As busy season begins, no more winging it!(PCPS BRIEF)

AuthorPusateri, Leo

Busy season is a great time of year to reconnect with clients, learn more about their needs and identify further service opportunities. As practitioners prepare for the coming season, it's a good idea to think about a dreaded disease called "winging it". I know CPAs pride themselves on thorough preparation and review when they offer services. You provide quality work to your clients and that comes from being on top of your game.

But that's because you're on familiar ground when you're doing the work you've been trained to do. Once you turn to marketing or promoting your firm, or perhaps moving from traditional services to value-added engagements, however, we're in danger of seeing more winging it in the profession.

At a recent meeting with the managing partner of a 70-person CPA firm, he told me about the difficulty of defending his business's value against competing firms when his firm is higher priced. He flat out said, "We do not know how to manage this communication. We wing it."

Let's say it together: "No more winging it." To discover your value, and tell others about it, take a look in your mirror and begin the introspection.

Are You Winging It?

It's easy to find out if you're cutting corners when it comes to articulating your unique value.

Ask yourself these questions to determine if you are winging it:

* Have I or my firm ever lost a piece of big business?

* Have I ever done an autopsy to find out why?

* In talking to a client or potential referral source, have I ever failed to deliver confident responses to typical questions regarding my value or the value that my firm would provide?

* Have I ever felt that I-or my team members-lacked passion in my/our response to questions about my firm?

* Have I heard answers from other team members and been disappointed because they lacked depth or confidence or revealed a shaky understanding of the client's business?

* Have I ever felt myself hesitating to answer questions from potential clients? (I'd bet your prospects can feel your uncertainty more than you think they can.)

Losing business isn't quite as bad if you can look in the mirror and know you did your best. It still hurts, but not as much. That's life and we move on. But it hurts a lot when your identical twin in the mirror honestly appraises the situation and says, "You blew it! You weren't prepared! You were just winging it."

Ouch! Now that really hurts.

Winging it occurs when you're just not on top of your game. Think about it. If the most...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT