3 key lessons for accountants from….a children’s party entertainer! And more
MARK LEE FCA
Biz dev (incl re LinkedIn) for Accountants | Pragmatic insights, support and advice | Mentor, Speaker, Debunker | Chair of Network of specialist tax advisers | Received Outstanding Contribution award at Accountex 2024
How intriguing. More subscribers than usual opened last week's Magic of Success email even though I initially sent it at 12.45 AM rather than at 12.45 PM. So I initially sent this week's email first thing too. Let's see what happens. Do let me know if you have a preference as to when you get such emails from me. Or if you only see this newsletter via Linkedin.
Below you'll find 3 more quick practical ideas to help you succeed, plus?3 key business lessons for accountants from my days as a children’s party entertainer!
And this week's fun item reveals?Google search results re accountants and what this may tell us about how people see accountants.
Enjoy!
Mark
3 practical tips I shared recently in 1-2-1 sessions
Which of these tips could help as regards the issues, challenges and problems you are facing in your practice?
1-2-1 strategic and practical advice for you and your practice
My approach to mentoring sole-practitioner accountants is much the same as how I imagine a good sporting coach operates.
Helping clients by sharing advice borne of wider experiences. Typically my clients all seem to appreciate my years of experience, my independence, general credibility and my straightforward, direct and fun approach.
And they often end our calls by saying how valuable has been my advice, guidance, support and insights.
More specifically they typically find that by taking my advice they secure more of the referrals and business they want, they waste less time on pipe-dreams and they generate more fees.
Just last week, one of my clients thanked me again for the advice I had given in a recent call. He had done as I had encouraged him to do with just one client to date. And he was thrilled.
As a result of following my advice, he told me, he had secured additional fees from that one client sufficient to cover 4 months of my monthly retainer.
I currently have space for just two new 1-2-1 mentoring clients.
If this sounds like something that that would be of benefit to you, do message me so that we can book a time for a phone or zoom exploratory meeting - without any obligation.
Expert tax support for your clients
Next time you need tax support - for a one-off situation or to find someone to refer your heavyweight tax issues on a regular basis, just go to FindATaxAdviser.online.
The advisers are all members of the Tax Advice Network, which I Chair.
There's never any charge for you to use the quick, easy and free online search facility to find the right tax adviser by expertise and location whatever your client's tax problem, question or challenge.
3 key business lessons for accountants from….a children’s party entertainer!
As a teenager, before I started studying to become an accountant, I was a children’s party entertainer – and I continued doing this for about 25 years. When I look back I realise that I quickly learned 3 key lessons that now, many years later, still inform my thinking and advice to accountants.
1 – Specialisation boosts business
Throughout my ‘career’ as a children’s party entertainer I was also working hard at school, then college, then work during the week.
This meant that, other than at Christmas, I was only available to perform at weekend parties. And I soon realised I was a little choosy. I wanted to focus my efforts on parties where the children were most likely to enjoy my magic shows and to respond positively to my tricks, jokes and games etc.
When I had started out I had accepted every booking that came along. I had no filter. But I soon realised that 2 and 3 year olds were too young to really appreciate my magic tricks. To them, so I felt, life itself is magic. And I also soon concluded that once the children were over 7 they were more difficult to ‘control’ and were more likely to challenge my presentations. So I decided to avoid bookings for babies and for older kids.
I could have simply been more choosy when parents called to book me. Instead though I chose to change the way I promoted my services.
So, after a few years of learning the ropes I made clear on my business cards and yellow pages adverts(!) that ‘Marks Magic’ offered “Specialised Children’s Party Entertainment for 4-7 year olds”.
I remember that, soon after the first such advert appeared, the number of enquiries I received each week INCREASED and I was fully booked almost every weekend.
Looking back I realise this was because parents liked the idea of engaging a specialist, someone focused on entertaining children of a certain age and someone who didn’t attempt to be all things to all people/children. By definition I wasn’t doing babyish magic or anything too sophisticated.
领英推荐
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In this week's blog post you'll find the lesson for accountants that I have extrapolated from that experience plus two other shorter but equally crucial business lessons.
The second one will help you when quoting fees and the third one is far too often overlooked especially by experienced accountants. It's a frequently missed opportunity for bonding with prospects and new clients.
Fun time - Google search results re accountants
You know how Google offers you suggestions as to what others have searched for with the same opening words as you have typed in the search box?
Here are the top examples of popular questions and searches on Google, that begin:
Why are accountants....
...important?
....boring?
....unhappy?
....paid so little?
....in demand?
....so arrogant?
And a similar list re questions and searches that begin:
Why do accountants...
....wear visors?
....earn so much?
....use brackets for negative numbers?
....need analytical skills
....use spreadsheets?
These are quite telling and even worrying as well as being amusing and contradictory! Some see accountants as important, in demand and arrogant whilst others (presumably) see us as boring and unhappy. And accountants are apparently paid so little, whilst also earning so much for using spreadsheets and evidencing their analytical skills - and using brackets!
You'll find plenty more to make you laugh on the?Accounting Fun blog here >>>
Let's have a chat...
Let's have a chat if any of the above more serious topics resonated with you. I love supporting and encouraging accountants, tax advisers and solicitors who want to secure more referrals, reach and results.
You can take your chances here now: 07769 692890
or book a call at a time that suits us both:?www.calendly.com/bookmarklee
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Mark Lee FCA??provides strategic insights, advice, talks and mentoring to accountants, solicitors and tax advisers who want to improve their reach, referrals and results. He is also Chairman of the??Tax Advice Network, the UK’s largest network of independent tax advisers.
Mark has long been a popular speaker for UK accountants both on stage and online. Informed, entertaining and commercial he also debunks hype and misconceptions. Earlier in his career he was a partner in two top firms. He has a number of voluntary roles and is a long time member of The Magic Circle.