The Abundant Accountant: Leads, Sales & Business Growth for Accounting, Tax and Bookkeeping Professionals

Are you feeling burnt out? Do you take on every prospect that comes your way? It’s time to stop the hamster wheel, and step into high-end, premium offerings for your accounting clients which means you can’t take on everyone. In this episode, Peter Freuler joins The Abundant Accountant Podcast to share his story of taking on every single client that came in the door to his firm, to recognizing that narrowing his focus and only serving a specific niche, would help his topline revenue. Peter started his firm 13 years ago, and for years he believed that the best way to serve his clients was to offer every service under the sun to anyone that approached him at his firm. This led to problems, Peter’s bottom line wasn’t growing, some of his clients would up and disappear after the initial meeting, and Peter couldn’t find qualified staff for everything he wanted to fulfill. When Peter finally decided to zero in and focus on a specific type of client & follow a sales system, in May of 2018, his revenue increased about 20%. It might be hard to believe, but by creating a sales system that all prospects must go through, you are saving yourself time by not working with less than ideal clients, and you’ll be able to start charging top dollar for your services, since you’ll be more available to the right clients which then you would be able to charge more. Peter shares his personal journey from having NO sales system, to a high-functioning, ever revolving system, THAT WORKS! If you’re ready to work with dream clients, only do tasks that you enjoy doing, and increase your revenue, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to Peter Freuler for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us on March 15th for our next amazing episode! Have you have ever felt like you give away too much information for free or are you tired of not being paid what you’re worth? Then you’re like most accountants who may feel like you’re on the cashflow rollercoaster! & we have a solution for you! Join us for our Abundant Accountant Masterclass  to learn how to communicate your value, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you’re worth so you can work less and make more mone This Masterclass is for you if you want to stop giving all of your information, time and knowledge away for FREE, identify ways to have consistent income, and start being paid for your value and worth - all year round! Click here to sign-up for the Abundant Accountant Masterclass! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Peter Freuler. Peter introduces himself and shares a little bit about himself and his firm. When Peter first began his firm, he did not have a sales system in place. He followed the method, that if someone called them to work with his team, they’d take you on, no matter what your needs were. Peter’s and his team had NO way of identifying whether someone was a good client for them or not. It took Peter 10 years to begin making changes with his firm. He was fearful of losing what he had, by making new changes in his business and not taking on any and all clients. Peter and Michelle discuss the effect a scarcity mindset can have on your accounting business. Peter’s and his team went through and analyzed different industries, personalities of potential clients and profitability to determine what kind of clients they wanted to work with. When you work on and focus on your value and your worth, you are more likely to stick to the boundaries you set for yourself and your clients. Peter talks about what it’s like to turn clients away, once you identify who you should be working with. By narrowing their niche, Peter and his team are now able to bring in their ideal clients and charge a higher premium price for their services. Being a one-stop-shop isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Peter provides 3 tips that newer accounting professionals can use to avoid the mistakes Peter made. Accounting professionals tend to think in systems and in getting the work done for their clients, they don’t often think sales are integrated with running the practice. Peter explained how he made the shift from this way of thinking. Taking a potential client through your sales process is SO important, to ensure they’re an ideal fit. Peter shares the sales process he and his team use. When Peter put a sales process in place, his business completely changed. He went from being able to just offer commodity type services to offering premium high-priced services. The same would be true for you and your firm! When Peter and his team redid their sales process in May of 2018, they’ve seen a topline growth of $65K, as of his interview in August of 2018. If Peter had made the shift to a sales process sooner, his revenue would be more than double what he is making now. Peter shares one last quality piece of advice. Tune in to hear it! Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn Have you have ever felt like you give away too much information for free or are you tired of not being paid what you’re worth? Then you may be like most accountants who feel like you’re on the cashflow rollercoaster! & we have a solution for you! Join us for our Abundant Accountant Masterclass  to learn how to communicate your value, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you’re worth so you can work less and make more money. This Masterclass is for you if you want to stop giving all of your information, time and knowledge away for FREE, identify ways to have consistent income, and start being paid for your value and worth - all year round! Click here to sign-up for the Abundant Accountant Masterclass!  

