Jeremy Clopton led the Big Data & Analytics and Digital Forensics practices in one of the top accounting firms in the US. He created the SQ Method, a framework designed to help firms overcome challenges and more successfully leverage technology and move firms forward. He is a faculty member for the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and believes in data and technology's potential to transform firm practice management, leadership, and culture. Shownotes: How Jeremy is also passionate about employee engagement and the value brought by each generation in the workforce. An avid reader, he says Patrick Lencioni, Brené Brown, Daniel Pink, and Scott Berkun have influenced his leadership style. Beyond books, he is a fan of TED curated content and cites Shonda Rhimes' TED2016 talk 'My Year Of Saying Yes To Everything' as one of the most influential talks of his career. Outside of work, Jeremy enjoys spending time with his wife, Katie, three innately curious daughters, a lazy golden retriever, and two energetic toy Australian shepherds. He enjoys running, golf, and helping his wife run a non-profit organization. Contact him here: http://upstreamacademy.com/ (Website and blog) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyclopton/ (LinkedIn)

Accounting Influencers

The Benefits of Data Analytics for Accounting Firm Growth

Bernie Smith coaches businesses to develop meaningful KPIs and present their management information in the clearest possible way to support good decision making. Frustrated by the random way in which performance measures are often chosen and implemented, Bernie set up Made to Measure KPIs in 2007. He has since authored author of 19 KPI books to share simple, structured and repeatable ways to create KPIs that normal humans could design and use to improve businesses. Selected shownotes: What a KPI or key performance specialist actually does The benefits of KPIs for accounting firms and the business clients they serve The power of KPIs to support business clients with advisory services Shout out to The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande and how checklists make KPIs more accessible The importance of KPIs to breakdown and execute strategic objectives The challenges and best practice tips for measuring intangible objectives like culture and client engagement Top tips to gain buy-in for KPI thinking with the clients of or the staff in an accounting firm How visual dashboards can show how KPIs are working and the mistakes accountants make with dashboards Why traffic light approached to KPIs do not work and why they should be avoided The similarities and differences between covid stats and business KPIs Why KPIs are only as good as the data they are based on How personal or health KPIs can help professionals with work life balance and wellbeing The role of micro-habits and small KPIs in bringing about larger scale change How accountants can add value to their clients by delivering content (workshops, webinars) on KPIs A great KPI example around 'lifetime value of activity' which can really move the dial A great KPI example that drives client loyalty and engagement. Using the experience (and scars) of working with a huge variety of organisations over his consulting career, spanning banking (HSBC, Credit Suisse, UBS), aerospace (Airbus, AirTanker, Leonardo), and even cheesemaking, Bernie has boiled that experience down into simple, sensible and practical advice on performance measurement. When not working, Bernie is a keen hill walker, photographer and technology enthusiast. At any given point he has at least half a dozen over-ambitious and incomplete technology projects on the go. Contact him here: http://madetomeasurekpis.com (Website and blog) http://www.linkedin.com/in/berniesmith (LinkedIn)

The Power of Key Performance Indicators for Accountants

Once a month, the Accounting Influencers podcast is featuring a prominent accounting leader. This month host Rob Brown interviews Martin Bissett about his life, his journey, his stories and insights from over 20 years advising accounting firms, networks and associations globally. Martin features in Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential List and has authored 9 books for the accounting profession, including Passport to Partnership, content from which has been adopted into the curriculum of AAT Level 3 courses, and taught in selected UK colleges and US CPA Societies. He has also spoken to audiences from over 40 nations on 4 continents. He has been retained by Accountingweb and the International Accounting Bulletin as a judge of their prestigious awards. He also regularly writes for Accounting Today, AccountingWeb, CPA Practice Advisor and Chartered One. In addition, he has featured on on many international expert panels and guested on professional podcasts in the US, UK, and Australia. Martin is constantly driving the accounting profession to adopt an advisory role towards clients moving away from compliance in order to create sustainable businesses, high levels of financial literacy in SMEs and therefore take the financial pressure off SME owner’s home lives. He is a lifelong supporter of Hibernian Football Club in Scotland, and as a committed philanthropist, he connects all of his business and personal income to giving activities and charitable causes. You can connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinbissett/ (LinkedIn) https://martinbissett.com/ (Website)

