I hate resolutions. I never make them. Because I hate them. I see them as reminders, set far in the future, of the ineffectual nature of my ambitions and my ability to bring them to fruition. However, some people like them. Me, I like to set goals and call them "Goals for INSERT YEAR HERE." That way, if I don't achieve them, I don't feel as bad. If I fail at a "resolution," it almost sounds as though I let the country down. I won't bore you with all of them, but here are a few highlights from my "Goals for 2011."
REVAMP MY OFFICE: Without my wife helping me, this never would have happened. In late 2010, I purchased a new conference room table which was like Christmas for me. I felt as though I had hit the lottery, mostly because I had wanted a new table for nearly 4 years. But when she came to work with me in June 2011, the gloves came off. New desks up front in our main office, a clean file room (devoid of paper, as you can read in my blog "It's All In The Numbers"), less clutter....it's all around a better atmosphere, more calming and welcoming, productive and effective, purposeful, as evidenced by the clients that come in to see me and then don't want to leave. It's not because they love the sound of my voice, but because it smells nice in here and is better than going to their next appointment. At any rate, I love my office more than I ever have.
READ MORE: I didn't think this was possible, because I really do love to read. I spent more time this year reading things related to my profession and to doing it better, as opposed to the next John Grisham book. I do intend to read his new book, but not right now. I have a Kindle and an iPad, which means that I can get to any e-book at any time I want, and with this convenience came a never-ending desire to read constantly. I love it, but on those rare occasions where I'm just sitting and relaxing, I feel guilty if I'm not reading. Is that bad?
BECOME LESS AFRAID OF TECHNOLOGY: Yep, this one is hard to admit, folks. In a profession where, as one colleague puts it, you "innovate or die, " I was way behind the curve ball for a CPA in 2011. However, I enrolled in a coaching course, made time during my work days to investigate and learn more technology, and enlisted Meghan's help in finding new and better ways to do things, and we came up with some pretty nifty ideas. Again, without her it wouldn't have happened. I am proud of how much we accomplished in this area and I hope that you recognize the changes when you come see us in 2012.
MISSES: I didn't play more tennis than the year before (in fact, I didn't play at all in 2011, which saddens me greatly); I didn't expand my musical horizons as much as I had intended, although I have a new appreciation for gangsta rap; I didn't have anything published in a professional journal, but then again I didn't try it either (maybe in 2012); and I didn't dig into my iMac and learn more cool things about it than I knew the year before.
NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES: I changed telephone services in October to AT&T...enough said.
Here's to a fantastic 2012! We love you guys, and wish you much success this year!
11.30.2011
Where Is My Jet Pack?
At the risk of dating myself here, does anyone remember typing "C: /" to do anything on their old DOS system? I distinctly remember (because I remember obscure facts about my past, but have a hard time remembering to put on deodorant in the morning) doing this in college, which sadly was the first time I had ever used a computer. I learned about Lotus 1-2-3 and WordPerfect at Clemson like it was the gospel. I could even create my own macros by the time it was over. I have a hard time doing that even today, and I spend hours in spreadsheets each week.
My 7 year old daughter can now navigate my iMac at home about as well as Meghan or I can. She knows how to find things on the internet, as evidenced by the fact that she can locate any Justin Beiber music video or concert clip on YouTube with ease. I remember watching MTV for hours on end, waiting for some promised video, then missing it when my bladder wouldn't allow me to sit still any longer. Then, I had to wait for it again. Wow, things are different now! Everything is made to order, it seems.
Who remembers the video cameras from the 80's that weighed about 75 pounds and recorded data on those VHS tapes? I do. They were awfully bulky and difficult to use. Quality...terrible. Portability...forget about it. Now, you can carry around a movie on your iPhone and watch it anytime. I saw a kid in a pizza restaurant, waiting for a table while watching a cartoon on her mom's iPad. I can't tell you how many hours I frittered away, waiting in line to eat someplace as a child, with nothing to entertain me except my own imagination and any toy I had stuck in my pocket on the way out the door. Thank goodness for Star Wars action figures! Now, they were portable....
