I first walked into an accounting firm I thought to myself, “This is probably going to be boring but I will give it a try.” I have not been bored for one minute in over 30 years.

Q: You travel a ton. How about sharing a funny travel story?
Sad to say, I can probably tell you more horror stories than funny stories. That being said, I usually enjoy the Southwest flights the most and use Herb Kelleher stories in my workshops. One flight we had a guy flight attendant who was quite the entertainer. From his seat in the front, as the plane took off and was climbing, he slid bags of peanuts down the aisle (that slid rather quickly because of the incline of the plane) and you could grab them as they went by.

Q: What’s in the future for Rita Keller?
A few years ago I decided on an early retirement from daily life inside a CPA firm to become a fulltime management consultant. So, some day in the not too distant future, I’ll be facing retirement again. I feel like I have a lot to contribute for a while but I will be cutting back on the travel.

I am just getting started with SurveyCPA, a people-survey tool for public accounting firms and I have a couple of other exciting projects in the works.

I have a loyal following for my daily blog and my newsletter is also very successful. I’ve been blogging daily for seven years so I have a lot of content “out there.” Maybe it’s time to write a book.

Rita Keller

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World On A String: Interview With Rebecca Ryan

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Meet one of today’s brilliant minds in the accounting profession, Rebecca Ryan. As the Founder of NEXT Generation Consulting, Inc., in Madison, Wisconsin, Rebecca walks the walk and talks the talk. I particularly love her statement “I’d love to see a list of ‘Best Firms’ that’s based on firms that really make a difference in the world.” You’ll really enjoy this Q&A.

Q: What are some of the key issues facing public accounting firms right now that managing partners need to keep on their front burners?
A: The diversity of the workforce. Currently, half of all CPA grads are women, and 13% of high potentials are nonwhites. That means that ten years from now, half of all our high potentials should be women and one in every six new partners should be nonwhite.

In addition, firms have to start innovating. They’re getting caught in a commodity/price war trap because they don’t know how to differentiate themselves. And the only way you do that in this environment is through service or a client experience.

Q: How challenging is it to run your business? How do you juggle it all?
A: So that’s two questions. Let me break those apart.

#1: Challenge?

It depends how you define “challenging?” The hardest thing I’ve ever done was steer my business through the recession. It was extremely stressful and I felt like a giant loser.

But that was nothing compared to what others face every day. For example, last week one of my clients lost his spouse unexpectedly from a massive heart attack at age 60. THAT is a challenge.

Compared to the really hard stuff we face in life, running a business is easy-cheesy.

#2: Juggling?

I can’t juggle. I’m absolutely horrendous at doing multiple things at once. Anyone who’s ever been in a car with me knows this. I cannot drive responsibly and talk to someone in the car. I run red lights, speed…it’s not good.

Because I can’t juggle, I need other strategies. Here are mine:

From “Master Your Workday Now,” I identify a few things that I want to get done each week. And then each day, I identify no more than six things I am totally committed to getting done that day. I have been blessed with the ability to really focus, so that works for me.

Oh! And recently I signed up for “IDoneThis” based on a tip from Dan Pink. You get an email at 6 each night and reply with all the things you accomplished that day. They track it…and it’s very satisfying to see what I can get done in a month or so.

Q: What’s going on with your writing and speaking engagements these days?
A: Bless you for asking! My new book, ReGeneration, is out in June. And we’re running this cool campaign: people who pre-order before April 30 will get their name in the book. http://tinyurl.com/rrb00k

Speaking is going great. I’m increasingly being used to fill the “futurist” slot at conferences. It’s not very often that meetings have a female futurist and economist…who wears tennis shoes. It’s going well.

Q: What have been some of the key things you’ve learned throughout your career? What might you do differently if you could go back in time?
A. Okay, that’s two questions again. And as you know, I can only do one thing at a time…

#1: Key Things

  • It’s as easy to sell a $5,000 project as a $50,000 project.
  • Nice people really DO get ahead in business. For example, we sold $10,000 of books in 13 days on Kickstarter. That happened because I have spent 15 years trying to be kind to every person I’ve met…and they want to return the favor.
  • You have to have a vision and values beyond the bottom line if you really want your life to count for something. That’s one of the things that always bothers me a little about CPA firms: they measure themselves on revenue and don’t make the connection to people’s hearts and values. I’d love to see a list of “Best Firms” that’s based on firms that really make a difference in the world.

#2: Do differently

  • I would’ve been a better friend to my real friends. Often, I sacrificed friend stuff (like class reunions or weddings) for work. I regret that now.
  • I would’ve fired people earlier, when I knew they weren’t a fit. It would give me fits to fire people, but it was faster and more painless than trying to make someone fit in.

Q: What’s in the future for Rebecca Ryan?
In the very immediate term, an airplane ride home.

In the longer term, we are helping a developer with a “next generation community” in the Dallas area. And I hope, someday, I will give a TED talk.

Oh! And beer. I love to sample beer.

