Staying Busy Vs. Staying Engaged
Are you staying busy or are you staying engaged? I think there is a definite difference between the two - and this came to my attention recently when I was talking with a long-time friend and associate who retired a…
PR Hidden Gems are all Around Your Business
Clients and friends often ask me, "What makes good PR?" My answer is, "It depends; what do you think you have that's unique?" There are hidden gem all around your business that make for good public relations - shiny objects…
3 Ways to Improve Your Sales Skills in Accounting Firms
I recently posted two blogs, "Why Selling Skills are Important for Accounting Professionals" and "How Accounting Professionals Can Become Better at Selling Their Services" that were the basis for a podcast I presented to the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs. The…
How Accounting Professionals Can Become Better at Selling Their Services
In my last article, I talked about why selling skills were important to accounting professionals. No one doubts the importance of selling in the professional services space, but can you actually learn "how to sell?" Sure, anything can be learned. You…
Why Selling Skills are Important for Accounting Professionals
Based on an article I put together several years ago for the AICPA Young Professional Network, I was asked by Bill Hayes at the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs to record a podcast in late May for "CPA Conversations" on sales…
3 Reasons Why Business Cards Still Work
We recently retooled our website with all-new content and design, so I thought it was also a good time to reprint business cards. However, before going through design and printing, I stopped for a few minutes to think. Once everyone's…
Intuit’s Forward-Thinking Design: Collaboration is Key
Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Mountain View, CA, to work with Intuit on various projects. At its headquarters, Intuit has a number of buildings for employees, some of which are 15-20+ years old. The company's newest…
Never Burn a Bridge: A Client Came Back After a 3-Year Hiatus
It's cliche to say, but you should never burn a bridge. About three years ago, I had a long-term client leave me because it hired in-house talent to do what we were providing: marketing and PR services. I don't want…
The Dr Pepper Method to Handling Calls & Email: Does it Work?
Last week, I was reminded of the Dr Pepper method to keep up with daily email and phone calls. In short, this is the 10-2-4 method. Where did this come from? Anyone old enough to remember Dr Pepper's older ads…
What’s in a Quote? Real Facts, I Hope
My friend, Tom Dennis, gave me this idea; he knew someone who wrote a blog about the messages he found in his fortune cookies. I thought I'd do the same, with a little twist. At our office, we come up…