The Abundant Accountant: Leads, Sales & Business Growth for Accounting, Tax and Bookkeeping Professionals

So much is on the line when talking with potential clients because you either leave a bad impression or get them on board with you. That is why many find it nerve-wracking, especially when the conversations start to get boring or dull. How then will you close if they look like they want to get away from you? In this episode, Michelle Weinstein and her partner in crime, business growth strategist Denise Mandeau, help you overcome these awkward situations and get your potential accounting clients to say YES. How, do you ask? By only asking the right questions! Not only will you get their sweet YES, but you will also get it from the client that is right for you and who is willing to pay you what you're looking for. Follow Michelle and Denise to connect with your leads and build a rock-solid relationship that will last long-term.

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Onboarding a new client may only take an hour or two, but it can easily take half of your day if you have to travel miles just to get to the client. That means hours of unpaid travel time that could have been saved with cloud accounting technology. Joining Michelle Weinstein to talk about this is cloud accounting specialist and podcast host, Blake Oliver. Having had to endure the long drives himself, Blake realized that you could actually save a lot of commute time if you can incentivize the client to go cloud-based. He gives us some essential tips on onboarding clients and coaxing them to embrace the virtual model and remote work setup.

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What actions should you be taking RIGHT NOW to thrive? It's probably not what you think!

In this special bonus episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast, Dominique Molina joins me for a conversation about what we've both noticed since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, how you can attract more clients that you're actually excited to work with, and how doing the exact opposite of what you would normally do can help you stand out and be successful - recession or not!

If you're ready to take back your power by taking action and doing what other accountants aren't doing, this episode is a must-listen!

Here's a few things we talked about:

• Why communication (not credentials) is key to differentiating yourself and charging higher rates
• What Dominique has noticed about what people are experiencing and why you should be doing the opposite of your instincts to be successful
• The power of being present and acting in the now instead of from the past or the future
• Specific, real-life examples of how you can help businesses adapt in this new and changing climate
• Why leading by example is the absolute best way to attract the clients you want right now
• Why you DON'T have to be an expert in everything to be of service for your clients, and why not knowing everything might even help you stand out right now
• What to do when negative thoughts pop up or you find yourself or your clients "grumbling" about things that don't really matter

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I see way too many accounting professionals who are overworked, underpaid, and under appreciated. Is that you?

That's why I've created a simple 5-step process for accountants so that you can feel confident positioning yourself as the expert, get consistent, high-quality referrals, and easily get people to say YES to paying you what you're worth (no matter how much you charge), while working less all year round - even during these challenging times! Go to 5stepstoabundance.com to get my simple 5-step process accountants use to go from "waiting around for the busy season" to closing high-level clients who say YES to paying you what you're worth (no matter how much you charge) and who actually appreciate the work you do for them!

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This episode was brought to you by Xero. With Xero's cloud accounting software, small businesses and accountants can work together and collaborate anytime, anywhere. With real-time financials, bank connections, unlimited users, and online invoicing, it's beautiful accounting software that's powered by people.

Xero provides its 2+ million subscribers with connections to a thriving ecosystem of 800+ third-party apps and 200+ connections to banks and financial service providers. Learn more at www.xero.com.

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Important Links:

• Dominique Molina
• Be Here Now by Ram Dass
• 5StepsToAbundance.com

About Dominique Molina

Dominique Molina has long been passionate about helping small businesses pay less tax. Unlike other CPAs, her practice, beyond annual tax return preparation, also emphasizes proactive tax planning strategies to help small businesses leverage the tax laws in the same way that large corporations and the wealthy do. Unsatisfied with bringing her tax-savings approach only to clients her own practice could reach, she created a company that trains and certifies CPAs to develop special expertise in tax planning in accordance with her own high standards for advisory excellence and tax reduction goals. The result is a growing network of CPAs who are successfully reaching some 90,000 small businesses throughout the country.

Molina's mission to save clients from overpaying their taxes led in 2009 to her founding The American Institute of Certified Tax Planners (AICTP), a company she presides over as CEO. Certified Tax Planners are a leading group of tax professionals who are specially trained in the art of long term, proactive tax planning. AICTP trains and certifies CPAs to develop special expertise in tax planning, and it provides ongoing education, information, and other resources for accountants, advisors, and small business owners. Molina and the company provide a valuable service to the small business community, because AICTP member CPAs, as proactive tax planners, are advising their business owner clients throughout the year on strategies to minimize their annual tax liability by putting tax laws to work for them. By capitalizing on the wealth of tax-saving resources in the U.S. tax code, she and they are helping small businesses pay less tax in April, and retain more revenues for growth.

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Are you at a loss right now when it comes to talking to your clients or are struggling to bring in new business?

On this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast, Denise Mandeau joins me to talk about three mindset shifts you need to make right now to navigate these uncertain times.

