I'm writing this so you know what's going on in my life; and the newsletters for September won't be out till Tuesday or Wednesday this week. My apologies for the delay; I hope you will understand that this is an unusual and unexpected event in my Families life.

This weekend, I got some bad news. My mother had been in the hospital for a few days going through some tests to find out what was causing her to form blood clots. After a week of tests, the Doctors thought they found the cause: colon cancer. My Mom is 66 years old, and survived breast cancer about 15 years ago.

Mom was scheduled for surgery on Friday, and was in high spirits when I spoke with her Thursday afternoon. She was relieved to finally have a diagnosis; and be on a path where she and her Doctors could make some progress with her health.

I was returning home from a short trip on Friday; I had planned to visit her on Saturday and bring her some flowers and take care of some household chores.

According to her surgeon, the procedure went really well. No loss of blood, and the mass appeared very centralized. The Doctor was confident he got all the cancer.

But, unfortunately, there were complications after the surgery. Mom was having trouble breathing, and her heart was very stressed.

My Brother called me on Saturday morning and told me to get myself down to Los Angeles as quickly as possible. Mom was in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). She was conscious; but in extreme discomfort due to the ventilator. She seemed glad to see me, but I could see the fear in her eyes. She motioned for her notepad and pencil, and I gave it to her...

She wrote:
"A great way to spend my retirement..."

My Mom retired as a Teacher from the L.A. Unified School System on June 20th this year.

Saturday, the attending physician we talked with told us to "hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.."

Tonight (Sunday as I write this) we finally talked with the chief attending physician. We had not yet really been told what is going on with my Mother, and if there was a prognosis. The Doctor informed us that my Mom is in "Respiratory Failure" and "Pulmonary Failure" and were it not for the ventilator and cocktail of drugs she is on; My Mom would not be "alive..."

Needless to say, my brother and I are struggling with all this news, and the rapid and sudden change in my Mother's health. How to deal with the practical matters of minding my Mom's health, but also the fear, sadness, confusion, agony, and love that all come to a head when a loved one is in such a critical, life and death state.

We just left the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and I will be back there all day over the next couple days.

Please keep us in your prayers.

David

P.S. Sometimes, when I write something personal on this marketing blog, or send an email that deals with personal matters, I get replies or comments like: "Who cares about your personal life..." or "What does this have to do with marketing a CPA practice?" -

Well, if you know me, I have a pretty thick skin. That doesn't bug me. But the truth is; at the end of the day, we're all human beings. We experience emotions like joy or sadness or fear or excitement. Sometimes the emotions are all mixed up. Especially when it comes to a severe illness with a family member or close friend.

So this message will has nothing to do with marketing your accounting firm. There are plenty of posts farther down the blog if your marketing needs a shot in the arm. Right now, my family needs my full attention and I'll get the newsletters out as quickly as possible...

God Bless
David Rachford

The Top 3 problems most CPAs and accountants have when it comes to marketing are:

1. "I don't have the time to market my firm."
2. "I don't have the money to market my firm."
3. "I don't know what to do to market my firm."

Today, we'll look at the first problem; "Time."

The truth is, that we have so much to do besides marketing; that it's easy to say "I don't have time to market." But that can be very harmful thinking. So before we get into how to find time; let's look at why you must...

When the "why" is strong enough, the "how" becomes much easier...

If you sit back and do nothing, your firm is guaranteed to shrink. Surveys have shown that on average, clients will leave at a rate of 10% per year. Clients move or sell their business, some clients fail, or sometimes a clients, as my Estate Planning Attorney buddy Dan says: "goes down for a long dirt nap" .

(note: That is NOT ME in the photo...I just used the image to make a point)

In other words, you must market just to maintain revenue from year to year.

In a down economy with an uncertain future, developing high quality leads and continuing to attract quality clients is more important than ever.

Marketing is also the most valuable use of your time. Let's say you spend just four hours a week on marketing, which results in one new client each week. If that client is worth $2,000 / year, you've just earned $500.00 for each of those marketing hours.

Another "Why market" reason is that marketing is fun. If you're not having fun, perhaps you're approaching it in the wrong way.

Cold calling is not fun. So don't have to do it. Hire someone to do it. Getting qualified appointments via fax is fun.

