The Abundant Accountant: Leads, Sales & Business Growth for Accounting, Tax and Bookkeeping Professionals

Do you ever feel like you provide excellent advice and service (for free) and then watch your potential client go hire someone else? You tell them how you're going to save them money and then never hear back? It's time to stop working for free, and find new ways to build trust with both current and future clients! When meeting with clients, it's important to have that trust factor so that they want to do business with you. In this episode of The Abundant Accountant podcast, The Pitch Queen shares 5 actionable ways (plus a 6th bonus tip!) that you can use to build trust with current and future clients. This trust will help you grow your firm and find your ideal clients! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Be sure to join us on May 15th for our next amazing episode! As an accounting professional, I know you're used to taking on anyone who knocks on your door, tired of not getting paid for your knowledge and your worth, or struggling with inconsistent cash flow during the offseason. It's not your fault! I know that nobody is training you on how to fix these problems and connect the dots. That's why I created my Selling Without Ever Selling System. I'm so excited about this that I'm offering you a free coaching session so I can share this information with you too. Let me help you get your IDEAL clients coming to YOU so you can build your dream practice and still have the time and money to enjoy your family and kids. Head on over to theabundantcall.com to schedule your coaching session with me and my team! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle shares how giving free advice doesn't help your firm - it actually hurts you! What is the definition of TRUST, and why is it so important for your firm? Tip #1 - give a "sample" of the work, not the whole "meal." When you provide your prospects with the full meal that is like giving away all of your knowledge for free. Don't tell your potential client HOW you will do the work - tell them WHAT the end result will be! The how to a client is actually irrelevant until you are paid. If you tell them how they can go find someone else to do the work for a cheaper cost. Be strategic about how you communicate - sometimes your genius can hurt you. Tip #2 - show the human side of the business. We get caught up in the details and the numbers, but our clients also want to know about US! Don't be afraid to show your personality. Clients truly do want to connect with you on a non work level. Give clients the chance to connect with the human side of the business - how your firm is changing clients lives, and your own life! Make an "about me" page on your website, and make sure that you have a good picture of yourself. Tip #3 - make yourself available for inquiries. Be ready and able to field inquiries. Be reachable even if it's through an assistant. Consider installing a live chat function on your website so that potential clients can reach out to you. Create unique touch points with clients to set yourself apart from the competition. Tip #4 - be clear about what your client should expect. Rule of thumb: Underpromise and over-deliver! Make sure that your client knows expectations regarding accessibility, potential charges, or anything else related to the engagement that they engaged with you in. Create boundaries, clearly, define them with your client, and stick to them. Tip #5 - make sure that you follow through! If you say you'll do something, DO IT! Operate in integrity in all aspects of your firm. People pay premium prices for your services when they trust you! BONUS tip: Create a Yelp business account so that you can have testimonials and reviews from current clients. Yelp will help bring you business! Check out Episode 14 of The Abundant Accountant Podcast to hear how Yelp helped build Aleksey Kaplans business. Michelle invites listeners to pick 3 of these tips and implement them at their firm so that they can stop giving away free advice and be paid their value! Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn P.S. As an accounting professional, I know you're used to taking on anyone who knocks on your door, tired of not getting paid for your knowledge and your worth, or struggling with inconsistent cash flow during the offseason. It's not your fault! I know that nobody is training you on how to fix these problems and connect the dots. That's why I created my Selling Without Ever Selling System. I'm so excited about this that I'm offering you a free coaching session so I can share this information with you too. Let me help you get your IDEAL clients coming to YOU so you can build your dream practice and still have the time and money to enjoy your family and kids. Head on over to theabundantcall.com to schedule your coaching session with me and my team!