Here's a few things we talked about:

• The difference between being fearless and being courageous
• Michele and Denise role play how to talk about "perceived reality"
• Why doing the opposite of what you normally would do can really change the conversations you're having with your clients
• How to ask better questions that will lead you to find solutions and get better results
• How to shift from contraction to expansion mode to create new opportunities and become a leader for your clients
• How you can easily start building more trust with your current and potential clients

If you want to thrive and grow even during these challenging times, this episode is for you!

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If you're having a challenging or stressful time in your firm right now, we're offering complimentary coaching sessions to help you through it! Visit theabundantcall.com to learn more and schedule.

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This episode was brought to you by Xero. With Xero's cloud accounting software, small businesses and accountants can work together and collaborate anytime, anywhere. With real-time financials, bank connections, unlimited users, and online invoicing, it's beautiful accounting software that's powered by people.

Xero provides its 2+ million subscribers with connections to a thriving ecosystem of 800+ third-party apps and 200+ connections to banks and financial service providers. Learn more at www.xero.com.

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A person goes to a professional with a specific set of wants and needs in mind, and that is something that you, as an accountant, have to be sensitive to. To a potential client, the value of your services is not weighed by your technical know-how or resumé, but rather, they look at how you can help them get what they want and need. Michelle Weinstein is joined by business growth strategist Denise Mandeau. Mixing in a bit of roleplay, Michelle and Denise illustrate how to win a client over by appealing to the things that they want to be able to achieve. If you want to get more yeses from potential clients, don't miss this important conversation between Michelle and Denise!

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Our special guest for this bonus episode is Ron Saharyan, the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Profit First Professionals. He has over fifteen years of experience in managing organizational growth and is sharing his recession-proof formula for connecting and communicating with your clients to help keep them at ease, be of more service, and keep your firm running.

If you're finding these times challenging and want to be prepared for anything that may come your way in the future, this episode is for you!

• The evolved communication Method that will help you serve and connect to your clients
• How putting yourself in your clients shoes and empathizing can help to grow relationships
• The best way to really make your clients feel heard and understood
• How to ask questions to get to the heart of your customer's vision
• The difference between being opportunistic and finding new opportunities
• The most important skill you can use to be of service right now
• Why you should avoid giving advice in stressful times and what you can do instead

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If you're having a challenging or stressful time in your firm right now, we're offering complimentary coaching sessions to help you through it! Visit theabundantcall.com to learn more and schedule.

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This episode was brought to you by Xero. With Xero's cloud accounting software, small businesses and accountants can work together and collaborate anytime, anywhere. With real-time financials, bank connections, unlimited users, and online invoicing, it's beautiful accounting software that's powered by people.

Xero provides its 2+ million subscribers with connections to a thriving ecosystem of 800+ third-party apps and 200+ connections to banks and financial service providers. Learn more at www.xero.com.

• Profit First Professionals
• Ron - LinkedIn
• Mike Michalowicz
• Profit First
• Profit First Professionals
• The Abundant Accountant podcast
• Success Unfiltered
• iTunes - The Abundant Accountant podcast
• https://ProfitFirstProfessionals.com
• Never Split the Difference

Ron Saharyan is co-founder and managing partner of Profit First Professionals. Having built multiple companies in the staffing industry, Ron leads Profit First's membership of world-class accountants, bookkeepers and business coaches who guide entrepreneurs to the highest degrees of profitability.

He has over 15 years experience in managing organizational growth, is a thought leader in business cash flow management and is a popular speaker on the topic of, you guessed it, profit.

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Many people tend to underestimate the power of owning their value in the different parts of their lives, and this holds true for value-based pricing. This is important because creating a price based on the way you perceive your value also affects the way your customers will perceive your value, so you've got to show them you're worth their investment. Denise Mandeau is a renowned business growth strategist. She sits down with Michelle Weinstein to discuss the inherent value in value-based pricing. Thinking of taking your business to the next level? This is a great step to start!

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Despite being a practical need for many, marketing your accounting firm may prove to be a difficult task. Without marketing, you don't get a lot of sales. And without sales, you don't get revenue. Today, Seth Greene joins host Michelle Weinstein to demystify the process of getting your accounting firm out there well in view of many more people. Stay tuned to this episode for more actionable tips for marketing your firm that won't take up a lot of time OR a lot of money! This is perfect for any accountant or CPA who wants to spread awareness of their firm so they can help more people!

This episode was brought to you by Xero. With Xero's cloud accounting software, small businesses and accountants can work together and collaborate anytime, anywhere. With real-time financials, bank connections, unlimited users, and online invoicing, it's beautiful accounting software that's powered by people.