011 | How to Identify Clients That are Ready to Hire You NOW Is your firm full of clients, you’re working 12-hr days and you’re barely making ends meet?   Turning away business is probably one of the most difficult things you will ever do as an accountant. You know you have rent and employees to pay, so taking on everyone that walks through the door seems like the right thing to do. That couldn’t be further from the truth!   I have a student; his name is Scott. I spoke with him about my 8-week accounting class about three or four months ago. At that time Scott didn’t have the time to take my course, but I didn’t know this immediately, I had to dig.   I started asking Scott questions like, “I only work with people who are willing to take out five to seven hours per week, every single week, for an 8-week period. I want people who will do the homework, and actually implement the sales process in their accounting firm. Are you willing to do this?”   He answered me honestly and told me that at that moment he didn’t have the time to dedicate to my class. About six or seven weeks ago, Scott reached back out and let me know that he was now ready to make the time commitment and invest in himself.   Let’s be honest, none of us actually have the time to commit to something like this. We have to carve out time for what’s important to us. And, since Scott wanted to generate an additional $100k in revenue, he knew he needed to make the time.   I’m really happy and proud to share that just last week Scott closed $25K in business. All because he decided he was ready to invest time and money in himself.   However, if I hadn’t done my due diligence and determined that Scott wasn’t an ideal client in the beginning, he may have joined the course, not done the work and wasted my time and his own.   In this episode, Ross Jeffries joins me to share his best tips on how and why it’s so important to identify your dreams clients, before you start working with just anyone.   It probably feels incredible to have bunch of potential clients just dying to work with you, but if you don’t take the time to actually identify their problems and how you can help them, and find out whether they’re willing to invest in themselves, you’re wasting your time. And, as we all know, time is precious and not something we can ever get back.   Stop wasting your time on people who say they’re interested, but aren’t really ready to invest!   If you’re ready to identify your ideal clients and put a stop to your 12-hr days, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!   Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!   To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes.   Special thanks goes out to Ross Jeffries for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode!   PS.  If you're like many accountants we work with, you may feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster.   There is a solution - a proven, time-tested way to get off that cashflow rollercoaster once and for all. You'll be able to connect with high-level clients & business owners that you want to work with; communicate your value, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more money. Click here to sign-up for the Abundant Accountant Masterclass!   Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:   Michelle introduces Ross Jeffries. Michelle introduces the topic and how it affected her in the mortgage business. “Time is the one thing you don’t get any more of. You can always make more money but you could never get more time.” ~ Ross Jeffries on why it’s so important to qualify your leads. Not everyone is ready to work with you right now, and if you work with people who aren’t ideal clients, your quality of work will decline. Ross shares the top three ways to qualify leads that won’t waste your time. It is so important to share your expectations with your accounting client right from the start, and ensure that they are willing to work with those expectations. The ONLY correct answer is an “Absolutely YES” from any client. The more you say NO to working with an unqualified client, the more you increase your sense of worth. The more you are yourself, the more you’ll attract the accounting clients you desire, because like attracts like. Michelle shares some questions you can ask yourself in order to determine WHO your ideal clients are. Scott, a student of Michelle’s, acts as a perfect example of how Michelle knows when someone will be an ideal student. “The money is made in the follow-up.” ~ Ross Jeffries 50% of accountants do not follow-up with their prospects. Michelle is on a mission to help you change this! Ross shares three ways that he can tell whether someone will be or WON’T be an ideal client. Michelle shares this brilliant qualifying question, “I work with people who want to make strategic decisions, are committed to changing what they have been doing year after year, and are ready to act now to make a change. Is that you? Can I count on you for that?” Curious how to know when you should turn a prospect away? In this episode, Ross shares three ways to know if you should turn a prospect away. Michelle closes out the episode.   Learn More & Connect With Me Here!   Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Buy Ross’ Book Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn PS.  If you're like many accountants we work with, you may feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster.   There is a solution - a proven, time-tested way to get off that cashflow rollercoaster once and for all. You'll be able to connect with high-level clients & business owners that you want to work with; communicate your value, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more money. Click here to sign-up for the Abundant Accountant Masterclass!  