I woke up this morning and paid a bill to one of my vendors while I was putting my daughter's lunch together. I had access on my iPad and I remembered that I needed to do it today. It was great! I can check the weather forecast from my bed at night to be sure I know whether to wear my foul-weather gear to work. I can carry about a thousand books on my Kindle, anywhere, without a backpack or forklift. As with anything, however, I would love more. Where is my jet pack? Do you remember those old commercials that promised floating cars and jet packs by the year 1999? I didn't see them when the originally aired but I have seen references to them.
I have carried my desire to have more, experience more, do more all the way to my desk when I come to work each day. As you will see in the coming weeks and months as we enter tax season, we have made SO MANY changes to how we do things. Some are subtle, some will slap you right across the face. We want you to have the jet pack. We have this desire to keep providing more and more to you, and we have made a promise to ourselves to stay the course until you are flying around your office with little plumes of smoke coming out behind your jet pack. How's that for a visual promise? We are very excited about what we have done, and we know you will be as well.
Stay tuned....and Happy Holidays to all of you!
My 7 year old daughter can now navigate my iMac at home about as well as Meghan or I can. She knows how to find things on the internet, as evidenced by the fact that she can locate any Justin Beiber music video or concert clip on YouTube with ease. I remember watching MTV for hours on end, waiting for some promised video, then missing it when my bladder wouldn't allow me to sit still any longer. Then, I had to wait for it again. Wow, things are different now! Everything is made to order, it seems.
Who remembers the video cameras from the 80's that weighed about 75 pounds and recorded data on those VHS tapes? I do. They were awfully bulky and difficult to use. Quality...terrible. Portability...forget about it. Now, you can carry around a movie on your iPhone and watch it anytime. I saw a kid in a pizza restaurant, waiting for a table while watching a cartoon on her mom's iPad. I can't tell you how many hours I frittered away, waiting in line to eat someplace as a child, with nothing to entertain me except my own imagination and any toy I had stuck in my pocket on the way out the door. Thank goodness for Star Wars action figures! Now, they were portable....
I woke up this morning and paid a bill to one of my vendors while I was putting my daughter's lunch together. I had access on my iPad and I remembered that I needed to do it today. It was great! I can check the weather forecast from my bed at night to be sure I know whether to wear my foul-weather gear to work. I can carry about a thousand books on my Kindle, anywhere, without a backpack or forklift. As with anything, however, I would love more. Where is my jet pack? Do you remember those old commercials that promised floating cars and jet packs by the year 1999? I didn't see them when the originally aired but I have seen references to them.
I have carried my desire to have more, experience more, do more all the way to my desk when I come to work each day. As you will see in the coming weeks and months as we enter tax season, we have made SO MANY changes to how we do things. Some are subtle, some will slap you right across the face. We want you to have the jet pack. We have this desire to keep providing more and more to you, and we have made a promise to ourselves to stay the course until you are flying around your office with little plumes of smoke coming out behind your jet pack. How's that for a visual promise? We are very excited about what we have done, and we know you will be as well.
Stay tuned....and Happy Holidays to all of you!
11.15.2011
The True Value of a Paperless Existence
You've all heard me talk about this....I blogged about shredding all the paper. Now, it's time to discuss the true value of a paperless existence on the eve of our office seminar on going paperless.
First, let's discuss the term "going paperless." Some of you without knowing it have already gone paperless by using your bank's online billpay system, or by asking Reader's Digest to send your invoice to you electronically rather than by mail. How many of you own Kindles or iPads, and use them to read books? And honestly, who could satisfy their hunger for Lindsay Lohan's most recent jail-avoidance technique without resorting to reading about it online? The trees thank you. But, it can go deeper than that, and for my business clients it is a huge step in the right direction.
EXCEPTION ALERT - I love a handwritten thank-you note. In fact, I think that's the only acceptable way to send or receive a thank-you note. I sent one to a client the other day, and honestly, it's like I had to concentrate on my penmanship as though I was in second grade again. That was sad, but a sign of the times.
Technology is going to nudge us all to become more paperless as time goes on, so why not openly embrace the change now? For instance, my office BEGS to communicate with clients digitally. We hate paper. In any form. We love PDFs, e-mails, faxes even....because our faxes are reproduced into PDFs. Forms that require a quick signature will now be sent over a secure website for an electronic signature. I wish it could be made mandatory that all communication with our office be done digitally, but in a lot of cases, tax clients don't take the time to scan their original information into PDFs. That's OK for now.