Connecting with great prospects and helping those prospects with problems can be fun.

Getting a story printed about your firm in the regional business paper is fun.

Increasing your income is fun; so is increasing the value of your firm.

Make your own list of "Why I Should Market..." Take 10 minutes now and put the list to paper. When the why is big enough; the how becomes easy.

Heck, I venture to say that if you don't have a big enough or important enough "Why I must market" list, you won't ever get around to marketing your firm.

So let's get into "How To Find Time To Market Your Firm."

Your calendar is your friend in this exercise. Make appointments and themes for your marketing your accounting firm. For example: September might be "Press Release & PR Month." October might be: "Referral Month." November might be "Website & Blogging Month."

Schedule a block of time each week to focus on the activities related to your marketing theme. If you're still short on time, I've got an additional resource for you.

I created a Time Management Seminar called "Kick Ass Time Management for CPA's and Accounting professionals" to help you find an extra hour (or more) each day. You can get it Free when you join my Inner Circle for Marketing Accountants. Join here: http://www.cpamarketingcenter.com/innercircle.php

Honor those appointments with yourself and your marketing efforts; you'll soon be on your way to enjoying robust growth despite a down economy.

Dedicated to your practice Development,
David

What I'm going to share with you today is largely ignored; yet SO VERY IMPORTANT to successful marketing for accountants.

In fact, in sales training, I don't know if I've ever heard it discussed.

In Marketing and Sales we talk about features and benefits. We talk about finding prospects who are good candidates for your products and services. We talk about the value of referrals. We talk about fundamentals of advertising. We talk about various closing techniques to cinch the deal.

But there's a missing secret.

Almost all top performers practice it. And when you start to make this connection; your performance and sales will go through the roof.

The secret I'm talking about is confidence.

When you have confidence; you project an image of success and people are drawn to you. When you're confident, you close more sales, get more referrals and enjoy success in all areas of your life.

Confidence is not arrogance. You can be confident and humble.

Take Michael Phelps. On his way to Olympic glory and 8 gold medals; each time Phelps climbed on the starting blocks; He knew that he was the favorite going into each race. But Phelps knew he had to have is mind right each time he competed. He didn't take success as given. Phelps had a ritual he performed before each race. You might remember seeing Phelps in his warm-ups suit and wearing headphones. According to an interview I saw; he was listening to "Lil' Wayne," a hip-hop artist.

Phelps used music to pump himself up and focus on creating a winning state. Phelps rehearsed his races in his mind (often called visualization) and locked in a positive emotional state by connecting the music to the thoughts and feelings of victory. In other words, Phelps created a mind-body connection to link his actions with his thoughts.

A great book on the subject of mind-body connection and how to apply it to marketing is "Zero-Resistance Selling" by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. For those of you unfamiliar with Dr. Maltz and his work; Maltz pioneered the study of "self-image," and is best known for his book "Physcho-Cybernetics."

Maltz explained that by recalling past success and victory; we experience the feelings of success and then project those feelings into our current situation.

Before you go on a sales call, recall previous sales success. You remember the feeling of satisfaction for signing a big client and providing the client with great service. Listen to a favorite song that puts you in a good mood. Link the feelings of happiness and success to your current prospects.

Your emotional state and the emotional state of your prospect are supremely important to a successful sales meeting.

People make buying decisions emotionally, and justify their decisions with logic.

Knowing how to emotionally connect with a buyer is essential.

In the next issue of "David's Accounting Marketing News: a.k.a. D.A.M.N. Good Marketing," I reveal the secrets on how to tap into the emotions of prospects to get them to buy.

Imagine if you've got a good appointment, you present a good case for your services; but you don't have the one essential hook that makes the prospect become a client. In other words; you know you can help them, but they don't become a client.

You not only lose a good client, but a source of referrals for years to come. When you add it up, the loss of one sale could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in the years to come.

Don't let this happen to you!

When you learn these sales secrets, you improve your quality of life by increased sales with less effort; and less resistance to your fees.