Martin Bissett: Founder of Upward Spiral Professionals

Rob Brown is a former high school maths teacher and now founder of the Business Development Academy, which trains busy accountants and similar service professionals to be confident, effective work winners. He speaks internationally on growth, succession, trust, likeability, reputation, collaboration, mental resilience and sales for professional firms and networks. He is also in demand as an online an and in person chair, moderator, interviewer, MC and event host for conferences and virtual events internationally. Rob is the bestselling author of Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and his TED talk ‘The Personal Brand of You’ has been viewed 250K times on Youtube. He hosts the popular weekly https://bdacademy.pro/podcasts/aip/ (Accounting Influencers podcast) that interviews a range of influencers, vendors and experts who serve the accounting community to ask what makes the good firms and accountants great. Selected shownotes: Why you need a strong professional business network The common denominator in almost all referrals, recommendations and introductions Why education teaches us to ask the wrong question when faced with a problem Shout out to Des O'Neill of OmniPro and Martin Bissett of Upward Spiral Professionals Case Study - coaching Jim the accountant to win more business more quickly The power of collaboration and strategic partnership in the accounting world A warning to cut through the hype - not everyone is as good as they say they are How accountants can accelerate their referral business AND their career An invitation to explore the 90 Day Pipeline coaching program for accountants to generate £100K of new business opportunities Connect to Rob on https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobbrown/ (LinkedIn) or via the https://bdacademy.pro/contact/ (BD Academy website)

Why Accountants Need a Strong Professional Network

Jason Bay is Chief Prospecting Officer at Blissful Prospecting. He helps reps and sales teams who love landing big meetings with prospects—but hate not getting responses to their cold emails or feeling confident making cold calls. Sales is the only "adult job" he’s ever had. And he’s done everything from selling house painting services door to door, running outbound call centers, to helping hundreds of reps master cold outreach. Selected shownotes: Two big lessons learned from selling house-painting services door to door The big mistake accountants make when approaching prospects that potentially creates an aversion to selling Why the business, deal or new client doesn't necessarily go to the best accountant, best form or best offering What caused Jason (and many other small business owners) to switch accountants The difference between marketing, prospecting and selling, and why accountants should know the difference Essential client acquisition knowledge for accounting professionals, starting with inbound and outbound marketing techniques How great content can help accountants reach out to and start conversations with existing and potential new clients The big reason accountants shouldn't have to make cold calls and knock on doors to start conversations with prospects Best practice tips for accountants to identify their ideal clients and buying personas to make for easier business development Why accountants don't always need to 'like' selling or business development to make it work for them, although they still need to develop the skills Shout out to the introverts in the world (like many accountants and entrepreneurs) and how to win business by talking less/asking better questions How accountants can 'get under the skin' of what their clients and prospects really need Great tips for handling objections when selling your services and how the EVO method gives accountants confidence in sales situations Special gift from Jason - a PDF guide with prospecting scripts and techniques to make better phone calls and have better sales conversations (link below) A simple and enticing reason accountants should use to reach out to existing and potential new clients to start conversations. JBay as he is often called, is into classic rock - Van Halen and Def Leppard his two favorite bands. UFC is his favorite sport and he loves being outside hiking, camping and backpacking. He 'nerds out' on most things psychology related and enjoys hanging out with his wife, Sara, and his dog, Pepe. Contact him here: https://blissfulprospecting.com/aip (AIP - special prospecting cheat sheet for accountants) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondbay/ (LinkedIn)