SPOILER ALERT - With our individual tax relationships this year, we are offering a sit-down with Meghan where she will help you organize your tax documents, then she will scan them into our server before you leave. But, you didn't hear that from me....
Seriously, though...our standard business relationship these days involves a tremendous amount of work in the cloud. We use very little paper....no manual checks are written, no paper invoices are sent, even financial statements and other planning documents are sent via e-mail or delivered through Dropbox, so we don't even print those anymore. Employees are paid via direct deposit in most cases, and we're working through a process by which we can e-file your quarterly/annual payroll tax returns. When I meet with clients, I use my iPad to take notes and I can also refer to documents through Dropbox on my iPad. Life has changed so much from when I first started in this profession, and it's a welcome change. Gone are the days where we had one entire office devoted to files and storage. In fact, we have ONE filing cabinet now that holds one set of files for a client of mine who works overseas and asks me to hold his mail, and paper that some of you haven't picked up yet (because let's face it, even though we've contacted you several times already, you don't want the paper either so you leave it in my office). I now practice what I preach....
Get rid of the paper! Stop collecting it and then scan in the paper you already have, if you need it. Paper slows you down....it takes up S____P____A____C____E.....it wastes your time with its ever-present need to be managed, moved and reviewed....and once you make the move to go paperless, then reward yourself with a Kindle.
Next year, we are rolling out a service to our service industry business clients whereby we coach them through a process of uncovering value in their internal processes with their customers. We have done it, now we want to share it with everyone else. It all comes back to value, folks. A huge value-added item that we found was the embracing of technology, a large part of which is being paperless and adopting cloud-based technology wherever possible. Forever and ever, amen. The domino effect of recognizing value in one place is evident, when you take a moment and examine the processes. It's a very cool process, so I hope if you're reading this and you're one of our awesome business clients, that you're already excited about doing this process review with me. I know you'll love it!
And come get that paper that you left here, because I'm shredding it next week....
First, let's discuss the term "going paperless." Some of you without knowing it have already gone paperless by using your bank's online billpay system, or by asking Reader's Digest to send your invoice to you electronically rather than by mail. How many of you own Kindles or iPads, and use them to read books? And honestly, who could satisfy their hunger for Lindsay Lohan's most recent jail-avoidance technique without resorting to reading about it online? The trees thank you. But, it can go deeper than that, and for my business clients it is a huge step in the right direction.
EXCEPTION ALERT - I love a handwritten thank-you note. In fact, I think that's the only acceptable way to send or receive a thank-you note. I sent one to a client the other day, and honestly, it's like I had to concentrate on my penmanship as though I was in second grade again. That was sad, but a sign of the times.
Technology is going to nudge us all to become more paperless as time goes on, so why not openly embrace the change now? For instance, my office BEGS to communicate with clients digitally. We hate paper. In any form. We love PDFs, e-mails, faxes even....because our faxes are reproduced into PDFs. Forms that require a quick signature will now be sent over a secure website for an electronic signature. I wish it could be made mandatory that all communication with our office be done digitally, but in a lot of cases, tax clients don't take the time to scan their original information into PDFs. That's OK for now.
SPOILER ALERT - With our individual tax relationships this year, we are offering a sit-down with Meghan where she will help you organize your tax documents, then she will scan them into our server before you leave. But, you didn't hear that from me....
Seriously, though...our standard business relationship these days involves a tremendous amount of work in the cloud. We use very little paper....no manual checks are written, no paper invoices are sent, even financial statements and other planning documents are sent via e-mail or delivered through Dropbox, so we don't even print those anymore. Employees are paid via direct deposit in most cases, and we're working through a process by which we can e-file your quarterly/annual payroll tax returns. When I meet with clients, I use my iPad to take notes and I can also refer to documents through Dropbox on my iPad. Life has changed so much from when I first started in this profession, and it's a welcome change. Gone are the days where we had one entire office devoted to files and storage. In fact, we have ONE filing cabinet now that holds one set of files for a client of mine who works overseas and asks me to hold his mail, and paper that some of you haven't picked up yet (because let's face it, even though we've contacted you several times already, you don't want the paper either so you leave it in my office). I now practice what I preach....