010 | The Best Ways for Accountants to Get Referral Clients How often do you ask your current happy clients for a referral? Do you sit around hoping that they’ll just send people your way? It’s time to change your thought process... Referral clients are GOLD! Receiving referrals from current, happy clients also increases the chances that the referral will choose to enroll with you. People are more likely to buy from people they know, like and trust. When a referral is sent to you, it’s coming from a trusted source. The individual is more likely to want to work with you one-on-one. However, referrals will only come your way if you are direct and ask for them from your current clients. In this episode of The Abundant Accountant podcast Michelle shares The Pitch Queen’s top four ways to get a constant flow of referrals without having to waste lots of time or money. (There might even be a BONUS tip for you!) If you’re sick of spending money on marketing materials that rarely get used, then it’s time to start asking for referrals! This episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to all my listeners for taking the time to check-out this week’s episode! Be sure to join us on the 1st or 15th of every month, for our next new episode! P.S. MAKE MORE, WORK LESS Unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass! You'll learn: The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones! Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice! How to stop competing on price FOREVER! Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today! Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle shares why referral clients are like GOLD, to your firm. When Michelle started asking for referrals she did not clarify the type of client she wanted to work with, so she was getting referrals that were less than ideal clients. It’s important to clarify WHO you want to work with when asking for referrals. The number one best way to ask for referrals is to be sincere and direct. Many accountants say they’re too busy to ask for referrals after they’ve finished the work for a client, but if you take the time to schedule it in your calendar and then actually do the work to ask for the referral, your accounting firm is going to start exploding with business. “For every single client that you made happy, but you never asked for the referral, you’re missing a HUGE opportunity. It’s what I call, the opportunity cost.” ~ The Pitch Queen The second best way to ask for referrals is to have an incentive in place or a referral program, where if a referral comes to you and enrolls as a client, you reward the referrer for sending the individual your way. Referral gifts can vary, Michelle provides several great suggestions in this episode! The third best way to bring in referral clients can be explained with an acronym… K.I.S.S. This means, Keep It Simple Stupid. This means having prepared email templates that you can forward to a referrer so that they can share your information, or business cards are another great example. You want your contact information to be readily available and easy to locate! The fourth best way to get referrals is to stay top of mind and FOLLOW-UP. You absolutely must have a follow-up system in place. Michelle briefly shares her system in this episode. BONUS: The fifth best way to get referrals is to give others referrals. When you give referrals out to others, you are more likely to receive those referrals back, ten-fold. “When you refer people out to others, they're going to send you your ideal clients. It goes hand in hand.” ~ The Pitch Queen Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn MAKE MORE, WORK LESS Unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass! You'll learn: The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones! Proven tactics  to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice! How to stop competing on price FOREVER! Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today!  