Xero provides its 2+ million subscribers with connections to a thriving ecosystem of 800+ third-party apps and 200+ connections to banks and financial service providers. Learn more at www.xero.com

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In this bonus episode, we're continuing our conversation on how to adapt your firm to not just survive but thrive during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis with special guest, Femke Hogema. Femke Hogema is an author, speaker, entrepreneur and owner of of ProfitFirst Professionals in The Netherlands. Her new book, The Profit Advisor, is available on Amazon.com. Her mission is to help accountingpreneurs become financially healthy and profitable.

Here's what we talked about:

• The first thing you should do to set yourself apart, and what you should focus on (instead of numbers and paperwork)
• Two questions you should be asking your clients before you talk about anything else
• How to get clients out of fear and into possibility
• Why you definitively shouldn't lower your rates right now and what you should do instead
• Tips to get your information and services online so that you can reach more people while saving yourself time and resources

Watch Femke's video, 3 Mindset Tips for Entrepreneurs Who Want to Thrive During Corona.

If you're feeling lost or stressed about the future of your firm right now, this episode is for you! And if you know anyone who may benefit from this episode, please share it with them.

If you're having a challenging or stressful time in your firm right now, we're offering complimentary coaching sessions to help you through it! Visit theabundantcall.com to learn more and schedule.

This episode was brought to you by Xero. With Xero's cloud accounting software, small businesses and accountants can work together and collaborate anytime, anywhere. With real-time financials, bank connections, unlimited users, and online invoicing, it's beautiful accounting software that's powered by people.

Xero provides its 2+ million subscribers with connections to a thriving ecosystem of 800+ third-party apps and 200+ connections to banks and financial service providers. Learn more at www.xero.com.

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So many of us are facing new challenges and a lot of uncertainty right now amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In this bonus episode, sales expert Michael Fisher joins me to talk about how to transition through these uncertain times, what mindset shifts you need to make to not only survive but thrive over the next few months, and how focusing on opportunities to help others will get all of us through this together.

If you're feeling stuck, stressed or overwhelmed in your firm right now, this episode is for you! And if you know anyone who may benefit from this episode, please share it with them.

Mike Fisher has over 30 years experience in sales, starting out selling books door to door to pay his way through school. As an experienced sales trainer and consultant, working with companies like Abbot Labs, Johnson & Johnson, Coca Cola and Quest. He lives in Tennessee with his wife and two children. In his free time he loves golfing, running, and spending time with his family.

If you're having a challenging or stressful time in your firm right now, we're offering complimentary coaching sessions to help you through it! Visit theabundantcall.com to learn more and schedule.

This episode was brought to you by Xero. With Xero's cloud accounting software, small businesses and accountants can work together and collaborate anytime, anywhere. With real-time financials, bank connections, unlimited users, and online invoicing, it's beautiful accounting software that's powered by people.

Xero provides its 2+ million subscribers with connections to a thriving ecosystem of 800+ third-party apps and 200+ connections to banks and financial service providers. Learn more at www.xero.com

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Do you feel frustrated by having to constantly deal with those clients who are price shoppers? If so, then this episode is for you. Michelle Weinstein brings over Business Growth Strategist, Denise Mandeau, to help guide you on how to say no to clients with no budget. Familiar with the pains and difficulties this situation brings, Michelle and Denise share three tips that will help you stop wasting time on these clients and to finally get paid what you are worth, never a penny less. Tune into this great conversation to move your way up to becoming the Abundant Accountant that you know you should be.

This episode was brought to you by Xero. With Xero's cloud accounting software, small businesses and accountants can work together and collaborate anytime, anywhere. With real-time financials, bank connections, unlimited users, and online invoicing, it's beautiful accounting software that's powered by people.

Xero provides its 2+ million subscribers with connections to a thriving ecosystem of 800+ third-party apps and 200+ connections to banks and financial service providers. Learn more at www.xero.com

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As an accountant, you have to aim for having clients pay you upfront to prevent any troubles in payment which might actually lose you some money in the long run. You have to know your value and train your clients to realize your worth because you offer them the best service in return. In this episode, host Michelle Weinstein shares the 10 ways you can get paid in advance for your accounting services.

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Being an accountant or starting your own firm in accounting and bookkeeping requires good marketing to set yourself apart from your competition. You have to speak to your audience about what you do, what you focus on, and what differentiates you from others who do more or less the same job. In this episode, host Michelle Weinstein interviews the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Profit First Professionals, Ron Saharyan, about how to differentiate yourself as an accountant and having the right image and strategies to be more specialized and focused.

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Work around tax season can give you as an accountant a lot of stress if you don't manage your time wisely. Time management is about putting in the right time for your top priorities through scheduled time blocking, regularly engaging in stress-relieving activities for you and your team, and sometimes by cutting down on clients. In this episode, host Michelle Weinstein asks accountant coach and Meyer Tax Consulting Founder and President, Jackie Meyer, about some tips on managing time and stress.

