Developing top-of-mind awareness within your target market is one of the most important and difficult aspects of consistently attracting and winning new dream clients. If you want more highly qualified leads for your accounting firm, here’s how to become the go-to accountant in your niche.
There’s a nuance that often gets overlooked after defining the type of clients you want to work with. While it may be easier to develop a message and share which industry you specialize in, the hard part is making you the first thing your clients think of when they need help or give referrals.
It may be easy for you to develop a message, say you’re proactive, and share what you specialize in your industry. But do you know what the hard part is? It’s the frequency. This is what allows you to have a consistent pipeline of the type of people that you want to work with your dream clients.
Frequency pertains to you being top of mind when you’re needed by current or prospective clients. It’s making sure that you are the person or firm they are thinking of when they ultimately need solutions. But how do you do that and how are you there at the right moment?
This is the hardest part about marketing. A lot of people try something for a little while, then give up when it doesn’t work immediately. This shiny object syndrome often leaves accountants wondering why they can’t reach their dream clients.
It may be easy for you to develop a message, say you’re proactive, and share what you specialize in your industry. But do you know what the hard part is? It’s the frequency. This is what allows you to have a consistent pipeline of the type of people that you want to work with your dream clients.
The key to playing the numbers game is establishing yourself as a leader in the accounting industry. How do you do that? There are a couple different ways. But, when it comes down to it, it’s really just about how often your dream clients see messaging that indicates that you can solve their problems. Whatever message you put out there, it’s all about how people align with who you are as a person and how well you can convey that your expertise is the solution to their problem.
First, let me tell you a little story about how I stumbled upon this particular method to become the go-to accountant in your niche. I was with my father, and we were exploring a partnership with one of the major tax franchises in the U.S. Our goal was to help them with a variety of marketing and sales-related items for their franchisees.
While we were at their headquarters, they gave me a free, branded T-shirt. And, to be honest, I really didn’t think much of it at the time. But the T-shirt they gave me was so soft that even though we didn’t do any business together, I kept it for years
Every time I’d see it, I would think of that company, even though I had no other association with them. I didn’t buy anything from them, but they managed to stay in my brain. It’s because they managed to get inside of my brain or, more literally, in my wardrobe.
Now, let me give you another quick example. I got a wristband from InfusionSoft, when I became a certified partner literally at the beginning of my digital marketing career. But, better than a bracelet, it’s also a USB. And, I actually still use this today. InfusionSoft not only gave me a physical gift, but something that I would use often. So now, everytime I use this USB, InfusionSoft is front of mind.
Thoughtfully chosen gifts will help cement you in the mind of your current and potential dream clients. Other examples of memorable gifts include things like calendars, gift baskets, wine, books, or tickets to a local event like a baseball game. There are many ways to increase frequency but they don’t have to be something expensive.
You can also use direct mail or distribute brochures for a similar effect. Literally anything you can pick up and hold or create a memorable experience with, will give your audience a reason to keep you in mind. Here’s one last story about the power of gifts and one particular item that blew my mind.
Once upon a time, I had a client show me an NCI postcard from 25 years ago. Now, you might think “that’s junk mail.” But, it had prompted a thought, and so he kept it. Nothing came of it immediately but because of one simple postcard, they were always front of mind.
This is how you increase frequency…By adding both physical and digital offerings to the market, you can increase the frequency at which people see and associate your message with their problem and the solution.
The second best way to become the go-to accountant in your niche is, of course, digital. Digital presents an opportunity for potential clients to gain access to your expertise without having to make a long term commitment. If they frequently turn to you for tips, solutions, and general industry insight, you’ll always be front of mind. And, I practice this with DreamFirms Free Tool Fridays.
Every Friday, I hop into our Facebook group and discuss things happening in the accounting and marketing world, new software and tools, and even interview some of our most successful clients. This gives potential clients an inside look at what it’s like to work with the DreamFirms team & me and the kind of successes that they can expect.
I’ve built trust with my audience through frequency. Every Friday, they see me out there, sharing my expertise. If you’ve seen any our recent Free Tool Fridays, you might be thinking, “I don’t have a professional setup. I don’t know what I’m doing.” But have no fear, this is truly a case of practice makes perfect. Go back and take a look at some of the very first Free Tool Fridays. I’m not going to lie… It isn’t pretty.
But even then, it showed my audience that I was willing to go above and beyond. And that has always stuck with them. Every Friday they know to look to me for free industry tips and effective marketing techniques.
They’re tuned into our other channels, our Facebook group and DreamFirms Network, because they know the value of the information we put out there. Because of the frequency I have established, our current and prospective clients know that DreamFirms is the place to turn for best accountant marketing practices.
To recap, frequency can be established in several different ways but the primary two are through physical gifts and digital channels. These can be things like physical postcards, T-shirts, USB, keychains, gift baskets, or online experiences like demonstrating your digital tax onboarding questionnaires. Blend the two of these together and you’ll find your strategy for increasing frequency.
If you want to make more money, you primarily need to focus on three things: expanding your networks, having the right mindset, and improving your skill sets in the industry. With quality coaching and training, you can significantly improve your skill sets and produce more tangible results that can increase your value and worth.
To learn how we can help you achieve your dreams of attracting high-paying clients to your accounting firm:
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