Dedicated to your practice development,

David Rachford, CPA

P.S. If you'd like to test drive my marketing newsletter at no charge; click this link and claim your free trial "David's Accounting Marketing News: a.k.a. D.A.M.N. Good Marketing,": Currently, I'm offering these exciting bonus materials:

* Bonus 1: The Accountants Marketing Bible (156 Pages) This rare manual is a blueprint to market your practice! $147.00 value

* Bonus 2: Internet Marketing for Accountants Master Class: On-line Marketing Strategies and tactics to catapult you to the top of the search engines. Get clients from Google! 2 Audio CD's; $118.00 value

* Bonus 3: The E-Myth For Accountants; Exclusive Audio Interview with E-Myth Author Michael Gerber on how to recapture the Entrepreneurial Dream for your firm; And regain your sanity! Value: $59.00
"David's Accounting Marketing News: a.k.a. D.A.M.N. Good Marketing,"

Earlier this month, I went on a great fishing trip to Winter Harbor, BC with my Dad and Brother - to stock up on good memories and stuff our freezers with fish.

So what's a fishing trip without stories? (the one that got away...and a picture of one that didn't)

Our guide, Wayne Bazen, is a super fisherman. He's well organized, has excellent gear; And, Wayne makes the fishing fun with a witty joke at the ready. Most importantly, Wayne is a great guide because he always delivers fish.

Fishing for salmon isn't different from getting good clients for your accounting firm.

The ocean is a big place, and the better you know your territory; the more effective your search can be.

That's why it makes sense to hire a guide.

You maximize your time by leveraging on your guides knowledge, experience, expertise and equipment.

So many factors affect your chances of catching fish (specifically we were fishing for salmon); and they are the same factors that determine your ability to attract and land the clients bring you the income and joy you want.

Successful fishing (& Marketing) depends on several factors:
1) Area & Region - Where are the fish going to be?
2) Are the fish hungry?
3) If the fish aren't biting, do you have a back-up plan?
4) Do you have the correct tools to catch a fish?
5) Do you have the right bait?
6) Once you hook a fish, can you get it into the boat?
7) Do you have a plan & system to process the fish you catch?

With September rapidly approaching, us accountants have only a few short months to be ready for tax season; and now is the best time to begin to ramp up your marketing.

Year end is the best time to re-start your marketing efforts; and I am here to guide you to success in your marketing.

So where to start now?

Over the past several years, I've consulted with hundreds of CPA's, EA's and Accountants and advised them how to improve their practice marketing. And I can help you too; if you act fast.

Now is the time to take advantage of my Eight Week Coaching and Implementation program; where I work one on one with you to develop and implement client attraction strategies to boost your income in the months to come.

I literally hand you the tools to put to use in your practice marketing, and work one on one with you to help you implement your plans and get clients.

And right now, you can take advantage of a rare 50% off coaching special.

P.S. Until midnight on Friday, August 29, you
can get my 6 Week Implementation and Coaching Program
for HALF OFF.
http://www.profitinyourpractice.com/best2008.php

I'm holding this special sale as a way
to say THANK YOU to all the people who read
my CPA Marketing Center Business Tips :-)

Here's where you can jump on board and save 50%:
http://www.profitinyourpractice.com/best2008.php
----------------------------------------------------------
Try My Coaching Program For 50% Off And Get FIVE
Bonuses!
---------------------------------------------------------
If the 50% discount isn't enough to have you
heading to my special 'half-off' web site, these FIVE
valuable gifts will surely do the trick:

* Bonus 1: Kick Ass Time Management for CPAs! This 45
Minute Audio Training Session covers Tax Season time
management and how to find an extra hour each day.
$147.00 value

* Bonus 2: The Accountants Marketing Bible (156 Pages)
This rare manual is a blueprint to market your practice!
$147.00 value

* Bonus 3: The Accountants Toolbox: Forms, Marketing
Budgets, Client Service Arrangements, and Abatement Letters galore...
$129.00 value

* Bonus 4: Internet Marketing for Accountants Master Class:
On-line Marketing Strategies and tactics to catupult you to
the top of the search engines. Get clients from Google! 2 Audio CD's;
Value: $118.00

* Bonus 5: The E-Myth For Accountants; Exclusive Audio Interview
with E-Myth Author Michael Gerber on how to recapture the
Entrepreneurial Dream for your firm; And regain your sanity!
Value: $59.00

http://www.profitinyourpractice.com/best2008.php

Until midnight on Friday, August 29, you can get my 6 Week
Ultimate Implementation and Coaching Program for HALF OFF.