Get rid of the paper! Stop collecting it and then scan in the paper you already have, if you need it. Paper slows you down....it takes up S____P____A____C____E.....it wastes your time with its ever-present need to be managed, moved and reviewed....and once you make the move to go paperless, then reward yourself with a Kindle.
Next year, we are rolling out a service to our service industry business clients whereby we coach them through a process of uncovering value in their internal processes with their customers. We have done it, now we want to share it with everyone else. It all comes back to value, folks. A huge value-added item that we found was the embracing of technology, a large part of which is being paperless and adopting cloud-based technology wherever possible. Forever and ever, amen. The domino effect of recognizing value in one place is evident, when you take a moment and examine the processes. It's a very cool process, so I hope if you're reading this and you're one of our awesome business clients, that you're already excited about doing this process review with me. I know you'll love it!
And come get that paper that you left here, because I'm shredding it next week....
10.26.2011
....And then it just walked out the door....
Tell me if this sounds familiar to you (my service provider clients).....
You meet with a new client and determine what you are doing for her (I am going to continue to use "her" since I think that "him/her" takes too long to type, and let's face it, no one ever uses "her"). On its face, it appears to be pretty simple. One thing. Bingo-bango.
Then, while you're completing the project, she needs you to fax something to her mortgage company. She also needs for you to please deliver the project in hard copy to her office since she's just down the street and conveniently located to your business. She also, very respectfully, asks you to please put postage on the envelope which holds the information she has to mail out, because she leaves work late and never gets to go inside the post office. And you want to keep this client happy, so you agree to do it. Does any of this sound familiar to you?
It certainly rings true with me. You've heard me refer to my coaching course, so here it goes again....In my coaching course, we have talked about Undiscovered Value....another term for this is "Un-billed Value!" I looked at my internal processes and quickly discovered that there are so many things I do for clients that go unrecognized from a billing perspective. In the past, I would bill engagements for the sole purpose of obtaining them and/or keeping them. I don't do that anymore. I bill engagements to.....MAKE A PROFIT ON THEM!! What a concept!
As service providers, I think it is safe to assume that we give away so much profit each year because we do things for clients that escape our calculations when we price engagements. For example, as part of our tax return preparation engagements with individual tax clients, we prepare estimated tax vouchers and tax estimates throughout the year. That is EXTREMELY valuable to the client, but I very rarely invoice for it. That is going to change. What are you doing for your client that is valuable, but isn't being billed and turned into profit for you?
The thing is....if a client finds a service valuable, the "keepers" don't mind paying for it. Yes, there are some clients that want something for nothing. You know what? Feel free to get rid of those clients and replace them with "keepers"! For the ones that truly recognize what an asset you are to them, no matter what service you provide, they don't expect you to give them away. So, why are you doing that?
As a service to our business clients, I am going to begin offering a consultation which allows for a conversation about my client's service process with their customers.....what are you doing for the client from start to finish? Are there services performed in that engagement, which you feel are just "part of the project" that truly bring value to the customer over and above the engagement you agreed upon? If so, then unlock that value and bill them for it.
Profit from the value you bring to your clients....after all, isn't that why we're in business? If you don't do this, you will most assuredly become frustrated and wonder why you've put yourself in a position to make less money than you're worth. It's time to admit that it's not a bad thing to know you're valuable to your client, and then expect them to pay for that value.
Otherwise, the profit just walks out the door....
You meet with a new client and determine what you are doing for her (I am going to continue to use "her" since I think that "him/her" takes too long to type, and let's face it, no one ever uses "her"). On its face, it appears to be pretty simple. One thing. Bingo-bango.
Then, while you're completing the project, she needs you to fax something to her mortgage company. She also needs for you to please deliver the project in hard copy to her office since she's just down the street and conveniently located to your business. She also, very respectfully, asks you to please put postage on the envelope which holds the information she has to mail out, because she leaves work late and never gets to go inside the post office. And you want to keep this client happy, so you agree to do it. Does any of this sound familiar to you?