Prospecting Tips to Help Accountants Win More Clients

Mark Jenkins has had over 20 years in Public Practice in New Zealand. In 2014, he sold his firm so that he could focus on his true passion - helping accountants to accelerate small business success. Mark joined forces with Viv Brownrigg, together creating The Gap so that Accounting firms throughout NZ, Australia and the UK can use Business Development content to maximise income without having to re-invent the wheel. Selected shownotes: Why it's exciting to be in the accounting profession and how covid offers opportunities to close a client disconnect What clients have traditionally thought of their accountants, and what needs to change in educating clients Why accountants must stay relevant to their buyers and clients, and what happens if they don't The importance for accountants of staying relevant to clients and educating them if they want significantly more referral business What stops accountants educating their clients on how they truly help and the additional services they offer The danger for accountants of assuming that their clients will only ask for what they need vz help to run a better business The key areas clients need education and help with that an accountant should be offering The Forbes definition of business development and how it relates to advisory services for accountants The two way education that is needed for accountants to come up with the best possible support and advice for the accounting client Examples of where client education has been really impactful for accounting professionals The sad lack of proactivity with some accountants who have not reached out to their clients during covid Why having loyal clients are not always the ones who will reach out to their accounting advisors for extra help The potential revenue upsides in playing a long game when accountants properly educate and inform their clients The first thing accountants must do if they want to solve more problems and create more opportunities with their clients Tips for accountants who want to create more time to be more strategic and advisory led with their clients The role of the 'achiever matrix' in helping accountants decide what's important vz urgent with their time and focus How accountants can make good decisions about what content and social media channels they invest in to educate their clients Smart strategies accountants can use to increase engagement in their content and webinars/online training How accountants can help their clients define success and how it's different for each client Tips to solve the marketing department-outsourcing-doing it yourself dilemma for accountants who want better marketing How the FGG principle can create better client loyalty, engagement and cross-selling opportunities for accountants What benefits come to those accountants and accounting firms if they focus on good client education What best practice for client education looks like for accountants who want to create more revenue opportunities and serve their clients better. In his downtime, Mark likes nothing more than getting up at the crack of dawn, pulling out his kayak, catching, filleting and BBQing his catch of the day. Contact him here: https://www.thegapportal.com/ (Website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-jenkins-59872a42/ (LinkedIn)

Using Client Education to Drive Accounting Firm Growth

Once a month, the Accounting Influencers podcast is featuring a prominent accounting leader. This month we interview Paul Winrow, the Technical Partner and Ethics Partner at top 15 UK firm MHA MacIntyre Hudson. He was previously Global Director of Professional Standards at Baker Tilly International. Here he was responsible for the network’s global audit methodology, the global quality improvement program, technical support, technical training and representing the network in the accounting Profession.  Paul has over 25 years audit experience, spending the first ten years of his career in Big 4 firms and has spent the last ten years in technical roles. He was a core member of a global team responsible for developing a new global audit methodology and contributing to a suite of audit learning and software for a top six network, where he was Head of Audit Technical in the UK Firm, and more recently developed and implemented the Baker Tilly International Global Audit Methodology.  In his spare time, Paul is an avid sports fan, particularly his life-long love affair with Liverpool FC (what a couple of years this has been!!) and a shorter lived but no less passionate following of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team. He is also a keen scientist and completed a part-time PhD in Palaeontology in 2015. 

Paul Winrow: Technical Partner at MHA MacIntyre Hudson

Rob Brown is a former high school maths teacher and now founder of the Business Development Academy, which trains busy accountants and similar service professionals to be confident, effective work winners. He speaks internationally on growth, succession, trust, likeability, reputation, collaboration, mental resilience and sales for professional firms and networks. He is also in demand as an online an and in person chair, moderator, interviewer, MC and event host for conferences and virtual events internationally. Rob is the bestselling author of Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and his TED talk ‘The Personal Brand of You’ has been viewed 250K times on Youtube. He hosts the popular weekly https://bdacademy.pro/podcasts/aip/ (Accounting Influencers podcast) that interviews a range of influencers, vendors and experts who serve the accounting community to ask what makes the good firms and accountants great. Selected shownotes: The importance of learning new skills to come out of covid better, faster and stronger Why children learn new skills more quickly than adults How skills are different to knowledge and how they enhance your career and self-satisfaction Reasons why adults struggle to learn new skills Why personal growth and non-business related skills are good to develop , and not just professional skills Examples of professional and personal skills you could learn to make you better The power of learning new skills with other people vz doing it alone Launching of the 90 Day Pipeline coaching for accountants to generate £100K of new business opportunities Announcing an episode of accounting Influencers every month interviewing leaders in large or innovative accounting firms, global networks or alliances. To have a conversation with Rob, contact him here: http://www.accountantsworld.com/ (Website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/hitendrapatil/ (LinkedIn)