Here's where you can enroll for half off:
http://www.profitinyourpractice.com/best2008.php

I'm holding this special sale as a way
to say THANK YOU to all the people who read
my CPA Marketing Center Business Tips :-) and the
flood of well wishes I received after yesterday's email.

Here's where you can jump on board and save 50%:
http://www.profitinyourpractice.com/best2008.php
----------------------------------------------------------
Try My Coaching Program For 50% Off And Get FIVE Free
Bonuses!
---------------------------------------------------------
If the 50% discount isn't enough to have you
heading to my special 'half-off' web site, these FIVE
bonus gifts will surely do the trick:

* Bonus 1: Kick Ass Time Management for CPAs! This 45 Minute
Audio Training Session covers Tax Season time management
and how to find an extra hour each day. $147.00 value

* Bonus 2: The Accountants Marketing Bible (156 Pages)
This rare manual is a blueprint to market your practice! $147.00 value

* Bonus 3: The Accountants Toolbox: Forms, Marketing Budgets,
Client Service Arrangements, and Abatement Letters galore... $129.00 vavle

* Bonus 4: Internet Marketing for Accountants Master Class: On-line
Marketing Strategies and tactics to catupult you to the top of the
search engines. Get clients from Google! 2 Audio CD's; Value: $118.00

* Bonus 5: The E-Myth For Accountants; Exclusive Audio Interview with
E-Myth Author Michael Gerber on how to recapture the Entrepreneurial Dream
for your firm; And regain your sanity! Value: $59.00

WHEW!

That's a lot of goodies ...and you get it all when you
try my entire system for 50% off.
Go here right now and claim your copy before they're all gone!
http://www.profitinyourpractice.com/best2008.php

Talk soon,
David
http://www.profitinyourpractice.com/best2008.php

P.S. This special half off sale ends at midnight on FRIDAY.
If you'd like to get 6 Week Ultimate Implementation and Coaching Program
so many Accountants are raving about ...and save 50%, then go here
now:
http://www.profitinyourpractice.com/best2008.php

I feel like I owe you an apology, as I've been out of touch for a few weeks; and I've been getting a number of emails and calls asking me "What's Up?"

Well, I'm not one for excuses. As my old Navy Chief Wagner said: "Excuses are like @$$-holes; everyone's got one and they all stink!"

However, I want to share with you the reason I've been out of touch for the past few weeks.

I wish I could say that I've enjoyed a great relaxing vacation out on some beach far from email, cell phones, and domestic beer; but that wouldn't be the truth.

The fact is that I've been laid up with a horrible, debilitating injury.

Back when I was in the Navy, I was involved in a training accident and ruptured a couple discs in my lower back. In the middle of a drill, I felt a "pop" and my legs collapsed from under me. I was unable to get up. At that point, it was three weeks before I could walk. After about a year-and-a-half of re-hab, I was able to walk again with only a little pain. However, I lost 40% of the nerve sensation in my left leg, and it's never come back. In the following years, physical therapy and treatment got me moving again; but every now and then, the injury rears up and shows its ugly head.

About 8 weeks ago, I started having back pain again. I went to my regular Doctor and Chiropractor, and started treatment & therapy; but it wasn't helping.

In fact, the pain is getting worse.

I did manage to make it on a fishing trip with my Dad and brother up in Canada; but endured a tremendous amount of pain. Each morning we took the boat out on the open ocean; and with each wave we bumped into, it felt like lightening bolts of pain were radiating up my spine and down my legs.

Despite my pain, we had a great time, and managed to catch a bunch of salmon, halibut and rock fish.

Our guide & host, Wayne Bazen, (Winter Harbor Lodge & Charters) is a super guy, and really knows how to put his clients on fish.

In fact, I even learned a thing or two about marketing on the trip; and I'll be sharing the lessons this week.

Upon returning from Canada, the pain has gotten progressively worse. I've been unable to sit at the computer to type, walk around; you know, basic life stuff. I've been laid up in bed; and even the simplest tasks are extremely painful.

Right now, as I write this, I'm standing at my tall table and typing, as that's the only way I can work right now. Luckily, I can think on my feet!

I hope you and those you love never have to experience pain like this.