Do you view social media as a waste of time? If you're not careful, it can be rather time-consuming! However, social media can be one of your biggest sources of new business - if you're willing to put in the work to be consistent! Social media helps you connect authentically with an abundance of clients. With intentional, consistent work, you don't have to spend a lot of money to get abundant clients! Yelp, LinkedIn, Facebook business pages - oh my! Does this sound overwhelming? It doesn't have to be. Small steps over time will lead you to GREAT results in your business. But you don't have to take my word for it! In this episode of The Abundant Accountant podcast, The Pitch Queen along with Aleksey Kaplan explains how to use social media to grow your firm and find ideal clients to have the firm of abundance! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Be sure to join us on May 1st for our next amazing episode! Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY, & WORK FEWER HOURS? Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass! You will learn: The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones! Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice! How to stop competing on price FOREVER! Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today over at theabundantaccountant.com. Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle Introduces Aleksey Kaplan. Aleksey works with entrepreneurs and professionals for tax services. Social media can be confusing and take a lot of time - how to use it best to get the most out of the time invested for your accounting firm? Social media is a powerful lead generator. We live in the 21st century, and need to use social media! What's the best way to gain traction to make sure people know about you, and will be contacting you? Aleksey determined that he didn't want to do things the old fashioned way - he wanted to try new things! When he searched for his competition, Aleksey found out that they weren't on Yelp - so he built his presence there. Social media reviews are authentic and real, and people rely on those reviews. Aleksey gained a lot of clients from Yelp alone. By creating a Yelp account, it creates a rich customer experience for those who find you and builds rapport and trust. Social media allows clients to get to know YOU. You have to spend money to make money - but don't just throw it away. Invest it! Aleksey started with $6000 in ad spend budget for the whole year. He chose the amount by asking "what is my break-even point? Can I make this back?" Cost per customer lead varies. The first year of investing in Yelp ads, brought in 3 times the investment. The second year, brought in TEN times the investment! You cannot slack on social media! Being responsive matters! If you don't have a business Yelp account, go make one NOW! Build the know, like, and trust factor. Reviews and testimonials can be repurposed and used on your website. Make sure you create a Google listing for reviews and a Facebook business page for reviews. The best social media for your ROI is going to be Yelp! LinkedIn is another great tool with a high ROI. Yelp brings immediate results, LinkedIn brings in the long-term network. LinkedIn helps you target your audience. LinkedIn takes a longer time to grow, but the ROI is high! The longer sales process makes for a great conversion. LinkedIn allows you to automate your networking, finding professionals you want to connect with. LinkedIn allows you to posture as an authority: post content that is consistent on your profile and targeting your ideal client. Tip: use hashtags on LinkedIn to connect with your target client - speak the language of your future client! Aleksey posts content weekly on LinkedIn, and a monthly newsletter with tips - that is to help with conversions for sales. Consistent content builds credibility. You can use Hootsuite to schedule and post content. Hootsuite is a scheduling tool. Tip: your newsletter can be posted on LinkedIn as an article. Aleksey spends 30-45 minutes a day on LinkedIn to connect with new clients. It takes time, but it brings quality clients! Be consistent, and stick with it! Consistency brings its own ROI. "We don't have a choice if we will do social media, it's a matter of how well we will do it." ~ Aleksey Kaplan Michelle closes by challenging you to make a social media plan to help increase the value of your firm. Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Aleksey's Website Aleksey's LinkedIn Aleksey's Facebook Page Aleksey's Yelp Page Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn P.S. Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY, WORK FEWER HOURS? Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass! You will learn: The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones! Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice! How to stop competing on price FOREVER! Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today over at theabundantaccountant.com.