It certainly rings true with me. You've heard me refer to my coaching course, so here it goes again....In my coaching course, we have talked about Undiscovered Value....another term for this is "Un-billed Value!" I looked at my internal processes and quickly discovered that there are so many things I do for clients that go unrecognized from a billing perspective. In the past, I would bill engagements for the sole purpose of obtaining them and/or keeping them. I don't do that anymore. I bill engagements to.....MAKE A PROFIT ON THEM!! What a concept!
As service providers, I think it is safe to assume that we give away so much profit each year because we do things for clients that escape our calculations when we price engagements. For example, as part of our tax return preparation engagements with individual tax clients, we prepare estimated tax vouchers and tax estimates throughout the year. That is EXTREMELY valuable to the client, but I very rarely invoice for it. That is going to change. What are you doing for your client that is valuable, but isn't being billed and turned into profit for you?
The thing is....if a client finds a service valuable, the "keepers" don't mind paying for it. Yes, there are some clients that want something for nothing. You know what? Feel free to get rid of those clients and replace them with "keepers"! For the ones that truly recognize what an asset you are to them, no matter what service you provide, they don't expect you to give them away. So, why are you doing that?
As a service to our business clients, I am going to begin offering a consultation which allows for a conversation about my client's service process with their customers.....what are you doing for the client from start to finish? Are there services performed in that engagement, which you feel are just "part of the project" that truly bring value to the customer over and above the engagement you agreed upon? If so, then unlock that value and bill them for it.
Profit from the value you bring to your clients....after all, isn't that why we're in business? If you don't do this, you will most assuredly become frustrated and wonder why you've put yourself in a position to make less money than you're worth. It's time to admit that it's not a bad thing to know you're valuable to your client, and then expect them to pay for that value.
Otherwise, the profit just walks out the door....
10.15.2011
It's All in the Numbers
There comes a time in every man's life when he has to be honest with himself. The realization comes that you will never play in a rock band...you will never play professional sports in front of an adoring crowd of onlookers....and you will probably never have the occasion to wear that leather jacket with the fringes on it again. That day came for me about a month ago, as Meghan and I were walking through the office and making decisions on what to do with the back room of my office....the room that I never used, hardly ever walked in, and was sort of scared of.
You see, in that room lurked empty filing cabinets, lots of old tax reference materials that I had never thrown away, chairs that had met their demise by losing bolts and casters, an old antique desk that hadn't been used in about three years. Scary stuff, huh?
Maybe not to you....but to this man who had claimed that his CPA firm was paperless, it was a scary reminder that while I NO LONGER KEPT PAPER (everything is scanned in and kept on my server, but not in paper form), I had never gotten rid of all the paper that I had. I had old payables files for the firm, going back to 2002, which had never been scanned. All those old IRS reference books from 2003...old reference guides that are now online for me...I had left all that paper back there. I even had all the old files that held all the old paper. Why?
I really don't know. All I do know is that it took my wife looking me in the face and asking me "What do you intend to do with this paper? How will it make your firm and your life better by keeping it?" that I realized I had no plan and no excuse. I needed to get rid of it. The clutter was really cramping my feng shui vibe. And honestly, there are younger CPAs in my THRIVEal coaching course who were running circles around me when it came to technology and being paperless. I had to do better. So, we made a decision to move forward...
We called our shred vendor, Shred360, and they came out. I knew it felt like a lot of paper, but I didn't know how much it truly was. They shredded over 1,200 pounds of paper from my office. Yes, you read that right....one thousand two hundred pounds of paper. With each piece/box/shred of paper that left my office, I felt a little more relieved, a little more like I was actually paperless after all. The value that this change adds to my life is measurable and wonderful. I can't really explain it, but I feel it every day when I walk in that clean back office, which now is an open map for a new design and use. And once the job was done, Meghan and I rewarded ourselves with some office furniture to fill up some of the space, furniture that serves a purpose unlike paper from the early days of the Bush presidency.
For those of you who feel like you want to make a move to a paperless environment, I encourage you to take the leap and DO IT! If you want to talk with me about it, bounce ideas off me, ask me about the trauma and separation anxiety associated with getting rid of your paper, call me! I can walk you through the process, the software we use to continue our paperless vision, and I can teach you how to make it work in your business. These are the reasons WHY we do what we do....it's those things that make your life easier that we embrace!