At this point, I'm able to get back to work, as my mind has adjusted to a new pain threshold; so I'll be writing again regularly; sharing cutting edge, effective and field tested marketing tips.

While I've been laid up, I've developed some new products and offerings that I'll be sharing with you in the upcoming weeks. With the downturn in the economy, it's even more important to start and maintain your marketing efforts.

Stay tuned to get in on the very special limited offers coming up.

Thank you for your patience and well wishes! As always, I remain:

Dedicated to your practice development,

David Rachford, CPA

Last weekend - I was a klutz.

I stubbed my toe on a curb, turning a toe purple...

I banged my knee on a cabinet, bruising my knee cap.

But these painful experiences carry a lesson.

In both instances, I was distracted and not looking where I was going. The result: PAIN.

Physical pain is one thing - when it's a simple bruise, the pain passes in a couple days.

But when you have pain like not having enough clients to pay the bills, or provide for your future, it can last for a while...

Until you figure out the direction you want to go, and start evaluating your progress in a systematic way.

Every successful accountant has followed a well traveled path to success.

So beware of klutzy marketing moves rob you of money and time.

Some of the klutzy marketing moves I've made in the past are:

* Not focusing on the direction of my firm
* Not being selective enough of the "right" prospects and clients
* Not measuring the results of marketing campaigns
* Wasting money on marketing methods that don't work
* Being lazy about marketing - in other words, taking a break
* Failing to properly and persistently follow up with prospects

After you objectively identify past mistakes, get clear on what you want.

Then identify the map to get you to where you want to go.

There are two main components you need to have in place:
1. The map
2. The directions

The Map:
The map is a clear picture of where you want to go. The firm you want to build. The clients you want to serve. The reputation you want to have in your business community.

The Directions:
The directions are the specific route or turns you need to take to get to your destination. It goes without saying that if you can avoid wrong turns, you'll get there quicker.

There is more than one way to get to a destination.
For example, in the great road rally "The Cannonball Run" -

the goal is to get from New York to Los Angeles in the shortest amount of time. Some racers take the Northern route through the Dakotas, some take the Southern route through the Southwest. Both will end up in Los Angeles. If you're following an old map, you're more likely to make a wrong turn and waste time (and money on gas!)

Right now, I'm putting together a new "Map" and "Directions" to help you market your firm. Stay tuned over the next weeks as I reveal more details...

Dedicated to your practice,
David Rachford, CPA

P.S. Feel free to share your comments below on what marketing steps you've found to be helpful or a waste of time and resources! Comments make this blog more fun!

I just got back from visiting my families Cabin It was my Dad's 69th birthday, and he only wanted two things from me. Labor and home-made ice cream.

There's no problem convincing me that hand-cranked ice cream in July is a treat not to be missed. But the labor? It was an intimidating job.

I really got my hands dirty. Mike Rowe from "Dirty Jobs" would have been proud of me.

My job was to rip off the 50 year old shingle roof and prepare the roof for re-shingling. I got so dirty that when I got home, I just threw away the filthy clothes I wore up there.

While I was up on the roof in the sun, I got to thinking about what I could do to help you INSTANTLY market your practice. Maybe the sun and exhaustion got to me, but I realized that you don't even need to get your hands dirty to market your firm.

See, I've done all the dirty work for you.

Need a press release? - Done.
Website content? Done.
Referral Program? Done.

It's all included!

I want to send you a copy of "The Accountants Marketing Bible" at no charge. You'll instantly get a link to download your copy via my Membership Website, and I'll send you a printed copy of the Accountants Marketing Bible and a bunch of bonuses via mail.

So here's a resource for new subscribers to my Marketing Newsletter for Accountants ( David's Accounting Marketing News ) I'm giving away 7 copies of this marketing package - in honor of in honor of the 6.9 decades my father has lived.

This 147 page manual shows you:
How to get clients and referrals with a client newsletter
How to improve you Internet Marketing
How to avoid wasting your marketing dollars on stuff that doesn't work
4 things that every ad must have (including your website)
Website Case Studies and Makeovers
How to harness the power of F_r_e_e Publicity

Ready to use articles and press releases
and much much more...

