Growth & Business Development Tips for Accounting Firms

Alex Davis of Intuit Quickbooks works exclusively with large accounting firms, helping them attract and retain clients through building strong, benefit-led propositions using cloud technology. The result for accountants is a better knowledge of their client base, greater efficiencies in their processes, greater staff capability and better advisory conversations with clients.

Having worked in business development for 20 years, he is passionate about the role that accountants have to play in the ‘new world’ of sales where the concepts of trust and authenticity have never been more important.

He believes in challenging people on the way they view and apply technology, and his views are increasingly being sought by leaders in large accounting firms to drive change and maximise cloud opportunities.

Enjoy this engaging interview and get these insightful takeaways:

• Most people, if they’re really honest, want to get into business development and sales
• In accountancy, everyone is in sales – we all have to influence others and get our point of view across
• Accountants are typically risk-averse but are becoming more open to winning work
• The new generation of accountants are proactive with networking and BD
• The role of brand and ‘sub-brand’ in separating the good accounting firms from the great ones
• The power of being benefit led and client-oriented in a strong accounting proposition
• Big accounting firms organically grow 5-10% annually based on referrals but…
• The accounting landscape is changing with virtual firms, high street competition
• The accounting melting pot – everyone is coming together and competing for the same business
• The role of niching, focus and specialty – what the successful firms will be doing in coming years
• The ONE THING firms will need to do if they want to succeed in coming years.
• Bad doctrine in accounting appears in pricing, manipulation and selling vz relationship
• How the ‘we and us’ approach turns prospects off – better to be ‘you and yours’
• What’s the biggest improvement can you promise to your accounting clients?
• Software demos are okay, but Quickbooks instead talk to clients about growth and improvement
• Why accountants are uniquely placed to be the most trusted advisor in the business world
• Trust is the one thing that can cut through the marketing noise for accountants
• Profile tip for accounting firms – local office address is not as important as a stand out LinkedIn profile to millennial clients
• The shift in loyalty when switching accountants – why one SME has switched 4 times in 5 years
• The power of subscription pricing models for accountants- it’s how we are increasingly buying stuff
• Whose responsibility is it to lead in the engagement – the client or the accountant?
• What’s the real purpose of the accounting sales person? Mentor, coach, advisor or something different?
• The critical role of disruptive technology in the accounting world over the next 3-5 years
• 76% of accounting fees come from compliance and traditional work – red flag for large firms
• Why the right skills to sell and deliver on advisory work will drive accounting growth in coming years
• Deeper and better conversations with clients – how are you setting up your accounting people to have those?
• Knowing the client decision cycle to add value in business conversations
• The power of purpose and outcomes for accountants having client conversations
• Where the future opportunities are for progressive accounting firms

Alex is a very proud father of 3 and loves beaches, sport and wine. He has a really odd phobia of frogs. To contact him

07825 767658

Twitter: @alex_intuit

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