You see, in that room lurked empty filing cabinets, lots of old tax reference materials that I had never thrown away, chairs that had met their demise by losing bolts and casters, an old antique desk that hadn't been used in about three years. Scary stuff, huh?
Maybe not to you....but to this man who had claimed that his CPA firm was paperless, it was a scary reminder that while I NO LONGER KEPT PAPER (everything is scanned in and kept on my server, but not in paper form), I had never gotten rid of all the paper that I had. I had old payables files for the firm, going back to 2002, which had never been scanned. All those old IRS reference books from 2003...old reference guides that are now online for me...I had left all that paper back there. I even had all the old files that held all the old paper. Why?
I really don't know. All I do know is that it took my wife looking me in the face and asking me "What do you intend to do with this paper? How will it make your firm and your life better by keeping it?" that I realized I had no plan and no excuse. I needed to get rid of it. The clutter was really cramping my feng shui vibe. And honestly, there are younger CPAs in my THRIVEal coaching course who were running circles around me when it came to technology and being paperless. I had to do better. So, we made a decision to move forward...
We called our shred vendor, Shred360, and they came out. I knew it felt like a lot of paper, but I didn't know how much it truly was. They shredded over 1,200 pounds of paper from my office. Yes, you read that right....one thousand two hundred pounds of paper. With each piece/box/shred of paper that left my office, I felt a little more relieved, a little more like I was actually paperless after all. The value that this change adds to my life is measurable and wonderful. I can't really explain it, but I feel it every day when I walk in that clean back office, which now is an open map for a new design and use. And once the job was done, Meghan and I rewarded ourselves with some office furniture to fill up some of the space, furniture that serves a purpose unlike paper from the early days of the Bush presidency.
For those of you who feel like you want to make a move to a paperless environment, I encourage you to take the leap and DO IT! If you want to talk with me about it, bounce ideas off me, ask me about the trauma and separation anxiety associated with getting rid of your paper, call me! I can walk you through the process, the software we use to continue our paperless vision, and I can teach you how to make it work in your business. These are the reasons WHY we do what we do....it's those things that make your life easier that we embrace!
10.06.2011
Value - In the Eye of the Beholder
Value....defined as the worth, importance, or usefulness of something to somebody.
Okay, my first thought when reading that definition is that value is totally subjective. What I find valuable may not be what you find valuable. Value, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
As a service provider, and someone who is in the business of providing an experience along with that service, I think about value all the time. I have discovered over time that to truly understand what a client finds valuable requires a little work and maybe a little creativity. I started asking a question, which was recommended by one of my THRIVEal coaching course classmates...."If you had to envision the perfect relationship between my firm and your business, what would that look like?" I love the answers I get, and those answers tell me a lot about what the client finds valuable.
Here is an example of a relationship I find valuable within my firm. I value my IT provider, Dee McCraw with the McCraw Corporation. I value his staff as well, from the very nice young lady who answers the telephone to the technician who comes to my office when I have a problem. I value these folks because (1) I can't tend to my own IT issues; (2) if I could tend to them, I probably wouldn't want to spend my time doing it because I have other things to do; (3) they are quick to respond to me when I need them; and (4) they treat me like I hope I treat my clients, and like I expect to be treated. Dee is proactive.
It takes work and intent to impart value to a client. Do you agree? Why is it so hard?
I found out that I didn't do a great job of imparting value to my business clients when I proposed to a client that I perform CFO Services for them, and they replied with "Wow, I didn't know you guys did that!" Oooohhhh, that hurt! Why didn't he know? Was it because he hadn't visited my website lately? It wouldn't have helped because it's not that obvious on my website. The blame rested with me. I had never told him that we offered the service. I knew I had struck a nerve with him because he immediately wanted the service....he found it VALUABLE. He understood what my firm could offer, because I explained it in painful detail to him. He understood what sort of value it would bring to his life because now he could focus on working ON his business and not IN it. To most small business owners, that's a value-added proposition! I know it is to me!
As I discover new strengths within my firm, I find that capitalizing on those strengths and making sure to enrich my clients' lives by sharing the information imparts value. My industry has not always been known as a "sharing" environment. CPAs in the past have very closely guarded their client lists and office procedures because that's all they feel they have of any value. I can't tell you how many clients have thanked me for showing them something that may come second nature to me, but totally changed how they approached a challenge in their office. If I can add a few minutes of precious time to your day, I have accomplished something.