How do you ask for referrals? Do you have a script or a template? Do you find yourself wanting to try something new and creative? Referrals can be FUN! Being creative with your referral process can bring fun to your business, and increase the number of referrals that you get - and bring you those clients your love to help so you can have a firm of abundance. We all know the importance of asking for referrals. By taking a few simple actions, you can set yourself apart in the industry, making your ideal clients continue to send more clients to have the firm of abundance. Are you ready to set yourself apart by being creative in asking for referrals? In this episode of The Abundant Accountant podcast, I'm sharing The Pitch Queen's 6 creative ways to encourage referrals from your current clients. Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Be sure to join us on April 15th for our next amazing episode! Over the last 18 months, I've been perfecting something called the Selling Without Ever Selling System. Up until now only my high-end clients have had access to this information. But I'm so excited about this that I'm offering you a free coaching session so I can share this information with you too. This system is all about getting your IDEAL clients coming to YOU and finally getting paid what you're worth so you can build your dream practice and still have the time and money to enjoy your family and kids. If you're tired of waiting around for business, relying on busy seasons, or guessing at what works, this free coaching session is for YOU. Learn more at theabundantcall.com. Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle shares why referral clients are important and will bring more life to your business. "Referrals are the key to the door of resistance" ~ Michelle Weinstein. Make asking for referrals easy! Keep referral cards handy so that your clients are able to quickly and easily give you potential future clients. Turn getting referrals into a game: get an Uncle Sam hat; add names, and draw a winner every month or so. Use your email list to connect with current clients in a fun way and ask for names of others who would be a good fit for you to work with. TIP! Make sure you know who your ideal client is. When you sign on new clients, donate a portion of the revenue to a good cause. Share this with your current client as they will be more likely to send great referrals your way! Incentivize referrals with exclusive benefits that only they get! Make a VIP club for your best referrers and give them exclusive value. Ask previous prospects for referrals who may be a good fit for your business. Make sure you ASK! You won't get referrals if you don't ask for them! Finally, Michelle ends by encouraging all accountants to implement these ideas into their business. Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn P.S. Over the last 18 months, I've been perfecting something called the Selling Without Ever Selling System. Up until now only my high-end clients have had access to this information. But I'm so excited about this that I'm offering you a free coaching session so I can share this information with you too. This system is all about getting your IDEAL clients coming to YOU and finally getting paid what you're worth so you can build your dream practice and still have the time and money to enjoy your family and kids. If you're tired of waiting around for business, relying on busy seasons, or guessing at what works, this free coaching session is for YOU. Learn more at theabundantcall.com.

Are you feeling burnt out? Do you take on every prospect that comes your way? It's time to stop the hamster wheel, and step into high-end, premium offerings for your accounting clients which means you can't take on everyone. In this episode, Peter Freuler joins The Abundant Accountant Podcast to share his story of taking on every single client that came in the door to his firm, to recognizing that narrowing his focus and only serving a specific niche, would help his topline revenue. Peter started his firm 13 years ago, and for years he believed that the best way to serve his clients was to offer every service under the sun to anyone that approached him at his firm. This led to problems, Peter's bottom line wasn't growing, some of his clients would up and disappear after the initial meeting, and Peter couldn't find qualified staff for everything he wanted to fulfill. When Peter finally decided to zero in and focus on a specific type of client & follow a sales system, in May of 2018, his revenue increased about 20%. It might be hard to believe, but by creating a sales system that all prospects must go through, you are saving yourself time by not working with less than ideal clients, and you'll be able to start charging top dollar for your services, since you'll be more available to the right clients which then you would be able to charge more. Peter shares his personal journey from having NO sales system, to a high-functioning, ever revolving system, THAT WORKS! If you're ready to work with dream clients, only do tasks that you enjoy doing, and increase your revenue, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Peter Freuler for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us on March 15th for our next amazing episode! Have you have ever felt like you give away too much information for free or are you tired of not being paid what you're worth? Then you're like most accountants who may feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster! & we have a solution for you! Join us for our Abundant Accountant Masterclass to learn how to communicate your value, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more mone This Masterclass is for you if you want to stop giving all of your information, time and knowledge away for FREE, identify ways to have consistent income, and start being paid for your value and worth - all year round! Click here to sign-up for the Abundant Accountant Masterclass! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Peter Freuler. Peter introduces himself and shares a little bit about himself and his firm. When Peter first began his firm, he did not have a sales system in place. He followed the method, that if someone called them to work with his team, they'd take you on, no matter what your needs were. Peter's and his team had NO way of identifying whether someone was a good client for them or not. It took Peter 10 years to begin making changes with his firm. He was fearful of losing what he had, by making new changes in his business and not taking on any and all clients. Peter and Michelle discuss the effect a scarcity mindset can have on your accounting business. Peter's and his team went through and analyzed different industries, personalities of potential clients and profitability to determine what kind of clients they wanted to work with. When you work on and focus on your value and your worth, you are more likely to stick to the boundaries you set for yourself and your clients. Peter talks about what it's like to turn clients away, once you identify who you should be working with. By narrowing their niche, Peter and his team are now able to bring in their ideal clients and charge a higher premium price for their services. Being a one-stop-shop isn't all it's cracked up to be. Peter provides 3 tips that newer accounting professionals can use to avoid the mistakes Peter made. Accounting professionals tend to think in systems and in getting the work done for their clients, they don't often think sales are integrated with running the practice. Peter explained how he made the shift from this way of thinking. Taking a potential client through your sales process is SO important, to ensure they're an ideal fit. Peter shares the sales process he and his team use. When Peter put a sales process in place, his business completely changed. He went from being able to just offer commodity type services to offering premium high-priced services. The same would be true for you and your firm! When Peter and his team redid their sales process in May of 2018, they've seen a topline growth of $65K, as of his interview in August of 2018. If Peter had made the shift to a sales process sooner, his revenue would be more than double what he is making now. Peter shares one last quality piece of advice. Tune in to hear it! Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn Have you have ever felt like you give away too much information for free or are you tired of not being paid what you're worth? Then you may be like most accountants who feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster! & we have a solution for you! Join us for our Abundant Accountant Masterclass to learn how to communicate your value, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more money. This Masterclass is for you if you want to stop giving all of your information, time and knowledge away for FREE, identify ways to have consistent income, and start being paid for your value and worth - all year round! Click here to sign-up for the Abundant Accountant Masterclass!

011 | How to Identify Clients That are Ready to Hire You NOW Is your firm full of clients, you're working 12-hr days and you're barely making ends meet? Turning away business is probably one of the most difficult things you will ever do as an accountant. You know you have rent and employees to pay, so taking on everyone that walks through the door seems like the right thing to do. That couldn't be further from the truth! I have a student; his name is Scott. I spoke with him about my 8-week accounting class about three or four months ago. At that time Scott didn't have the time to take my course, but I didn't know this immediately, I had to dig. I started asking Scott questions like, "I only work with people who are willing to take out five to seven hours per week, every single week, for an 8-week period. I want people who will do the homework, and actually implement the sales process in their accounting firm. Are you willing to do this?" He answered me honestly and told me that at that moment he didn't have the time to dedicate to my class. About six or seven weeks ago, Scott reached back out and let me know that he was now ready to make the time commitment and invest in himself. Let's be honest, none of us actually have the time to commit to something like this. We have to carve out time for what's important to us. And, since Scott wanted to generate an additional $100k in revenue, he knew he needed to make the time. I'm really happy and proud to share that just last week Scott closed $25K in business. All because he decided he was ready to invest time and money in himself. However, if I hadn't done my due diligence and determined that Scott wasn't an ideal client in the beginning, he may have joined the course, not done the work and wasted my time and his own. In this episode, Ross Jeffries joins me to share his best tips on how and why it's so important to identify your dreams clients, before you start working with just anyone. It probably feels incredible to have bunch of potential clients just dying to work with you, but if you don't take the time to actually identify their problems and how you can help them, and find out whether they're willing to invest in themselves, you're wasting your time. And, as we all know, time is precious and not something we can ever get back. Stop wasting your time on people who say they're interested, but aren't really ready to invest! If you're ready to identify your ideal clients and put a stop to your 12-hr days, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Ross Jeffries for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode! PS. If you're like many accountants we work with, you may feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster. There is a solution - a proven, time-tested way to get off that cashflow rollercoaster once and for all. You'll be able to connect with high-level clients & business owners that you want to work with; communicate your value, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more money. Click here to sign-up for the Abundant Accountant Masterclass! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Ross Jeffries. Michelle introduces the topic and how it affected her in the mortgage business. "Time is the one thing you don't get any more of. You can always make more money but you could never get more time." ~ Ross Jeffries on why it's so important to qualify your leads. Not everyone is ready to work with you right now, and if you work with people who aren't ideal clients, your quality of work will decline. Ross shares the top three ways to qualify leads that won't waste your time. It is so important to share your expectations with your accounting client right from the start, and ensure that they are willing to work with those expectations. The ONLY correct answer is an "Absolutely YES" from any client. The more you say NO to working with an unqualified client, the more you increase your sense of worth. The more you are yourself, the more you'll attract the accounting clients you desire, because like attracts like. Michelle shares some questions you can ask yourself in order to determine WHO your ideal clients are. Scott, a student of Michelle's, acts as a perfect example of how Michelle knows when someone will be an ideal student. "The money is made in the follow-up." ~ Ross Jeffries 50% of accountants do not follow-up with their prospects. Michelle is on a mission to help you change this! Ross shares three ways that he can tell whether someone will be or WON'T be an ideal client. Michelle shares this brilliant qualifying question, "I work with people who want to make strategic decisions, are committed to changing what they have been doing year after year, and are ready to act now to make a change. Is that you? Can I count on you for that?" Curious how to know when you should turn a prospect away? In this episode, Ross shares three ways to know if you should turn a prospect away. Michelle closes out the episode. Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Buy Ross' Book Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn PS. If you're like many accountants we work with, you may feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster. There is a solution - a proven, time-tested way to get off that cashflow rollercoaster once and for all. You'll be able to connect with high-level clients & business owners that you want to work with; communicate your value, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more money. Click here to sign-up for the Abundant Accountant Masterclass!

010 | The Best Ways for Accountants to Get Referral Clients How often do you ask your current happy clients for a referral? Do you sit around hoping that they'll just send people your way? It's time to change your thought process... Referral clients are GOLD! Receiving referrals from current, happy clients also increases the chances that the referral will choose to enroll with you. People are more likely to buy from people they know, like and trust. When a referral is sent to you, it's coming from a trusted source. The individual is more likely to want to work with you one-on-one. However, referrals will only come your way if you are direct and ask for them from your current clients. In this episode of The Abundant Accountant podcast Michelle shares The Pitch Queen's top four ways to get a constant flow of referrals without having to waste lots of time or money. (There might even be a BONUS tip for you!) If you're sick of spending money on marketing materials that rarely get used, then it's time to start asking for referrals! This episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to all my listeners for taking the time to check-out this week's episode! Be sure to join us on the 1st or 15th of every month, for our next new episode! P.S. MAKE MORE, WORK LESS Unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass! You'll learn: The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones! Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice! How to stop competing on price FOREVER! Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle shares why referral clients are like GOLD, to your firm. When Michelle started asking for referrals she did not clarify the type of client she wanted to work with, so she was getting referrals that were less than ideal clients. It's important to clarify WHO you want to work with when asking for referrals. The number one best way to ask for referrals is to be sincere and direct. Many accountants say they're too busy to ask for referrals after they've finished the work for a client, but if you take the time to schedule it in your calendar and then actually do the work to ask for the referral, your accounting firm is going to start exploding with business. "For every single client that you made happy, but you never asked for the referral, you're missing a HUGE opportunity. It's what I call, the opportunity cost." ~ The Pitch Queen The second best way to ask for referrals is to have an incentive in place or a referral program, where if a referral comes to you and enrolls as a client, you reward the referrer for sending the individual your way. Referral gifts can vary, Michelle provides several great suggestions in this episode! The third best way to bring in referral clients can be explained with an acronym… K.I.S.S. This means, Keep It Simple Stupid. This means having prepared email templates that you can forward to a referrer so that they can share your information, or business cards are another great example. You want your contact information to be readily available and easy to locate! The fourth best way to get referrals is to stay top of mind and FOLLOW-UP. You absolutely must have a follow-up system in place. Michelle briefly shares her system in this episode. BONUS: The fifth best way to get referrals is to give others referrals. When you give referrals out to others, you are more likely to receive those referrals back, ten-fold. "When you refer people out to others, they're going to send you your ideal clients. It goes hand in hand." ~ The Pitch Queen Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn MAKE MORE, WORK LESS Unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass! You'll learn: The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones! Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice! How to stop competing on price FOREVER! Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today!

