A 5-Point Manifesto About Respect and Trust

I suppose there comes a time in everyone’s career when they have a Jerry Maguire moment. Here’s mine.

My Thoughts to Anyone Outsourcing Public Relations/Marketing

1. You’re very good at doing your job, so let us do ours. We would not propose to audit a company, complete a tax return or conduct a valuation on how much a company is worth. What we do is provide public relations and marketing support to help you meet your goals – and if we have experience in your particular field of accounting, then we can apply that experience to helping you go even further.
2. When we recommend a solution, it’s based on best practices, proven methods or, again, experience. We don’t sit under the Juniper tree thinking of ways to spend your money for you. Instead, we assess a situation and come up with a viable solution based on your needs, budget and other variables.
3. Take our phone calls and return our emails. While what we might provide is seemingly non-billable, that doesn’t mean we should land at the bottom of your priority list. Consistent communications is key to a healthy relationship on so many levels. When we write and send you something for review or to make a suggestion, we expect a timely response.
4. Make a decision. You’re not wishy-washy in helping your clients make decisions, so we ask that you make a timely decision in order for us to help you realize your goals. If we’re good at what we do, your decisions will always be based on valid information and solid reasoning.
5. Let’s Form a Trusted, Two-Way Relationship. In any type of business, there’s nothing worse than having a client-provider relationship that isn’t based on trust. Once the trust goes out the door, so does loyalty and enjoyment in what we are both doing. However, just like any other relationship, if this one isn’t working, break it off.

Thanks for your support in letting me have my moment. I am also quite sure there are many accounting professionals who feel the same way about their clients. Hope this helps.

Note: This post first appeared on AccountingWeb.com.