Do you have any long-term clients who you undercharge in fees, and you worry that they’re going to leave you if you raise their rates?   If you answered YES, then this week’s The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Marc Schnoll joins the show to share how he learned the importance of owning your worth and charging adequately for it.   Marc started his firm about 14 years ago and has had a long-term client since the beginning. As the years have passed, the amount of work that Marc and his firm have done for this client has increased dramatically, but the monthly rate they charge has not.   There were countless hours of email messages and phone calls that were going uncharged. These messages and calls weren’t being tracked and, because Marc was afraid to lose the client, he didn’t want to raise his rates for quite some time.   However, after a lot of thought, doing a 90-day analysis was a necessary next step. Marc realized that it was time to raise his rates NOW!   The information he found by doing this analysis opened his eyes to how much value he was providing and how badly he was undercharging.   If you’re tired of being underpaid, and you’re ready to own your value, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!   Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!   To share your thoughts:   To help the show out:   Special thanks go out to Marc for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us on the 1st or 15th of each month for our next new episode!   P.S. Are you tired of feeling like you have to give away your knowledge and expertise for free? Register NOW for my FREE Accountant Masterclass and learn my 3 proven strategies to establish a systematic, efficient process that quickly qualifies your leads and turns them into high paying clients that guarantees you a consistent and growing stream of revenue all year round. Get FREE access NOW at abundantaccountant.com   Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Marc Shnoll. Marc shares a little about who he is and where his firm is located. After working with a client for 15 years, Marc realized that his firm was undercharging for the amount of work they were doing for this client on a daily basis. Marc was receiving approximately about $4,500 a month for his work, but the work was worth seven or 8 times that. Marc would often check his email first thing in the morning and he’d have a series of emails from this same client. We’re talking about 300 emails over a 90 day period. The firm also had an entire staff person dedicate about half of their work time to this client. After a 90 day evaluation, Marc realized they needed to increase this client’s rates – listen to THIS episode to hear how much they increased it and the result. If you’re ready to start analyzing what your clients are paying you, so you can start asking for what you’re worth, Marc suggests some things you should review to determine your price. When raising rates, you must consider whether or not there is a better or less expensive option for clients, because they may make the choice to leave. You have to be ready for this. After 15 years Marc’s client decided to leave, but it actually was a good thing. Marc shares why, in THIS episode! By analyzing the work and the amount of money he was being paid from his long-term client, Marc realized that he was undercharging across the board. Marc raised his rates 10 to 15 percent, and will likely raise his rates again next year. Doing all of this work, raising rates, and analyzing the work they were doing for clients, helped Marc raise his confidence levels. Especially when dealing with clients, which meant he was better able to believe in his worth and ask for what he was worth. Marc’s final piece of advice was to have the confidence and know you’re worth it.   Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Marc’s Website Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn   P.S. Are you tired of feeling like you have to give away your knowledge and expertise for free? Register NOW for my FREE Accountant Masterclass and learn to implement my 3 proven strategies for your accounting practice to stand head and shoulders above your competition and offer superior value and unmatchable service to easily build your practice with premium clients who eagerly pay you what you’re worth. Get FREE access NOW at abundantaccountant.com

Do you have a marketing plan for your accounting firm? Or, are you kind of winging it as you go, hoping dream clients fall into your lap?   I’ve worked with a lot of accountants, and I know that many of you shudder at the thought of having to go out and market yourself, so you avoid it at all costs. But, as I’m sure you’ve learned, that isn’t going to bring in any business!   In order to build a solid accounting firm with the clients you love, having the right marketing techniques to ensure that you have a steady flow of dream clients walking in your doors (or calling you on the phone) is a must.   In this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast, Ross Jeffries joins me to share THE four best marketing tips for accountants and how to put them into practice starting today.   If you’re ready to start showcasing your expertise in a way that shows your prospects what’s possible, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!   Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!   To share your thoughts:   To help the show out:   Special thanks go out to YOU for taking the time to listen to this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast.   