No matter how intangible it may seem, it's our job to make sure that clients understand the value of what we bring to the table. Because you know what? If we do our job, then we ARE valuable to our clients! That's not bragging, either. You have to believe it, promise it, then you better deliver on that promise. As I have said, I do believe I am an asset to my clients when I do my job properly. If you see my name, and immediately think, "Man, I like what that Godwin guy does for me. He makes my life easier and takes care of my business..." then I have succeeded.
And if none of this works, then I'll give you lots of Godwin pens and coffee mugs so you can see my name everywhere....
Okay, my first thought when reading that definition is that value is totally subjective. What I find valuable may not be what you find valuable. Value, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
As a service provider, and someone who is in the business of providing an experience along with that service, I think about value all the time. I have discovered over time that to truly understand what a client finds valuable requires a little work and maybe a little creativity. I started asking a question, which was recommended by one of my THRIVEal coaching course classmates...."If you had to envision the perfect relationship between my firm and your business, what would that look like?" I love the answers I get, and those answers tell me a lot about what the client finds valuable.
Here is an example of a relationship I find valuable within my firm. I value my IT provider, Dee McCraw with the McCraw Corporation. I value his staff as well, from the very nice young lady who answers the telephone to the technician who comes to my office when I have a problem. I value these folks because (1) I can't tend to my own IT issues; (2) if I could tend to them, I probably wouldn't want to spend my time doing it because I have other things to do; (3) they are quick to respond to me when I need them; and (4) they treat me like I hope I treat my clients, and like I expect to be treated. Dee is proactive.
It takes work and intent to impart value to a client. Do you agree? Why is it so hard?
I found out that I didn't do a great job of imparting value to my business clients when I proposed to a client that I perform CFO Services for them, and they replied with "Wow, I didn't know you guys did that!" Oooohhhh, that hurt! Why didn't he know? Was it because he hadn't visited my website lately? It wouldn't have helped because it's not that obvious on my website. The blame rested with me. I had never told him that we offered the service. I knew I had struck a nerve with him because he immediately wanted the service....he found it VALUABLE. He understood what my firm could offer, because I explained it in painful detail to him. He understood what sort of value it would bring to his life because now he could focus on working ON his business and not IN it. To most small business owners, that's a value-added proposition! I know it is to me!
As I discover new strengths within my firm, I find that capitalizing on those strengths and making sure to enrich my clients' lives by sharing the information imparts value. My industry has not always been known as a "sharing" environment. CPAs in the past have very closely guarded their client lists and office procedures because that's all they feel they have of any value. I can't tell you how many clients have thanked me for showing them something that may come second nature to me, but totally changed how they approached a challenge in their office. If I can add a few minutes of precious time to your day, I have accomplished something.
No matter how intangible it may seem, it's our job to make sure that clients understand the value of what we bring to the table. Because you know what? If we do our job, then we ARE valuable to our clients! That's not bragging, either. You have to believe it, promise it, then you better deliver on that promise. As I have said, I do believe I am an asset to my clients when I do my job properly. If you see my name, and immediately think, "Man, I like what that Godwin guy does for me. He makes my life easier and takes care of my business..." then I have succeeded.
And if none of this works, then I'll give you lots of Godwin pens and coffee mugs so you can see my name everywhere....
9.29.2011
Who Doesn't Want Something Better?
In all the years I have been practicing public accounting, I have never had someone come to my office and say "Jon, I want to have you be my CPA. In the process, I really don't want to learn anything new. I just want to keep doing what I have always done, and maybe have you help me prepare some reports that I more than likely won't read anyway. Feel free to bill me for all this, but not too much. I don't really understand the value of what you do....my friends told me I needed a CPA so here I am!"
I recently began a coaching course (I am the one being coached, by the way) that my fellow CPA, Jason Blumer, decided to offer through his organization of forward-thinking CPAs called THRIVEal. I realized after talking to the other CPAs located all over the country that we, as an industry, sometimes treat our clients like that. The business relationship starts off something like this:
Where was the advisory? Where was the ingenuity and recommendation of SOMETHING NEW AND BETTER to my client? What were they paying me for, exactly? What value am I providing? Ah HA!
