In every industry, there are people who attract opportunities with ease. They attract ideal clients. Attract expert staff. Have a great reputation and grow their business effortlessly.
These people include:
Richard Branson who grew Virgin
Anita Roddick who built BodyShop
Elon Musk who is powering the growth of Tesla
Steve Jobs who resurrected Apple
One thing that these people have in common is their drive and belief in their “why”.
Being the face of a company can be an intimidating role, and as a result many shy away from the spotlight. Whilst there are a few accountants out there who love being in the limelight, many prefer to sit back and get on with the job in hand.
No accountant went into the profession looking for stardom and fame.
Unfortunately, having a business where there is no personal brand at the head of the organisation can be a mistake for firms.
It is essential in this commoditised market place that you have a strong personal brand leading your business. Consumers are becoming more and more distrustful of corporate brands and advertising, yet they trust people to a far higher degree.
This comes back to all I speak of when I teach The Relationship First Model™.
Case studies prove that the presence of a human face can increase conversion rates. They ensure that your business is front of mind when needed, and they elevate your authority in the marketplace.
That being said, becoming the “face” of your company is not an easy task. It needs to be part of your marketing strategy. However, if you can elevate a personal brand within your firm you will find sales and marketing becomes easier, as does client acquisition and lead generation.
When you are ready, get started with these 5 steps to build your personal brand and move your company towards a more relationship based future:
1. Be Clear On What Your Message Is
Your services are pretty commoditised. You are probably fed up with hearing this and maybe slightly frustrated at the situation. However, they key to raising yourself above the commoditised marketplace is to stand for something more than just year-end accountants.
What kind of message can you create that will make you stand out from the crowd?
The answer to this is “Positioning”. Who do you want to serve and what is your specialism. What can you see/do that other accounting firms can’t?
When you have a clear message that cuts through the normal accounting messages you will raise your brand. If you then use your personal profile to spread this message you will get known.
2. Answer The Questions
Every day your potential clients are Googling for help. They are asking for advice that you can answer. By publishing content regularly that answers these questions you will get known as an “Authority”.
You have to do it under your own name, and not the companies name. Publish content on your LinkedIn profile, and when you publish content on your website make sure it is attributed to you.
3. Choose Your Platform
By understanding where your ideal client hangs out, you can start to choose the platforms on which you wish to raise your personal brand and be highly visible on.
If you are regularly creating content you need to get this content seen. Which platforms are you going to use to do this – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram?
Once you are regularly posting you need to be purposefully connecting and having conversations. Respond to comments, reach out to influencers, connect with your ideal clients.
4. Build A Community
You can raise your personal brand by leading a community for a greater good. Communities can be built online: Facebook groups/LinkedIn group or Offline: Events at your offices/in local hotels.
You can charge a nominal fee for the community or have your community as a free way to escalate relationships and add value to people.
5. Build Your Network Of Influencers
The hardest way to build your profile is trying to do it yourself. Spend time understanding who the key people who influence your ideal clients are, and get to know them and build a relationship with them. This needs to be a win-win for both parties.
If you have a clear message, a clear niche, are visible online, have a community that know, like and trust you, then Influencers will want to connect with you.
The goal isn’t to get clients, the goal is to build relationships first.
Building and managing a personal brand is an ongoing process that demands upkeep and dedication. The more you invest in this strategy the more it will pay off for you in the long run.
P.S. When you’re ready… here are 3 ways we can help you with marketing and growing your accounting practice:
1. Grab free copy of my book
It’s the roadmap to attracting better prospects, signing higher value clients and scaling your accounting firm. – Click Here
2. Take the test.
It will benchmark your firms ability to effortlessly attract, connect with & convert high value clients using the Pioneering Practice Scorecard. – Click here
3. Join the tribe and connect with firms who are growing too.
It’s our new Facebook community where ambitious founders, owners, and partners learn to attract better prospects, sign higher value clients and scale their accounting firm. – Click here