I'm making only 7 special packages available as I'm going to be taking the Accountants Marketing Bible off the market very shortly, and I'm re-vamping my whole Inner Circle Membership (It's going to get bigger and better) So in the meantime, lock in your lowest price now, and get instant access to a bunch of my best stuff.

When these 7 memberships are gone, they're gone.

Act fast - there are only 7 copies of the Accountants Marketing Bible available to new subscribers.

New subscribers also get:
Two back issues of David's Accounting Marketing News (value $97)
Website Critique Certificate (Value $250)
Customer Appreciation Event Ticket (Value $495)
Audio Cd on Persuasive Sales Techniques (value $59)
Audio CD on Telephone & Appoinment Sales Techniques (Value $59)
Audio CD on Publicity Marketing For Accountants (value $59)
Audio CD on Referral Marketing and Strategy (value $59)
Added up, that's $1,222.00 in value and bonuses for a no-cost trial. Only a nominal shipping charge applies.

Take advantage of this limited time opportunity to get a ton of practice building information.

So click here to check out David's Inner Circle for Marketing Accountants.
http://www.cpamarketingcenter.com/innercircle.php

Have a great day!

David Rachford, CPA

PS: Here's what a current member has to say:

Dave's marketing strategies is just what I needed to build on the things I am already doing. If you want to take your business to the next step, make sure Dave's on board. I know I will double my profitability for next year.
Jeff Matthews, CPA, MBA Louisiana

http://www.cpamarketingcenter.com/innercircle.php

A couple weeks ago Tim Russert passed away - and Journalism suffered a great loss. Tim epitomized "trust" and integrity in broadcasting, and I will show how to develop trust in your firm to enhance your marketing.

Today, we're going to follow up with step 3: Getting your prospects and clients to Trust you.

As we've been talking over the last few days, people do business with people they:
know, like and trust.

That's great - but how do you get trust you?

Before we get into the "Trust" element, let's revisit the "People do do business with people.." part of the axiom.

There's a common misconception that Business to Business (B2B) marketing is different than person to person, or Business to Consumer marketing (B2C). That's simply not true.

Even if you've got more than one person on the other end of the decision, you're doing business with people. If the business does have a brand identity, the decision makers of the company are people; and people make decisions emotionally, and then will justify those decision with logic.

Think about it, even the board of directors of public companies must make decisions which will enhance shareholder value.

Emotion: Greed.

They then justify it with logic: "Enhancing Shareholder Value is our basis for decisions. This vendor has a good track record. This vendor gave us prior case studies and references (social proof.) This vendor made specific recommendations for our product(specificity.) This vendor invited us to review their process from the inside (confidence.) Their team is really committed to our success."

So let's get into "Trust."

Know: What does it mean to "Trust" someone?

In general, we trust people (and companies) when they deliver on their promises and commitments. You show up on time. You deliver the goods and services when you say you will. You provide a quality service.

Tim Russert developed a trustworthy voice by showing up on time for his "Meet the Press" show for over 20 years. He consistently showed his lack of bias, which became refreshing in this day and age of increasingly polarized and biased media.

Another example: my webmaster, Kevin. ( http://www.southjerseygraphics.com ) If I need help with a graphic, or website page, I know that I can email my wishes, or task list, and he'll get right back to me with any clarifying questions, and an estimated completion date. If something comes up that prevents him from meeting his original estimated completion date, I know that he'll communicate with me and let me know what's up. And the project will get done, and I know I'll be pleased with the work.

Another example is when you're selecting a vendor.

In fact, I'd like to use the CPA Marketing Center as an example. When people first come to the site, they review past blog posts, check out the "About David" page, read testimonials, and perhaps opt in to the email list. Then over the course of days, weeks, or even months, get to know me. I put my personality into the newsletter, and perhaps they even like me. By showing consistency in delivering relevant and useful information, readers begin to trust me.

Trust is an essential element in overcoming fear. Fear is an emotion which prevents people from both making decisions, and entering relationships. I've said before that "education cures fear." and by educating prospects and clients, you make them more confident that they can trust your information and advice, and therefore, it's safe to enter into a "relationship" with you.

I've has some readers of my e-zine place an order within a few days of discovering this website, but many place orders after six months of reading the newsletters and blog posts. In other words, consistency and repetition build trust.