Who doesn't want something better? I know I do. Case in point....my wife (then my girlfriend) came to my office not too long after we met and asked me if I had recently been robbed, or if I had just moved in. I sheepishly answered "No" to both of those since I had been here for almost 5 years with no theft, but in an instant saw what she was referring to. I had neglected the interior of my office for so long it had become a habit. I no longer saw it as something that could be improved. I saw it as something that just "was." But if you've been in my office lately, you've seen the drastic changes that have taken place over the last year. I wanted something better, so I asked for her help in making the office look better.
My questions to clients aren't always that direct. But, I think it's about time that I become that direct, but maybe with a rounded edge. I have made some changes recently with new clients who have asked for my assistance, most importantly by spending the bulk of my time with them asking questions about what they do. I need to know, IN DETAIL, what they do before I can offer any worthwhile assistance to them.
It doesn't stop there, however. No, no....I now begin to delve into how I can make things better, more efficient, more cost-effective, and more quality-of-life-friendly for them. Here is where things get interesting. The responses from clients are AWESOME! I am learning about new technologies that can pretty much allow you to run your business from the bow of a rowboat, and I'm sharing the information with everyone (after I learn how to do it, of course) and the results are off the charts! Clients love it! And guess what?
WE ALL WIN!!
My quality of life increases...my client's quality of life increases....and the true value of what I do now becomes obvious to them. Sometimes, until someone points out what is missing, we don't know or even notice what we didn't have. The old saying "You don't know what you don't know" is your mantra. Then, one day, you finally know what you didn't know and you make changes to ensure things change and get better.
Value....that's something for another time, because that's a bigger nut. But I will be back to talk more about that....
I recently began a coaching course (I am the one being coached, by the way) that my fellow CPA, Jason Blumer, decided to offer through his organization of forward-thinking CPAs called THRIVEal. I realized after talking to the other CPAs located all over the country that we, as an industry, sometimes treat our clients like that. The business relationship starts off something like this:
- A client is referred to my firm;
- I meet with the potential new client and learn a little bit about them, and then share a little about what I do, and at this time the client tells ME how they feel the engagement should go;
- I send out a quote based on what the client indicated they wanted and hope they take it;
- We start working together based on the parameters outlined by the client, and;
- Nothing changes until something BREAKS!
Where was the advisory? Where was the ingenuity and recommendation of SOMETHING NEW AND BETTER to my client? What were they paying me for, exactly? What value am I providing? Ah HA!
Who doesn't want something better? I know I do. Case in point....my wife (then my girlfriend) came to my office not too long after we met and asked me if I had recently been robbed, or if I had just moved in. I sheepishly answered "No" to both of those since I had been here for almost 5 years with no theft, but in an instant saw what she was referring to. I had neglected the interior of my office for so long it had become a habit. I no longer saw it as something that could be improved. I saw it as something that just "was." But if you've been in my office lately, you've seen the drastic changes that have taken place over the last year. I wanted something better, so I asked for her help in making the office look better.
My questions to clients aren't always that direct. But, I think it's about time that I become that direct, but maybe with a rounded edge. I have made some changes recently with new clients who have asked for my assistance, most importantly by spending the bulk of my time with them asking questions about what they do. I need to know, IN DETAIL, what they do before I can offer any worthwhile assistance to them.
It doesn't stop there, however. No, no....I now begin to delve into how I can make things better, more efficient, more cost-effective, and more quality-of-life-friendly for them. Here is where things get interesting. The responses from clients are AWESOME! I am learning about new technologies that can pretty much allow you to run your business from the bow of a rowboat, and I'm sharing the information with everyone (after I learn how to do it, of course) and the results are off the charts! Clients love it! And guess what?
WE ALL WIN!!
My quality of life increases...my client's quality of life increases....and the true value of what I do now becomes obvious to them. Sometimes, until someone points out what is missing, we don't know or even notice what we didn't have. The old saying "You don't know what you don't know" is your mantra. Then, one day, you finally know what you didn't know and you make changes to ensure things change and get better.
Value....that's something for another time, because that's a bigger nut. But I will be back to talk more about that....
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