Practical Marketing Wisdom for Progressive Accounting Firms - Accounting Voices Podcast

Episode 48

Practical Marketing Wisdom for Progressive Accounting Firms

Published on: 2nd May, 2019

Amanda C Watts

Amanda C. Watts is the creator of the Velocity programme for CPAs and accountants. Velocity is a structured 3-step marketing and sales programme based on the best selling book The Pioneering Practice. By helping firms to clearly understand and communicate the value they provide they transform their positioning, remove their competition and generate higher revenue with fewer clients. She can take an average fee of £3k to £10k a year and beyond.

Amanda has been in marketing and sales for 26 years and has won awards for her training programmes. She is the author of two best selling business books: Escape, the Definitive Guide To Becoming A Freedompreneur®, and The Pioneering Practice. She has been featured in The Guardian, The Telegraph, spoken at Quickbooks Connect and Accountex London. Shownotes:

  • To go from good to great, accounting firms need to make it all about relationships
  • Accountants have been labelled over the years as not people oriented but too technical
  • Anyone, even accountants, can program their mindset with the right attitude and coaching
  • Accountants who don’t like the term ‘trusted advisor’ can’t come up with a better alternative
  • For accountants, sales and marketing means attracting, connecting with and converting your ideal clients
  • Why the accounting profession is so exciting right now, with ripe opportunities to give, grow and get
  • Accountants are better than business coaches because they understand the numbers
  • Two biggest challenges for growing accounting firms – tech and staff
  • What ‘focus’ looks like for marketing savvy accountants
  • Three things an accountant should look for in an ideal client
  • The wisdom of changing niches every few years
  • The savvy accountants are using more sophisticated marketing techniques vz a few years ago
  • Worst advice being given to accountants at the moment is on pricing
  • The best hiring policy to attract good people is through culture and how much fun it is to work for you
  • Shout to out Alex Falcon Huerta – what she gets her staff doing most of the time
  • A major source of confidence is gumption – just closing your eyes and going for it!
  • The ‘advisory conversation’ has been going on too long with very little change
  • The two biggest reasons why accountants fear change
  • No amount of marketing will bring you business – you have to start having conversations off the back of it

Amanda C Watts on the BD Academy Accounting Influencers podcast with Rob Brown

 

Amanda lives in Surrey with her husband Matthew, two children and her cat named Cat. She has a passion for different cultures and loves travelling the world. To learn more about Amanda and her work, visit www.twentytwo.agency or contact Amanda:

Phone +44 (0)1883 317 369

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacwatts

Twitter: @amandacwatts

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About the Podcast

Accounting Voices Podcast
Accounting Voices helps people in the accounting world stay relevant visible and vocal. Host Rob Brown interprets trends reshaping the profession and gives listeners insight to build authority influence and a stronger voice in firms and markets.
Accounting Voices, hosted by Rob Brown, helps decision makers and leaders in accounting and finance stay relevant, visible and vocal in a profession being reshaped by technology, private equity, regulation and shifting client expectations. Each episode interprets the trends disrupting accounting and finance such as AI, automation, M&A, talent and the move to advisory and translates them into practical insight that strengthens authority and influence.
Accounting Voices is also a platform for the wider ecosystem of networks, associations, educators, consultants, software vendors and technology experts who serve accountants and finance professionals worldwide. It extends into regular Accounting Voices networking sessions that connect this audience and amplify ideas that move the profession forward. With its international reach and long shelf life the show delivers credibility and commercial value for listeners and sponsors alike. Search for "Accounting Voices" on YouTube for all episodes and connect with Rob Brown on LinkedIn to find out more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobbrown

About your host

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Rob Brown

ob Brown is the creator and host of the Accounting Voices Network, a media platform that includes the flagship solo podcast Accounting Voices and the panel shows Accounting M&A and Accounting Tech. He chairs conferences, panels and virtual events worldwide and is recognised as a leading advocate for the accounting profession.

He is an accomplished speaker and authority on trust, reputation, employer brand, talent, succession, executive presence and the forces shaping the future of accounting. Rob is the author of the bestselling book Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and his TEDx talk The Personal Brand of You has been viewed more than 400,000 times.

A former co-founder of the Accounting Influencers Roundtable, Rob now focuses on amplifying the voices of leaders, firms, networks, vendors and influencers across the global accounting ecosystem.

Outside of work he is a stroke survivor, lives with epilepsy, holds a black belt in kickboxing and is based in Nottingham, UK. He plays chess and backgammon, loves orange chocolate and is allergic to grapefruit.