Usually I’m speaking directly to firm owners and decision makers, and maybe indirectly I am with this, but by and large, and mostly with the best intentions, how accountants are marketed to needs serious improvement.
I don’t want to entirely point the finger at those doing the marketing (namely vendors and service providers looking to sell to or through accountants), as I do believe in the end it is a two-way street in order to work. But tired tactics that come off as impersonal, “spammy,” or even a mild form of harassment need to change.
Marketing as we know is about communication, and for us, that exchange is most effective when it’s human and personal, or at least starts that way. That may not always be easy to do when on one end, you are initially just a name on a list or a LinkedIn connection.
So, how do you bridge that gap between being a completely unknown, completely untrusted stranger to a potential valued, trusted partner? It’s a question business-to-business marketers across the board ask themselves on the regular, but dealing with accountants to ultimately sell to or through and truly have as a partner takes a bit more finesse and understanding.
The best, first step to take is to understand that this is another person, so whatever you do has to take that into account fully. You need to always know there’s a human that has needs, and one of them, inherently, is to be understood and respected.
As such, no effort you make should negate this fact What I suggest, out of the gate, is to understand a problem, relate, and show that you can.
Take this very human scenario as an analogy for your future marketing efforts in the accounting space:
You are at a bar, you have an understanding of who goes there, and you are particularly social and maybe would like to get to know the locals a bit more but don’t want to come off creepy or rude. So, you sit down at the bar, order your beverage, maybe a light bite, and watch the sports or news up on the TV screen.
As time passes, you hear conversations around you, close enough to turn and talk, but again, they don’t know you; you don’t want to be rude. You then notice what they’re discussing is something you know quite a bit about; you wait for your moment and say, quite simply, “I am sorry, I do not mean to butt in, but I recently had a similar experience and felt like X or reacted like Y.” Something that isn’t intrusive and is quite human and relatable.
In that moment, there’s a connection. You showed the other party you, a fellow human, understood them and can relate. Often times it is a shared problem or understanding of an issue, and that’s all it takes. This very thing is what needs to go into any marketing effort you have.
In other words, never start with “the solution” no matter how good you think it is; start with the problem. But showing you understand where someone is coming from, you have started on a path to trust. It also puts the power firmly in their hands to take a step forward and respond to you, not the other way around where it’s several “follow-ups” or “check-ins” just to get the response you want.
What about what they want? Like anyone, accountants want to be understood about the work they do; the issues they grapple with nearly every day, both functionally and technologically; and where they would like to head.
All of that understanding comes from doing the first part in the bar scenario: listening. By that simple act, you will develop understanding and points to relate to.
In the end, from a marketing and ultimately a relationship-building perspective, if you offer something that is practical and useful to your intended audience, it will build that bridge and start you on your partnership journey.
I get the urgency as a growing company in need of such partnerships in order to sell to or through them. That doesn’t mean you always have to show it, because when you do, especially in the accounting space, it’s hard to ignore the stink of desperation.
So, come with understanding and work at doing just that. There are never any guarantees, but beginning from a human place, one of understanding and relatability, will give you a better chance at the relationships you seek to build.