Do you have any long-term clients who you undercharge in fees, and you worry that they're going to leave you if you raise their rates? If you answered YES, then this week's The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Marc Schnoll joins the show to share how he learned the importance of owning your worth and charging adequately for it. Marc started his firm about 14 years ago and has had a long-term client since the beginning. As the years have passed, the amount of work that Marc and his firm have done for this client has increased dramatically, but the monthly rate they charge has not. There were countless hours of email messages and phone calls that were going uncharged. These messages and calls weren't being tracked and, because Marc was afraid to lose the client, he didn't want to raise his rates for quite some time. However, after a lot of thought, doing a 90-day analysis was a necessary next step. Marc realized that it was time to raise his rates NOW! The information he found by doing this analysis opened his eyes to how much value he was providing and how badly he was undercharging. If you're tired of being underpaid, and you're ready to own your value, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast! To share your thoughts: To help the show out: Special thanks go out to Marc for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us on the 1st or 15th of each month for our next new episode! P.S. Are you tired of feeling like you have to give away your knowledge and expertise for free? Register NOW for my FREE Accountant Masterclass and learn my 3 proven strategies to establish a systematic, efficient process that quickly qualifies your leads and turns them into high paying clients that guarantees you a consistent and growing stream of revenue all year round. Get FREE access NOW at abundantaccountant.com Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Marc Shnoll. Marc shares a little about who he is and where his firm is located. After working with a client for 15 years, Marc realized that his firm was undercharging for the amount of work they were doing for this client on a daily basis. Marc was receiving approximately about $4,500 a month for his work, but the work was worth seven or 8 times that. Marc would often check his email first thing in the morning and he'd have a series of emails from this same client. We're talking about 300 emails over a 90 day period. The firm also had an entire staff person dedicate about half of their work time to this client. After a 90 day evaluation, Marc realized they needed to increase this client's rates – listen to THIS episode to hear how much they increased it and the result. If you're ready to start analyzing what your clients are paying you, so you can start asking for what you're worth, Marc suggests some things you should review to determine your price. When raising rates, you must consider whether or not there is a better or less expensive option for clients, because they may make the choice to leave. You have to be ready for this. After 15 years Marc's client decided to leave, but it actually was a good thing. Marc shares why, in THIS episode! By analyzing the work and the amount of money he was being paid from his long-term client, Marc realized that he was undercharging across the board. Marc raised his rates 10 to 15 percent, and will likely raise his rates again next year. Doing all of this work, raising rates, and analyzing the work they were doing for clients, helped Marc raise his confidence levels. Especially when dealing with clients, which meant he was better able to believe in his worth and ask for what he was worth. Marc's final piece of advice was to have the confidence and know you're worth it. Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Marc's Website Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn P.S. Are you tired of feeling like you have to give away your knowledge and expertise for free? Register NOW for my FREE Accountant Masterclass and learn to implement my 3 proven strategies for your accounting practice to stand head and shoulders above your competition and offer superior value and unmatchable service to easily build your practice with premium clients who eagerly pay you what you're worth. Get FREE access NOW at abundantaccountant.com

Do you have a marketing plan for your accounting firm? Or, are you kind of winging it as you go, hoping dream clients fall into your lap? I've worked with a lot of accountants, and I know that many of you shudder at the thought of having to go out and market yourself, so you avoid it at all costs. But, as I'm sure you've learned, that isn't going to bring in any business! In order to build a solid accounting firm with the clients you love, having the right marketing techniques to ensure that you have a steady flow of dream clients walking in your doors (or calling you on the phone) is a must. In this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast, Ross Jeffries joins me to share THE four best marketing tips for accountants and how to put them into practice starting today. If you're ready to start showcasing your expertise in a way that shows your prospects what's possible, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast! To share your thoughts: To help the show out: Special thanks go out to YOU for taking the time to listen to this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast. Learn the 3 proven strategies my accounting clients use to easily build their accounting practice with premium clients who are eagerly willing to pay what they're worth. Sign up for the FREE masterclass NOW at abundantaccountant.com Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Ross Jeffries and shares a little bit about who he is. Michelle explains that there is NO way to show how good you are at being an accounting professional without properly marketing yourself. Ross shares his definition of marketing. Content marketing is one of the most strategic ways that accounting professionals can market themselves. Want a quick tip on how to create more content? Ross shares a brilliant tip that he learned from his mentor Gary Halbert. Be sure that when you're pushing your content to different channels, you ensure it is formatted in whatever way is best for that platform. It's important to get feedback from current clients so that you know what you are doing really well so that you can market that to future prospects. Tip number two is to ensure you capture your leads. Unfortunately, many accounting professionals do not have a solid system for capturing leads and following-up with them. Michelle stresses that we never ever want to discount our prices. NEVER! "When you discount your services, you become a commodity like rice." ~ Ross Jeffries Tip number 3 is to start using social media, particularly LinkedIn, to market yourself. Both Ross and Michelle offer some great tips for building your presence on LinkedIn and on Twitter. Tip number 4 involves creating a passive income stream through affiliate income. While building up your affiliate income, continue to build your relationships because you never know who could lead to additional commission or referral fees. Ross introduces the acronym NEER – Naturally Existing Economic Relationships – and explains what it means. Ross shares a great tip on how to build your credibility and expertise by using free publicity. Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Buy Ross Jeffries Book Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn P.S. Learn the 3 proven strategies my accounting professional clients use to easily build their accounting practice with premium clients who are eagerly willing to pay what they're worth. Sign up for the FREE masterclass NOW at abundantaccountant.com

007 | 5 Steps to Developing a Winning Elevator Pitch for Accountants Do you have a pre-written and practiced "Brand Shake?" If you're not familiar with the term Brand Shake, it is the term I like to use with my Royal Family to describe the ever-important elevator pitch. Having an award-winning elevator pitch is the key to mastering your next networking event, but what goes into writing an effective elevator pitch? In this episode, I'm sharing The Pitch Queen's top 5 steps for creating an elevator pitch that has people lining up to work with you and your firm. Plus, I'm sharing my special little bonus that has set me apart from many individuals and has helped me secure interviews with some big name entrepreneurs, like Mel Robbins. If you want to create an award-winning elevator pitch that has clients waiting to work with you, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to you for taking the time to listen to this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast. Are you tired of feeling like you have to give away your knowledge and expertise for free? Register NOW for my FREE Accountant Masterclass and learn my 3 proven strategies to easily build your practice with premium clients who eagerly pay you what you're worth. Get FREE access NOW at abundantaccountant.com. Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces this week's topic and shares why it's on of her favorite topics, creating your Brand Shake. Can you easily describe what you do and who you serve? In this episode, Michelle shares how to master step one of creating your sales pitch. Most accountants have a deep passion for helping their clients achieve their goals, which is why Michelle loves working with them. "When you are shaking someone's hand you are representing your own brand." ~ The Pitch Queen It's impossible to be everything to everyone, so choosing a specific niche you want to serve is SO important. When it comes to step 2, you must know who your ideal client is and how you can serve them. Michelle shares the basic format of how she writes out her elevator pitch, aka Brand Shake. In order to pitch to the right people, you must know who to pitch to. There is no use pitching to people who you can't help. Step 4 all comes down to practice, practice, practice. You can have the most well-written elevator pitch in history, but if you haven't practiced it, it won't matter when you get in front of people and try to use it. After you've introduced yourself and shared your elevator pitch with a prospect, Michelle recommends that you follow-up within one or two days. Michelle shares a very effective little secret that she uses to connect further with those individuals that she's met in person. You don't want to miss this tip! Finally, Michelle shares her personal sales pitch, to provide you an excellent example how to write your own. Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn P.S. Are you tired of feeling like you have to give away your knowledge and expertise for free? Register NOW for my FREE Accountant Masterclass and learn my 3 proven strategies to easily build your practice with premium clients who eagerly pay you what you're worth. Get FREE access NOW at abundantaccountant.com.