How & Why Accountants Should Develop New Skills

Sam Allred is a qualified CPA and founder of Upstream Academy. He has been regularly recognized as one of the major influencers in the accounting profession and has been listed as one of Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting and as one of IPA’s Most Recommended Consultants. He is one of the most sought-after speakers in the accounting profession and is viewed as one of their top strategic thinkers. Shownotes: What separates the good accounting firms from the great, especially in tough times What a strong culture of high performance and a staff of raving fans looks like in a good accounting firm Question answered: do high performing firms recruit high performing people or develop good people into high performers? Shoutout to 'The Ideal Team Player - How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues' by Patrick Lencioni (and what those essential values are) What defines high performance or 'best in class' in professional firms and what research data supports it The 6 areas of discipline demonstrated by all high performing accounting firms Why financial performance is only a small part of what makes an accounting firm successful and high performing Why every firm and every accounting partner can be high performing - it's not the normal distribution curve of poor, average and good How the covid pandemic and remote working has exposed some accounting firms who lack a high performing culture and strong processes What high performing leaders in an accounting firm set examples and drive culture in caring for their people and clients Why it's almost impossible to be a high performing professional in a low performing accounting firm over any length of time The dilemma for accomplished partners fighting against poor performance who are too invested in a poor firm to contemplate leaving How to properly discern whether an accounting firm is worth joining or working for before you're hired The signs from the outside that an accounting firm is high performing The main thing accounting firms and accounting individuals need to start down the road of becoming 'best in class' Critical questions accounting professionals and leaders should ask themselves to assess whether they are or could be considered a high performer The kind of results high performing firms have achieved in a pandemic year and how they will continue to dominate in 2021 What all accounting firms are most looking forward to as they emerge from covid restrictions Sam and his wife, Marlene, live outside of Park City, Utah. His hobbies include spending time with his family, fly fishing and golf. Sam and Marlene have seven children. Contact him here: http://upstreamacademy.com/ (Website)

The Blueprint for a High Performing Accounting Firm

Mark Stiving has studied, led and coached businesses through the lens of pricing for 25 years. His company Impact Pricing is dedicated to educating B2B companies about pricing and value. He has driven company-wide pricing initiatives worth hundreds of millions of dollars in incremental profit. He started and sold three companies, improving his championship pricing skills in each one. His book, Impact Pricing: Your Blueprint for Driving Profits, is a highly readable and practical manual (4.9 stars on Amazon). Selected shownotes: The makings of a world-renowned pricing and value expert - how Mark Stiving became an international pricing educator Why pricing matters in business and why accountants especially should care about pricing The different kinds of pricing, starting with the billable hour and ending with subscription pricing The problems accountants (and others in professional services) have that doesn't always apply to other sectors What exactly value is and how it figures into different pricing models Why accountants have problems with value-based pricing and fail to understand the nuances of pricing The two decisions buyers make in assessing a purchase and deciding value for money How the rigid structure of the billable hour and timesheets has stopped accountants from embracing more effective and profitable methods of pricing their services Why the 'value conversation' is so important for accountants when talking to their clients, and how to use it to price services better Shout out to Ron Baker, the 'godfather of pricing', and where Mark Stiving takes issue with his stance on timesheets The importance for accountants of involving the client in the determination of value, ROI and pricing metrics Whether it's possible to value price for anything, such as accounting audits or basic commodities Why there is no such thing as a commodity and how sellers can charge differently for what seems to be a basic, standardised product What an accountant can do when they don't know how long a job, project or particular outcome will take The biggest risk accountants face in moving from hourly to value based pricing The single best pricing technique that accountants can use to put together compelling packages, products and services for clients How lifetime value factors into value pricing, particularly with longer term projects When it's okay for an accountant to discount their prices or even offer services or advice for free When a lower price might overcome a buyer's inertia to make a purchase How accountants can get started with value pricing, both in negotiation and mindset terms Tips to drive a better pricing culture and a more positive attitude to pricing in your accounting firm. Contact Mark here: https://impactpricing.com/ (Website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ (LinkedIn)

