Case Study - CPA Firm
"Client and Industry Challenges"
Aging Profession with Succession Challenges
AICPA says 75% of practicing accountants will be retired within 9-12 years; this is a rapidly aging profession and professional marketplace.
Top Line Growth and Margin Pressure
Current firm EBITDA ranges from 10-12%. CPA hesitation to adopt an aggressive sales and marketing outreach will continue to impact margin pressure.
Difficulty Differentiating
Firms have difficulty defining and offering differentiation in a mature marketplace. Developing and extending natural niches to clients, explaining all that your firm can offer beyond what it currently does, is a foreign concept as are the clearly defined business development processes that would empower your executives to begin that conversation with clients.
"The LVRG Solution"
Sales and Marketing
CPAs want to free themselves from daily processing so they can devote more time to finding and getting new clients. Word-of-mouth referrals are just not enough anymore. LVRG provided direct selling to vertical markets, appointment setting, online marketing, social media engagement with prospects and on-going sales and marketing consulting services. There are many new marketing tools for CPAs to use. Firms want to understand more than ever how their clients are making the buying decisions when they source the services of a CPA firm. The trend seems to be moving away from a simple matter of "needs" fulfillment to "wants" satisfaction.
Brand Creation
Typically, small and midsized CPA firms are known for the "brand equity" of their partners. The LVRG project team re-energized the brand by refreshing the logo design and providing brand development services including identity, marketing, product naming positioning.
Technology
CPA firms are looking to enhance the brand value by establishing a more pronounced online presence and incentivizing clients to engage more online. LVRG developed a self-service client portal, providing an integrated solution that utilized their current technology. This allowed partners the ability to spend more time in front of prospects to build revenue and enhance the firms brand.
Marketing Beyond Tax Season
Engaging clients beyond tax season is one strategy that LVRG is implementing for CPAs. Offering investment management, personal finance management and consulting services is just the beginning. We Leverage an existing network of clients, vendors and bankers to create mutual benefits and utilize LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to deliver the message.
Energizing Staff
LVRG is focused on making the workplace more exciting and providing meaningful opportunities for the staff to participate in the sales and marketing process. The essence is getting staff to become better able and more available to engage with clients and prospects, which increases revenue and client satisfaction.