When you're trying to reach a broader audience and get them to trust you, you must get your personal message out on a broader scale.

A great way to get prospects and clients to trust you and your firm better is to use a client newsletter to keep in regular touch with your prospects and clients on a monthly basis. (I'll get into why Monthly is optimal in just a minute. CPA Client Newsletters for Marketing your practice.

In fact, I've written a special report on newsletter marketing best practices, and it's available for download by clicking this link. Newsletters For Accountants Special Report

Dedicated to your practice development,
David

In this week's series of Accounting Marketing tips, I've been sharing with you a formula that has been proven time and time again in marketing products and services.

People do business with people they KNOW, LIKE and TRUST.

In the second installment, I'm going to talk about the "Likability" factor.

Just this week, comedian George Carlin passed away. We can learn a lesson from George when it comes to marketing.

How?

Ok, I know I risk turning a few of you off because some people can't stand George Carlin and his foul mouth, ideas and rants on certain hot issues... But he was liked and loved by millions.

George made people laugh.

Likability tip #1: Laughter.

A great tool to connect with people. Quite often, if you can get someone to laugh, you'll be able to sell them on your services.

So keep a few tax jokes handy.

If a lawyer and an IRS agent were both drowning, and you could only save one of them, would you go to lunch or read the paper?

What's the definition of an accountant?
Someone who solves a problem you didn't know you had in a way you don't understand.

Over in the membership area for my Inner Circle for Marketing Accountants, I have a collection of hundreds of Tax, Accounting and Financial Jokes ready for you to use and enjoy. In fact, it's 30 pages of cover to cover laughs, sure to generate instant rapport with your clients and prospects. (a $39.95 value)

Sign up now for a Free 30 Day Test Drive and gain instant access to the membership site and all the bonuses! Click Here for my Inner Circle For Marketing Accountants.

George came across as a "regular guy."

Likability Tip #2: Be Real.

Just be yourself. It's ok that not everyone will like you. That's fine. We're not trying to win over everyone.

Show your human, Show you have feelings and empathy.

And here's a big one: Be vulnerable. By being vulnerable, you open yourself up to being liked, and won't seem too full of yourself.

In fact, when interviewing for a job, many hiring pros ask: "so what are your faults?"

The right answer is something that actually makes you even more attractive to the person hiring you... For example: "You know, I'm not perfect. I'm a bit nuts about being on time. I care too much about getting work done accurately. And I really have an obsession about paying the least amount legally possible to the IRS."

Try to talk in plain language and leave the techno-speak back at the office. Clients don't want to know about "Section 179" they want to "Save Taxes Now." Be a "person of the people" like Will Rogers, or well... George Carlin.

George created rapport, almost instantly.

Likability Tip #3: Create rapport.

One way to get people on your side almost immediately is to identify your enemies. George made fun of stupid people, government, and silly expressions in the English language (among other things.)

As an accountant, common enemies to the small business owner are: The IRS & Taxes, Complexity in Business, and yes, even Employees.

Your job is to paint a picture of the enemy, and be the crusader that rescues and relieves your clients from their enemies.

Bipartisan usually means that a larger-than-usual deception is being carried out.

Can a stupid person be a smart-ass?

Why is the third hand on the watch called a second hand?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?

Love him or hate him, the man had talent, and we can learn a lot from George Carlin. R.I.P.

Final notes:
Almost immediately, you can tell whether you like someone. Usually it's in the eyes, posture, dress; in other words; the first minute in creating an impression is key. Beyond that, we're constantly sizing people up trying to determine if a prospect, client, or acquaintance is worth knowing.

Being Likable is a strong persuasion tool. Last month, I interviewed Dave Lakhani, author of "Persuasion: The Art of Getting What You Want" for my Inner Circle Members.

The tele-conference I had with Dave Lakhani is jam-packed with all kinds of tips that will not only help you be more persuasive, but be instantly likable.

That recorded interview will is also immediately available on Inner Circle Member's Page Act fast, when you sign up for your test drive, I will mail you a pile of bonuses, back issues, and a copy of the "Accountant's Marketing Bible" - over 4 pounds of practice building material! Sign up now for a Free 30 Day Test Drive and gain instant access to the membership site and all the bonuses! Click Here for my Inner Circle For Marketing Accountants.