Advanced Pricing Strategies for Accounting Professionals

Heath Alloway of Upstream Academy was National Growth Manager and Director of Business Development at one of the top accounting and consulting firms in the US. Here he led a multi-disciplinary team of 20, focused on strategic growth plans, development and launch of new services and industry verticals, leveraging firm data and innovation. Selected shownotes: The 2 main ways accounting firms can drive organic growth Whose job business development and growing an accounting firm actually is Defining what innovation is and where it comes from in an accounting firm The biggest misconceptions about innovation in an accounting firm The danger of focusing too much on your competition and not your clients How to handle the objection of 'I don't have time to innovate or do business development' in my firm The parallels between innovation and business development for accounting firms Encouraging a culture and mindset of innovating for accounting professionals The importance of diversity of views for worthwhile innovation Technique for dealing with people in your accounting form who are not open to change and innovation The need for leadership support and aligning the firm's culture for good innovation The obstacles that most hinder accounting firm innovation Three critical questions in deciding whether to innovate and create a new product, service or process The dangers of assuming your clients need and will pay for new products or services Three ways an accounting firm can innovate to be more efficient and effective The future for those accounting firms and accountants who cannot or refuse to innovate. When not working, Heath and his wife, Emily, focus on faith, family, health, and friends. He frequently refers to his two precious kids as his innovation team because they generate a lot of ideas – both good and bad – that require his help and/or intervention.. Contact him here: http://upstreamacademy.com/ (Website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/heath-alloway/ (LinkedIn)

How Top Accounting Firms Innovate & Generate Ideas

Rob Brown is a former high school maths teacher and now founder of the Business Development Academy, which trains busy accountants and similar service professionals to be confident, effective work winners. He speaks internationally on growth, succession, trust, likeability, reputation, collaboration, mental resilience and sales for professional firms and networks. He is also in demand as an online an and in person chair, moderator, interviewer, MC and event host for conferences and virtual events internationally. Rob is the bestselling author of Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and his TED talk ‘The Personal Brand of You’ has been viewed 250K times on Youtube. He hosts the popular weekly https://bdacademy.pro/podcasts/aip/ (Accounting Influencers podcast) that interviews a range of influencers, vendors and experts who serve the accounting community to ask what makes the good firms and accountants great. Selected shownotes: H Contact him here: http://www.accountantsworld.com/ (Website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/hitendrapatil/ (LinkedIn)

2020 Reflections & 2021 Outlook from Host Rob Brown

Hitendra R. Patil is the author of The Definitive Success Guide to Client Accounting Services (CAS). His previous best-seller book, Accountaneur: The Entrepreneurial Accountant, has been bought by accountants in 12 countries across 4 continents. Hitendra has been named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting from 2017 to 2019. He has also been among the Top 10 Accounting Influencers to Follow on Social Media and Top 100 Accounting Social Media Leaderboard. He is a regularly published author on many of the leading publications in the accounting profession in the United States. Selected shownotes: read it . hitendra is the Director of Customer Success at AccountantsWorld, a leading provider of cloud-based solutions for accountants, offering a complete, integrated suite of innovative accounting, payroll, and practice management solutions.He helps accountants become more successful by leveraging software solutions more powerfully and advancing the company’s leadership in cloud solutions for accountants. Before AccountantsWorld, he has worked in the technology and technology-enabled services industry for nearly 20 years, working across multiple industry sectors such as capital markets, hedge funds, manufacturing, accounting, payroll, tax, and advisory services.. Contact him here: http://www.accountantsworld.com/ (Website and blog) https://www.linkedin.com/in/hitendrapatil/ (LinkedIn) Useful Links: https://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/why-your-child-wont-be-an-accountant (Why Your Child Won't Be An Accountant) Book: https://cpatrendlines.com/shop/accountaneur/ (Accountaneur: The Entrepreneurial Accountant)