Learn the 3 proven strategies my accounting clients use to easily build their accounting practice with premium clients who are eagerly willing to pay what they’re worth. Sign up for the FREE masterclass NOW at abundantaccountant.com   Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Ross Jeffries and shares a little bit about who he is. Michelle explains that there is NO way to show how good you are at being an accounting professional without properly marketing yourself. Ross shares his definition of marketing. Content marketing is one of the most strategic ways that accounting professionals can market themselves. Want a quick tip on how to create more content? Ross shares a brilliant tip that he learned from his mentor Gary Halbert. Be sure that when you’re pushing your content to different channels, you ensure it is formatted in whatever way is best for that platform. It’s important to get feedback from current clients so that you know what you are doing really well so that you can market that to future prospects. Tip number two is to ensure you capture your leads. Unfortunately, many accounting professionals do not have a solid system for capturing leads and following-up with them. Michelle stresses that we never ever want to discount our prices. NEVER! “When you discount your services, you become a commodity like rice.” ~ Ross Jeffries Tip number 3 is to start using social media, particularly LinkedIn, to market yourself. Both Ross and Michelle offer some great tips for building your presence on LinkedIn and on Twitter. Tip number 4 involves creating a passive income stream through affiliate income. While building up your affiliate income, continue to build your relationships because you never know who could lead to additional commission or referral fees. Ross introduces the acronym NEER – Naturally Existing Economic Relationships – and explains what it means. Ross shares a great tip on how to build your credibility and expertise by using free publicity.   Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Buy Ross Jeffries Book Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn   P.S. Learn the 3 proven strategies my accounting professional clients use to easily build their accounting practice with premium clients who are eagerly willing to pay what they’re worth. Sign up for the FREE masterclass NOW at abundantaccountant.com

007 | 5 Steps to Developing a Winning Elevator Pitch for Accountants Do you have a pre-written and practiced “Brand Shake?” If you’re not familiar with the term Brand Shake, it is the term I like to use with my Royal Family to describe the ever-important elevator pitch. Having an award-winning elevator pitch is the key to mastering your next networking event, but what goes into writing an effective elevator pitch? In this episode, I’m sharing The Pitch Queen’s top 5 steps for creating an elevator pitch that has people lining up to work with you and your firm. Plus, I’m sharing my special little bonus that has set me apart from many individuals and has helped me secure interviews with some big name entrepreneurs, like Mel Robbins. If you want to create an award-winning elevator pitch that has clients waiting to work with you, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. Special thanks goes out to you for taking the time to listen to this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast. Are you tired of feeling like you have to give away your knowledge and expertise for free? Register NOW for my FREE Accountant Masterclass and learn my 3 proven strategies to easily build your practice with premium clients who eagerly pay you what you’re worth. Get FREE access NOW at abundantaccountant.com. Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces this week’s topic and shares why it’s on of her favorite topics, creating your Brand Shake. Can you easily describe what you do and who you serve? In this episode, Michelle shares how to master step one of creating your sales pitch. Most accountants have a deep passion for helping their clients achieve their goals, which is why Michelle loves working with them. “When you are shaking someone’s hand you are representing your own brand.” ~ The Pitch Queen It’s impossible to be everything to everyone, so choosing a specific niche you want to serve is SO important. When it comes to step 2, you must know who your ideal client is and how you can serve them. Michelle shares the basic format of how she writes out her elevator pitch, aka Brand Shake. In order to pitch to the right people, you must know who to pitch to. There is no use pitching to people who you can’t help. Step 4 all comes down to practice, practice, practice. You can have the most well-written elevator pitch in history, but if you haven’t practiced it, it won’t matter when you get in front of people and try to use it. After you’ve introduced yourself and shared your elevator pitch with a prospect, Michelle recommends that you follow-up within one or two days. Michelle shares a very effective little secret that she uses to connect further with those individuals that she’s met in person. You don’t want to miss this tip! Finally, Michelle shares her personal sales pitch, to provide you an excellent example how to write your own. Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn P.S. Are you tired of feeling like you have to give away your knowledge and expertise for free? Register NOW for my FREE Accountant Masterclass and learn my 3 proven strategies to easily build your practice with premium clients who eagerly pay you what you’re worth. Get FREE access NOW at abundantaccountant.com.  

