Want more clients? Sell yourself.

• Author: Fowler, Mark H.
• Position: Marketing Tips

Unique to consulting is that marketing is never done. But consultants and CPAs who focus on consulting know that no marketing equals no work. This dynamic is spreading to public practice firms because increased competition and the expanding demand for ancillary services is forcing CPAs to explain and sell their work to compete with other professions.

The old days of doing good work and waiting for referrals to roll in are long gone. Today's world requires CPAs to don their marketing and client services hats simultaneously.

Every conversation is an opportunity and every situation is a chance to be of service.

MULTI-FACETED APPROACH

The best approach to marketing is coordinating a number of different methods into a unified message. Choose the strategies that most appeal to you--and remember that creating value comes from within. Good marketing communication is nothing more than an accurate expression of yourself and your business. Among the elements of a well-constructed marketing program are:

Brochures: These describe you and your firm. They tell what you do, how you do it, why you're good at it and the types of clients you work with. The best brochures are written from the client's point of view and always address the question, "What's in it for me?"

Speeches: Develop a 30-minute presentation on some aspect of your business, create some handouts and get yourself invited to speak at a professional trade group, chamber of commerce or service club. If you're good, the word will spread and you'll soon find yourself on the circuit.

Courses: Do you have an expertise that could be packaged into a college or continuing education program? This is a good way to establish yourself as an expert i,1 your field and pick up a client or two at the same time.

Articles: Write an article and submit it to a publication that is read by your target market. It is important to do your homework, however. Read the publication first to get an idea of the kinds of articles it prints and ask the editor to send you a copy of the editorial guidelines. You also can self-publish an article. For instance, if you do a speech, convert the speech into an article that you can hand out to existing clients and referral sources.

Newsletters: A quarterly or bimonthly newsletter gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise and gives your readers useful information at the same time. It is often good to share the limelight by having guest authors who can expand on other...