Q: If you had to suddenly choose a completely different line of work, what might that be?

  • Shoeshine girl. There’s nothing more satisfying than shining shoes.
  • College professor. All that tweed and those cigars!

Ryan_R

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Interview with Sarah Galley, Firm Administrator

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Meet one of today’s experienced public accounting firm administrators, Sarah Galley. A key part of a firm that started in the early 90’s, Sarah lives and breathes firm administration and its various issues every day in Dayton, Ohio. Enjoy the Q&A…

Q: What’s it like being a public accounting firm’s administrator?
Being the firm administrator at Pohlman & Talmage CPAs, Inc. is exciting, fun, challenging, frustrating, difficult and very rewarding. As a firm administrator of a 20-person firm I wear many different hats and have to be able to switch gears in a matter of seconds. I’m a cheerleader, process and procedure enforcer, a therapist, a teacher, an IT person, just the all around “fixer.” Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I get to come in to work every day and do a job I love and work with intelligent and extraordinary individuals. I would be lying if I said it wasn’t stressful at times, of course it is. I have three partners and 16 employees with very different personalities and expectations. We also have the external stressors like any organization that we can’t always control, such as the IRS or DOL. However, I feel that if our firm leadership creates a positive work environment, we as a team can tackle those external stressors in a more productive and efficient manner.

Q: What’s the most rewarding aspect of what you do on a daily basis?
Helping! That is why I am in this position. I enjoy and want to help the firm, my partners, our employees and our clients. When I go home at night if I can think back through the day and know that I was able to help us get to a more efficient place, solve a personnel or partner problem, or see our staff evolving and just becoming a stronger team, that is my reward!  

Q: If a young professional told you he/she wanted to get into accounting firm administration and management, what would you tell them?
I would tell them it is an excellent career choice if you like to help and lead people. You have to have the ability to talk with the partners and be honest with them even when they may not like it. You have to be able to cultivate relationships and gain trust and be willing to work hard. It isn’t always easy and fun, but if you like helping, if you like being part of something successful…then this is a career choice you should consider.

Q: If you weren’t in the accounting or business administration world, what career path might interest you?
I think I would have taken the route of counseling or teaching. I enjoy helping others and working towards a common goal; I like to figure out what works and what doesn’t work…and be able to be a little creative along the way.

Q: If you had to jump on a time machine and go forward 20 years, what would you tell CPAs? What would you tell firm administrators?
I would tell CPAs that it isn’t all technical. Yes, you must have the technical skills, but you also need the soft skills and be willing to change. As a CPA you are not just required to crunch numbers–you need to learn how to build relationships and talk with your clients and your employees–you have to be able to be evolving constantly. People want to know you care…that you are invested in their future. That is the key to retaining lifelong clients and employees. I would tell administrators almost exactly the same thing. As an administrator you do need to have those technical skills but you must be able to change and cultivate relationships.

Q: What’s in the future for Sarah Galley?
Besides continuing to enjoy my three wonderful children and husband, I plan to continue at Pohlman & Talmage CPAs and help the firm grow, develop and be successful. I would like to go back to school for my Master’s degree in Leadership Development or Organizational Behavior and apply that knowledge to not only Pohlman & Talmage but also to our clients’ organizations. I am fascinated by human beings and their interactions and am truly interested in all the inter-workings of a successful organization.

Sarah Galley 1

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Life’s A Sale — Living Is Selling

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The Curator offers this insightful article by Bill Kistner. It’s interesting. Enjoy.

“No, that can’t be true I’m a professional,” you are thinking. So, let me help you get a handle on this by asking you a couple of questions.

> Is any part of your daily work or personal-life involved in getting others?
to understand or accept your concepts?

> How often do you find yourself trying to influence, persuade, encourage or
change others?

I believe the odds are high that you answered “yes” to one of the two questions. Your “yes” answer, clearly says you are in the business of selling.

It is easy to understand why you dislike selling or the idea of it because from childhood most of us were conditioned to dislike it. We heard tales about:  door-to-door peddlers, used car and aluminum siding salesmen. Their images produced feelings of gloom, trickery and that selling is degrading.

However, let’s change that negative picture by showing you why life’s a sale. To begin lets count the sales you made as a child. Gathering courage, you persuaded your parents to increase your curfew or stay overnight at a friend’s house. You sold Mom and Dad on getting a better bike. When older you made your best sale getting your parent’s approval to drive the family car.

Childhood sales successes groomed you for adulthood when you convinced a manager to hire you and the car dealer to drop the price on the car you wanted. Now you sell your friends, family, co-workers, and clients on 1001 things.

I rest my case for you can see that no matter who we are or what we do we are all salespeople. The question then is how can you become more effective. Because becoming a better salesperson increases your skills to help people fulfill their needs.

To help prospects and clients what tools will increase your effectiveness as a salesperson. Here are three easy to use tools that will strengthen your selling skills.

1. Sell yourself
This is about building rapport. Rapport is establishing open communication and a harmonious connection with a person. This paves the way to finding common interests and collaborating.

Yes, your credentials, expertise, abilities are the key to helping clients. However, they are not the most powerful ability you have to sell.

The most powerful capability you can sell is yourself, your essence, integrity, and character. Why, because people like and buy optimism. People like optimist because they are positive, confident promote success and pleasurable company. Optimism is a critical characteristic in sales success. Interestingly, the only thing keeping most of us from being optimistic is our attitude.

Therefore, sell yourself first it will greatly expand the value of your credentials.

2. Develop Trust
Nothing happens between people without trust, because trust is the foundation for all interpersonal relations. Trust, is the binder between people when they feel no threat to each other and understand the benefits of being connected.

To help you build trust here is a proven formula to follow.

One (1) over (RF) risk & fear = T (Trust). The one (1) is for the critical elements: Believability, Integrity and Intimacy. The more of these three elements you substitute for the one (1) over the RF – (Risk and Fear) you drive down risk and fear and increase trust.

Trust creates confidence and reliability, which opens the door to building, long-lasting relationships.

3. Ask Questions
Questions are the backbone, rhythm of all conversations. We ask questions in selling because they help us discover customer needs, gain information and build rapport.

The writer Rudyard Kipling gave us six questions that can assist us in asking questions. Those questions are: who, what, when, where, why and how.

Kipling’s questions fit the question formula called, “10 – 10 – 10”. The first ten questions are those you need to ask the prospect. The second ten questions are ones you brainstorm regarding what client’s want and needs answered. The third element provides answers to the questions you brainstormed that the prospect/customer needs, wants answered.

There is no magic in the number ten because in most industries there is the 24 to 36 questions prospects/ customers always ask. The 10-10-10-formula increases your confidence when you meet with clients/prospects.

Now you are aware of two valuable things. First, you are a salesperson and it’s not terrible or awful. Second, you now have three proven tools that can increase your effectiveness as a salesperson.

Think of all the famous people in history and consider how different things would be if Columbus had not sold the king and queen of Spain on his idea. Reflect on all the products Thomas Edison invented and sold. In short, you are in good company as a salesperson.

Bill Kistner & Company LLC
Helping You Discover & Satisfy Customer Needs
740-549-1980 — Cell: 614-795-1916 — E-mail: billkistner@mac.com
3225 Arctic Ave. Suite: 101 — Lewis Center, OH 43035

Unlock Opportunity

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The Foggy Crystal Ball of Early April

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Every once in a blue moon a public accounting firm’s post-April 15 celebration party gets a little out of hand or it results in someone making a very bad error in judgment. Fortunately, that scenario doesn’t happen very often. When I worked at an accounting firm I think the most out-of-character thing that ever happened was someone having an extra beer or two (or far too much sausage and sauerkraut the one year we had the festivities at a German restaurant). What will the crystal ball see this year for the evening of April 15?

One of the latest trends in food marketing is to slap the word “protein” on the packaging, which apparently is driving such products to sell faster than vitamin-stoked hotcakes. I wonder what the crystal ball sees next in the food world? For instance, did anyone see this Greek yogurt wave coming? Fantastic yogurt, but it’s out of control, brother.

Of course, what we really care about is the next big trend in the accounting profession. What does the crystal ball see for the rest of this year and next year? So many people were banking on this being a huge M&A year in public accounting. Will that be how it plays out?

What do you think is behind the fog in that mystical future-telling window to the accounting world?

??????????

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Spotlight on Texas: TSCPA’s Janet Overton

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Meet one of today’s marketing executives in the accounting profession, Janet Overton. As the Director, Marketing and Communications of the Texas Society of CPAs, Janet lives and breathes marketing in the great state of Texas. Enjoy the Q&A…

Q: What’s it like working at a state CPA society, especially in a state like Texas with multiple major markets, border issues and the sheer size of the state?
Interesting, challenging, fun, creative, and a lot more adjectives that come to mind…all good ones.  I really don’t think we have any more challenges than other states do, they are just different ones. It’s never a dull moment around here due to the fact that there are so many different issues, different segments of members to serve and the public to help with financial information.

Q: What have been some of the key things you’ve learned throughout your career?
I started out as a creative in the advertising world and then moved into the business end, so I have kind of an odd perspective of two very different worlds – one right brain and one left. The creative part of my life has helped me look at the business aspects of my career with an eye towards doing something different and not just what has been done in the past. It has also taught me about dealing with people from very different perspectives and visions.

Q: What might you do differently if you could go back in time?
Oh, I would have to say that I would save the world from hunger and do all I can to help make the world a peaceful place. Just wanted to have a chance to say that. Truly, though, I think there are a lot of things I would have done differently. I think a lot of us would. Having said that, I think the mistakes and missteps I made were more valuable to me than any of my successes. And I think a lot of people would say that as well.

Q: What have been some of your fondest memories of your time at TSCPA?
The members. Really wonderful people! The one thing I love the most about CPAs is they inherently want to do their best to do the right thing, and they will.

Dallas

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