How frequently does a less than ideal client reach out to you? How often do you end up taking that prospect on as a client? Probably more frequently than you would like. We often live in this lack mindset, thinking that if we don't take on every client we come across we'll never find another one. This leads us to taking on clients that range from deal makers, who aren't willing to pay the prices you're worthy of, to clients who want help with a service you don't know. When you take those clients on you will begin to resent the work you do for them because they eat up so much of your time. I'm here to tell you that you CAN work with your dream clients, all it takes is learning how to turn the clients away gracefully that can't afford you. Sounds simple in theory, but it does take some practice! Denise Mandeau joins this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast to discuss with The Pitch Queen how you can turn away clients who can't afford you and just aren't your ideal clients with grace and ease. Denise and I discuss how important it is to refer prospects out that aren't our ideal clients, because it builds up what I like to call "sales karma." If you're ready to kick that lack mindset to the curb and start living your abundant life (more money with less work), this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Do you take on every potential client that comes your way and now you have a client roster full of people who are just in it for the deal? Then THIS BLOG POST is a MUST READ! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle gives an overview of what today's episode is all about. Denise explains step 1 – that once you know that a lead isn't a good fit, you shouldn't drag the relationship on and on. You should never discount your prices for a potential client, because when you do you eventually start resenting the work that you're doing for them. Michelle shares how their client Marc realized a client was a time and money suck, so he had to let them go & it saved him money! Step 2 – Be completely transparent. If a prospect approaches you to work with you and they're looking for a service that is outside of your expertise, let them know that. Taking them on can remove the space in you business for clients who are your dream clients. You are the expert, so remember that you should never discount your services for prospective clients. If someone isn't a good fit, don't be afraid to refer them to someone else or possibly a course that might be a better fit. Accounting professionals should only work with those individuals that value their work. Not the individuals that are trying to nickel and dime them. Step 3 – Don't burn any bridges. Just because someone isn't a good fit now does not mean they won't be a better fit in the future. Moving right into Step 4 – If someone isn't a dream client, refer them to someone who is more capable of helping them, because they could possibly turn into an ideal client in the future. Denise shares a story about her client Matt, who only worked with $400K in net income businesses, but was approached by a startup who was making $75K in net income. If they stayed on target they would be an ideal client down the road. Matt referred this person to someone else who can help them now, and then will continue to follow-up every 90 days. Denise and Michelle discuss their follow-up system and why it's important to follow up with a prospect even if they're not the right fit now. Denise explains what sales karma is and how you can keep it going in your life. Michelle provides a quick recap of the episode. Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Watch the Facebook Live Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn P.S. Did you know that the prospect that you referred out today could end up being an ideal client in the future? It's true! THIS BLOG POST shares why referring out is important! P.P.S MAKE MORE, WORK LESS Unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountant Masterclass! You'll learn: The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones! Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice! How to stop competing on price FOREVER! Join our Abundant Accountant Masterclass today!