Proactive Guidance

To begin, if an accounting professional wants their clients to reach out to them “before” a problem escalates, charging them every time they decide to do so is COUNTERPRODUCTIVE!

The goal should be to help clients get into the habit of discussing potential problems with you proactively. To encourage this positive behavior, clients need to be incentivized, not disincentivized to do so.  I challenge anyone to disagree!

Technology Driven

Technology is driving efficiency through automation like never before, especially in accounting industry.

For decades, the accounting industry has proclaimed that “time is money”. Yet, tasks that once took an hour can now take seconds if approached correctly and systematically. To an accountant who bills by the hour, wouldn’t that inadvertently lead to less income? Where is their incentive to become more efficient?

Value Focused

Value is contextual and based on the client’s perception of the services being provided as well as the overall customer experience.

• Value focused means giving clients the most for their money.
• Value focused means providing services that bring results and help clients get to their goals.
• Value focused means means accountants can sell to the outcomes, not the amount of time it takes to get there.

Billing hours on the other hand, are based on what the professional perceives their value should be, without considering the client’s perspective. This mindset places all of risk and responsibility onto the client, having them pay for any inefficiencies of the accounting service.

Worst yet, the final fee is presented at a time when the service is perceived at its lowest. Studies have proven that people value services at their highest point when they have a problem that needs to be fixed ASAP, and at its lowest once they don’t have the problem anymore.