Someone asks if you’d like to play coin flip? The deal is you put $100 on the table and call to win $200.” Would you play? Continue reading “Ya wanna bet? Understand this and your sales conversion rate will dramatically improve.”
Why leaders need to worry about digitization
This is a thought-provoking video discussion between two heavyweights from MIT and McKinsey. Even though they’re not directly talking to leaders in the accounting profession their observations and insights give food for thought. Continue reading “Why leaders need to worry about digitization”
At last: A drug that will help you sell more
It seems that there’s a drug to fix every conceivable problem we humans have. You will not therefore be surprised to learn that there’s even one that will help us close more sales. It’s called 1,3, 7-trimethylxanthin and you can buy it over the counter anywhere. Continue reading “At last: A drug that will help you sell more”
Customer Service: How to move from ordinary to extraordinary
Differentiation is arguably the most important source of growth for service businesses. That said, when it’s difficult to differentiate the outcome of your service, it’s essential to focus your attention on differentiating the process by which you deliver your service. Continue reading “Customer Service: How to move from ordinary to extraordinary”
What every business can learn from Gordon Ramsay
If you can tolerate the language you can learn a lot from Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. In fact you can learn something from virtually everything that goes on around you. Back to the kitchen ….. there is a common theme that runs through practically all of the restaurants he works with. This is ….
The menu is way too broad – there are so many dishes it’s hard for people to choose and harder for chefs to get any good at any of them. In their attempt to appeal to a wide range of people they end up appealing to very few.
The owners start by being so appreciative of Ramsay’s help but very quickly push back on virtually every suggestion he makes because they “know better.” Ah, hello, the business is failing!
The team members who work at the restaurant know EXACTLY what is wrong and they are, for the most part, incredibly loyal to and tolerant of the idiot owner they work for. But if or when they try to suggest a way to improve the process or offer suggestions based on direct or indirect customer feedback to the owner they are totally ignored.
Does this give you any ideas for your firm or any of your clients businesses? Perhaps you could invite some clients to a breakfast meeting, show one of his episodes and discuss the lessons learned and how they could apply to any business….. just an idea.
When No means Not Yet: A Principa Alliance Member’s Experience
In a presentation I do on professional selling I try to make the point that if a prospect says “no” it never means “never”. People make decisions based on “where they are at” at the time of making the decision and their natural inclination is to resort to the status quo because that’s the way we humans are wired. Continue reading “When No means Not Yet: A Principa Alliance Member’s Experience”
Value Pricing: Some Mischievously Misleading Musings
Recently, a practitioner named Frank Stitely, CPA posted his thoughts in CPA Trendlines on how charging a very high fee for work that only took a few hours can backfire. Understandingly, this post invoked a lot reaction from the proponents of value pricing including me. Continue reading “Value Pricing: Some Mischievously Misleading Musings”
Even smart people come to the wrong conclusions … to their cost!
Listen to this and form your own view about what really counts if you want to create something great whether it be a business or a product. You’ll recognize the voices I’m sure.
What’s holding YOU back?
For the better part of 30+ years I have been on a journey to share with my colleagues in the accounting profession some ideas I have that will help them help their clients and themselves have a better life by having a better business. This has become our by-line Better Business*Better Life. Continue reading “What’s holding YOU back?”
Timesheets and Managing a Professional Service Firm
One of the most common questions I get asked is: “What do you think of the idea of trashing timesheets?” My standard answer is: “It might be a great initiative for your firm if it is a catalyst for creating a client value centric business model but some form of time monitoring does provide useful management information.” Continue reading “Timesheets and Managing a Professional Service Firm”