The Power & Benefits of Client Accounting Services

Bernie Smith coaches businesses to develop meaningful KPIs and present their management information in the clearest possible way to support good decision making. Frustrated by the random way in which performance measures are often chosen and implemented, Bernie set up Made to Measure KPIs in 2007. He has since authored author of 19 KPI books to share simple, structured and repeatable ways to create KPIs that normal humans could design and use to improve businesses. Selected shownotes: How the book 'KPI Checklists' came about and why you should read it How the right business and financial information is vital to drive improved performance The need for linking measures, targets and goals to strategic objectives using KPIs or key performance indicators A definition of KPIs that everyone can relate to which centres around measuring things that count and that you care about The different types of KPIs, particularly leading (activity-based) and lagging (outcome-based) measurements How the ROKS method (Results Oriented KPI System) works with an illustration on how you choose a tool to do a DIY job What makes some KPIs more useful and relevant than others The joys and drawbacks of visual dashboards, plus the ideal number of KPIs to have on them How accountants are ideally places to capitalise on KPIs because of the amount and quality of data they can access How to measure and how often to measure the data that drive your KPIs The common fears and challenges accountants have with embracing KPIs in their firms and client offerings How KPIs link to incentives, rewards and motivations in accounting firms Best practice steps to start working with KPIs and how to drive a KPI oriented culture in an accounting firm How accountants can effectively use KPIs to add value and advisory services to their clients Why fact-based decision making vz guesswork is at the heart of KPI thinking. Using the experience (and scars) of working with a huge variety of organisations over his consulting career, spanning banking (HSBC, Credit Suisse, UBS), aerospace (Airbus, AirTanker, Leonardo), and even cheesemaking, Bernie has boiled that experience down into simple, sensible and practical advice on performance measurement. When not working, Bernie is a keen hill walker, photographer and technology enthusiast. At any given point he has at least half a dozen over-ambitious and incomplete technology projects on the go. Contact him here: http://madetomeasurekpis.com (Website and blog) http://www.linkedin.com/in/berniesmith (LinkedIn)  

What Accountants Need to Know Know About KPIs

Alison Ball is the Director of Marketing and Influencer Strategy for Liscio, Inc. Liscio helps firms differentiate themselves by providing Client Experience 2.0TM to their clients. How do you make exchanging sensitive data and information with your clients delightful, trackable, and transparent across team members? Liscio does that just - everything in one place and designed from the ground up to be secure, mobile, and delightfully easy to use for clients and for staff. Before joining Liscio, Alison spent 15 years leading accountant influencer programs at Intuit. In her spare time she grows amazing backyard vegetables and loves hiking in the San Francisco Bay Area. She believes that life is too short to spend it with mean people, and any day she can help someone else be successful is a good day indeed. . Shownotes: Why the accounting profession is in great shape despite the pandemic The two biggest challenges for accounting firms in these tough times (clue - it's to do with people) The impact of accounting firms realising that they can work remotely The major concern for accounting firms who have a remote workforce The first thing accounting firms must do if they want to maintain a strong culture Why hope is not a strategy for survival, growth and recovery The difference between rockstars and superstars in a professional firm Shout out to Jim Collins and his book Good to Great - get the right people on your team bus What attracting great people to your accounting firm allows you to do What new entrants to accounting need to understand if they want to get excited by their career A major but underestimated benefits of working as an accountant in practice vz industry Why failing to clarify to emerging leaders what it takes to make partner is a sign of poor leadership in accounting firms What high performing professional firms do with their talent and succession that other firms don't The biggest mistake accountants make in carving out a stellar career for themselves How a stellar accounting career is very different to a good career The importance of recognising your strengths and unique abilities to forge a standout career in accountancy The dangers of staying in your comfort zone and what stepping out of it looks like for ambitious accountants The challenge of feedback and why most people don't grow/progress because they won't ask for it What accountants can learn from the Eisenhower Matrix as promoted by Stephen Covey The power of being intentional with your career planning in professional life Sam and his wife, Marlene, live outside of Park City, Utah. His hobbies include spending time with his family, fly fishing and golf. Sam and Marlene have seven children. Contact him here: http://upstreamacademy.com/ (Website and blog)

Delivering Client Experience 2.0 for Accounting Firms

Rob Brown interviews world class accounting leaders and global accounting influencers about what makes good accounting firms great.