How frequently does a less than ideal client reach out to you? How often do you end up taking that prospect on as a client?   Probably more frequently than you would like. We often live in this lack mindset, thinking that if we don’t take on every client we come across we’ll never find another one.   This leads us to taking on clients that range from deal makers, who aren’t willing to pay the prices you’re worthy of, to clients who want help with a service you don’t know. When you take those clients on you will begin to resent the work you do for them because they eat up so much of your time. I’m here to tell you that you CAN work with your dream clients, all it takes is learning how to turn the clients away gracefully that can’t afford you.   Sounds simple in theory, but it does take some practice!   Denise Mandeau joins this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast to discuss with The Pitch Queen how you can turn away clients who can’t afford you and just aren’t your ideal clients with grace and ease.   Denise and I discuss how important it is to refer prospects out that aren’t our ideal clients, because it builds up what I like to call “sales karma.”   If you’re ready to kick that lack mindset to the curb and start living your abundant life (more money with less work), this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!   Do you take on every potential client that comes your way and now you have a client roster full of people who are just in it for the deal? Then THIS BLOG POST is a MUST READ!   Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle gives an overview of what today’s episode is all about. Denise explains step 1 –  that once you know that a lead isn’t a good fit, you shouldn’t drag the relationship on and on. You should never discount your prices for a potential client, because when you do you eventually start resenting the work that you’re doing for them. Michelle shares how their client Marc realized a client was a time and money suck, so he had to let them go & it saved him money! Step 2 – Be completely transparent. If a prospect approaches you to work with you and they’re looking for a service that is outside of your expertise, let them know that. Taking them on can remove the space in you business for clients who are your dream clients. You are the expert, so remember that you should never discount your services for prospective clients. If someone isn’t a good fit, don’t be afraid to refer them to someone else or possibly a course that might be a better fit. Accounting professionals should only work with those individuals that value their work. Not the individuals that are trying to nickel and dime them. Step 3 – Don’t burn any bridges. Just because someone isn’t a good fit now does not mean they won’t be a better fit in the future. Moving right into Step 4 – If someone isn’t a dream client, refer them to someone who is more capable of helping them, because they could possibly turn into an ideal client in the future. Denise shares a story about her client Matt, who only worked with $400K in net income businesses, but was approached by a startup who was making $75K in net income. If they stayed on target they would be an ideal client down the road. Matt referred this person to someone else who can help them now, and then will continue to follow-up every 90 days. Denise and Michelle discuss their follow-up system and why it’s important to follow up with a prospect even if they’re not the right fit now. Denise explains what sales karma is and how you can keep it going in your life. Michelle provides a quick recap of the episode.   Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Watch the Facebook Live Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn   P.S. Did you know that the prospect that you referred out today could end up being an ideal client in the future? It’s true! THIS BLOG POST shares why referring out is important!   P.P.S MAKE MORE, WORK LESS   Unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountant Masterclass!   You’ll learn: The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones! Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice! How to stop competing on price FOREVER!   Join our Abundant Accountant Masterclass today!

Is your accounting firm FULL of less than ideal clients? Clients that just want you to file their tax returns, but aren’t looking for the higher value services you really want to offer?   If you answered YES, this week’s guest on The Abundant Accountant Podcast, Heath Walters, might be able to offer some insight into fixing this problem.   When Heath began his firm, he took on anyone that was interested in his services. Three years later and he was up to 400 clients.   He and his staff were stressed out and working until midnight or later during tax season. Heath knew he had to put a stop to this. He knew he wanted to work with fewer clients and give those clients more of the attention they deserved.   Over a three year span of time, Heath reduced the number of clients his firm serviced from 400 to 40. How did he do that? By setting FIRM boundaries when a new prospect comes his way. Heath now knows that if a prospect doesn’t fit into those boundaries, it’s a NO to working together. By implementing these boundaries, Heath and his firm are now able to give their clients the attention they deserve and grow their revenue by offering higher-quality services and servicing higher-quality clients.   If you’re ready to create solid boundaries that will help build up an accounting firm you love, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Do you continue letting in less than ideal accounting clients into your firm, leaving yourself stressed out and unable to efficiently handle the workload? Then THIS BLOG POST is a MUST READ!   Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Heath Walters. Heath shares who he is, where he’s located and a little bit about his accounting firm. In order to set a boundary, Heath shares that you must know who you are and who you want to serve. Heath prefers working with businesses in the construction and financial planning niche, and he shares why in this episode. For Heath to communicate better with his clients, he likes to understand the inner-workings of their business. Heath shared that when he started placing boundaries around who he and his company would work with, they were able to better serve their clients and the clients loved that. Three or four years ago, Heath was overwhelmed with the number of clients they had and did not have enough time to meet personally with those clients. Today, Heath’s firm has 40 clients versus having 400 just a few years ago. The easy first step for Heath and his firm was to take about 100 people that were just having their tax returns done and sell them to another firm that was interested in that kind of work. Selling off these clients helped increase the time he had for his other clients and it didn’t really affect his bottom line financially. Over the following two years, Heath and his team continued to let the less than ideal clients go. When a prospect comes in for help on something that Heath’s firm does not handle, Heath will build up his “sales karma” and refer that individual out to someone who wants that type of work. Another one of the boundaries that Heath instituted was to not take on businesses with 4 or more partners because you struggle to get everyone to agree to the actions that are needed. A very lucrative opportunity presented itself to Heath. This opportunity would have brought in a regular monthly retainer as well as a large amount of money at tax time, but because Heath could see the problem with four partners Heath’s firm turned the prospect away. He shares the full story in this episode! No matter what, Heath will always work with people he likes. If he feels as though he doesn’t jive well with a prospect, he will refer them to one of his peers. Heath’s firm also has a minimum revenue that a prospect must be making in order to work with him. He will share ways that the prospect can hit that amount of revenue, and then refer them out to a peer in hopes that once they are making more revenue they’ll come back. The cons of having boundaries and knowing you will only take on a specific type of client are similar to the pros: By letting a client go you make more time for your current clients, but if someone new comes along how do you not take them when you have payroll to worry about? Financially making decisions for your firm is always in flux. Heath still has clients in his book of business that have been around for awhile and do not meet his firm’s new boundaries. It’s hard to keep those boundaries tight around your long-term existing clients. Heath shares his last words of wisdom — You’ll have to listen to this episode to hear them!   Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Heath’s Website Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn P.S. Is your accounting firm BURSTING at the seams? Are you ready to set some boundaries and only work with those ideal clients you’ve been dreaming of? Then THIS BLOG POST is a must read!    P.P.S. Do you feel like you give away too much information for free? Or you’re tired of inconsistent income after tax season is over? Or, you feel like you’re not being paid what you’re worth?     If you’re like many accountants you may feel like you’re on the cashflow rollercoaster!   There is a solution – a proven, time-tested way to get off that cashflow rollercoaster once and for all.   You’ll be able to connect with high-level clients & business owners that you want; communicate your value, have a proven process that you can follow, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you’re worth so you can work less and make more money! Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today!

Have you ever found a new prospect who is genuinely interested in your services, but when it comes time to discuss your prices, you FREEZE UP?   Do you fear the “what do you cost” conversation?   In this episode, Ross Jeffries joins me to discuss how you can build up your confidence so that you can begin discussing your prices with ease and without fearing a negative response.   It’s tough! I’m sure there have been times when you’ve been discussing the needs of your client, and when the price comes up, you allow them to dictate the conversation. This episode will help you put an end to that FOR GOOD!   It all comes down to building unending confidence!   Ross provides real and practical tips that you can begin putting into action TODAY!   If you’re ready to confidently stroll into your next sales meeting knowing your value and worth and proudly stating your prices, without worrying about the outcome, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!   Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!   To share your thoughts:   To help the show out:   Special thanks go out to Ross Jeffries for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode.   So many of my accounting professional clients come to me because they are tired of giving away their knowledge and expertise away for free. If that sounds like you, I invite you to join my complimentary Masterclass created just for accountants who want to build a practice with premium clients who eagerly pay you what you’re worth. Sign up NOW at abundantaccountant.com.   Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces Ross Jeffries. Ross shares a quick synopsis of who he is and what his specialty is. Michelle gives an overview of what this episode is all about – knowing your worth so that you can help more people and increase the revenue for your firm. “A confident person is not conflicted.” ~ Ross Jeffries What does a toy robot from 1966 have to do with building confidence? Listen to this episode to find out! Ross believes that in order to sell with confidence, you must be aligned. The first step to not allowing your clients to dictate your prices is to not be conflicted and be in alignment with your worth. The second thing you need to know about confidence is that it is a thing or activity you do, so that it can become a quality later. Ross shares three practical tips to build your confidence and how to apply it to your sales conversations with your accounting clients. When you embrace uncertainty and even enjoy it when it comes to sales, you then have the confidence that is independent of the day’s events. Michelle and Ross share an example of how mixing paint colors and never quite getting what you want is similar to how some sales conversations will go. By being okay with the unknown you can build your confidence. Before you ever discuss what your rates or prices are, you should find out what your client’s needs and problems are. Meditation is a great way to embrace uncertainty. One very important way to feel confident is to realize that NO client is out of your league. There are NO “big” clients, only those that offer incredible value to you.   Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn   So many of my accounting professional clients come to me because they are tired of giving away their knowledge and expertise away for free. If that sounds like you, I invite you to join my complimentary Masterclass created just for accountants who want to build a practice with premium clients who eagerly pay you what you’re worth. Sign up NOW at abundantaccountant.com.

003 | How To Ask For A Testimonial At An Appropriate Time Do you struggle to ask for testimonials from your clients? Does it feel uncomfortable or awkward when it comes time to approach your clients to review your work? If you’re like most of my clients, then you struggle to ask for a testimonial. In this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast, I’m sharing the exact steps you need to follow to ensure that you’re asking for the testimonial at the right time. Asking for testimonials is just like asking for the sale, you just have to do it, but if you do it at the wrong time, things could go badly. My advice? Really listen and talk with your clients, find out their needs and what they’re struggling with and then provide the best services that help them overcome those struggles. Once you’ve done that, asking for a testimonial is a breeze! If you’re ready to fill your website with glowing testimonials and reviews about the amazing work that you do, this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast! To share your thoughts: Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn To help the show out: Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe to the show on iTunes. P.S. Are you ready to FINALLY be paid your value and worth? Join my FREE Masterclass NOW and learn the 3 proven strategies my clients use to fill their accounting practice with premium clients who eagerly pay what you’re worth! Sign up NOW at abundantaccountant.com Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode: Michelle introduces the topic that she’s going to discuss on today’s show. Just like in sales, you have to ask for the sale - the same is true with testimonials. You must ask your clients for the testimonial. If you’re not comfortable asking for a video testimonial to start, you can use Google Forms or a tool called Survey Monkey. Michelle shares that she always keeps track of the things that clients say about working with her. These testimonials make your website like GOLD! Always make sure to get your client’s permission to use their testimonial for advertising purposes. When people say they want to talk with others you’ve worked with, you can direct your prospects to your testimonials page. If you get a client testimonial in an email and it’s not structured well, you can always ask if the client is okay with you tweaking the formatting. The best way to help your client is by helping them overcome their problems. You do that by listening 80% of the time and talking 20%. If you listen carefully, your clients will tell you everything you need to know in order to help them. Once you’ve delivered the result that your client desired, you can then ask for the testimonial. Sidenote: You may not always provide the result that your client wants, if they don’t do their part of the work, everything may not go as planned. Michelle shares the exact step by step process she uses when asking for a testimonial. After a client has submitted a testimonial, be sure to send them a thank you note, thanking them for taking the time and for sharing their experience with others who may be interested in working with you. An additional bonus you can offer certain individuals is to provide a linkback to their website, under their testimonial or review on your website. Michelle shares her ONE goal for you to accomplish this week! Learn More & Connect With Me Here! Read The Abundant Accountant Blog Join us on Facebook Follow Michelle on LinkedIn Are you ready to FINALLY be paid your value and worth? Join my FREE Masterclass NOW and learn the 3 proven strategies my clients use to fill their accounting practice with premium clients who eagerly pay what you’re worth! Sign up NOW at abundantaccountant.com