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Greater accountability is needed in giving away free information, free tax tips per se. Not only that you have to be 100% sure that your information is correct, but you also have to ensure that it is not hurting you and your business. Mike Meilinger, an owner of a CPA firm focused exclusively on litigation support, forensic services, divorce accounting, and business valuation, recalls how giving away tax tips and other information for free hurt his business and firm in the past. Mike shares what kind of information is safe to share with your client.

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Being an accountant does not only require the right amount of technical expertise, it also important to have certain qualities that would give you an edge in having better client relationships. These qualities are simple enough to understand yet can be vital in expanding your clientele and further improving yourself as an accountant. In this episode, Michelle Weinstein shares with us the 10 qualities that a good accountant should have.

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Figuring out how to start something and growing it is often a struggle for many solo entrepreneurs who want to move out of their current jobs and start their own business. Talking to accountants, agents, bookkeepers, and those who are doing part-time CFO, Nellie Akalp dives deep into the process of scaling your own accounting firm. As a CEO of CorpNet.com - a trusted resource for Business Incorporation, LLC Filings, and Corporate Compliance Services in all 50 states - Nellie has the wisdom to give your business that competitive advantage. She shares the things an accountant must possess to differentiate themselves from everybody else and the three ways they can scale their accounting firm without adding overhead.

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Why do clients leave their current CPA? With the birth of virtual accounting firms, several clients shift to it because they see some value, especially in the pricing comparison. Dominique Molina, the President of the American Institute of Certified Tax Coaches, reveals what's going on with all the competition and the cannibalism in the accounting industry. A firm believer that understanding the buyer's journey is crucial, she unravels the three areas to focus on so you can protect and arm yourself from the rise of online competitors. Hit the books and learn the value of creating pricing lists and the two wow factors that will outwit competitors.

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Charging for your accounting services without apologizing is one vital thing you should be implementing when you are working honestly and ethically. Unfortunately, we see too many accounting professionals who are overworked and underpaid. Stop undercharging for your accounting services once and for all as Michelle Weinstein shares some smart pricing strategy examples and her five-step process to start collecting higher fees with confidence and getting paid your worth.

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How do you go from giving discounts to charging 5 times your old rates?

In this special bonus episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast, we're hearing exactly how to do it--straight from the mouth of Aleksey Kaplan, a New York based accounting-preneur, who has successfully raised the price of his most basic service from $150 to $650!

As an accountant, I know that you are frustrated and stressed trying to get the right clients through the door, maybe feel like you have no control over who you work with or how much you charge. Maybe you don't even believe that you can get a potential client to say yes to a high-fee package.

That's why I invited Aleksey Kaplan on the show to share his story with you. When I first met Aleksey, he had a ton of challenges that were keeping him from getting his firm where he wanted it to go. In this episode, you'll hear how Aleksey was able to overcome his limiting beliefs and went from sticking to the status quo to being a full-blown accountingpreneur who knows his value, only works with his ideal client, and charges premium rates.

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Want to take it to the next level and beyond like Aleksey?

I'm opening up a few strategy sessions to help you get your IDEAL clients coming to YOU so you can build your dream practice, work less, and still have the time and money to enjoy your family and kids. Head to theabundantcall.com now to schedule your coaching session with The Abundant Accountant team!

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Your elevator pitch is your opportunity to connect with someone. Denise Mandeau says you start building a relationship from the first 10 to 30 seconds that you meet someone and give your first impression. That's going to set the tone whether they're going to a potential client or a potential referral source for you. Denise is a business growth strategist and co-founder of P3D Consulting. She has proven success as a business owner, financial planner and award-winning sales professional for over 35 years. Denise is passionate about teaching others to learn how to sell without being salesy! She joins us in this interview to talk about how to pitch your skills – whether you're a CPA, an accountant, or a bookkeeper - without being too technical.

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How can a particular sales strategy transform your firm and your CPA practices if you're not a salesperson or entrepreneur? Not all CPAs are entrepreneurs and not all "accountingrepreneurs" become successful in their field. An expert in working with many top business owners and investors with Proactive Tax, Dominique Molina fills in the basics on how you can implement sales strategies into your CPA firm. A speaker, teacher, bestselling author and mentor to a bunch of tax professionals, Dominique shares the critical ingredient that would remove the restriction in taking your account firm to the next level.

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For accountants, we often find it challenging to crack open the doors of small business to let us in to help. Sometimes, it is not what we do to encourage them, it is how we do it. Do you really know what your value is as a CPA or accountant, and can you confidently explain it to a potential client? In this episode, learn the ways you can recognize how small businesses actually need your help in three common scenarios and how you can show your value to them in a way that resonates. Increase your credibility and get more small businesses as clients as we dive in deep into bringing our value for them to see.

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Have you ever had a nightmare client? By that, we mean those people who suck the life and energy out of you that you wish you could get rid of. How do we avoid getting these types of clients in the first place? Ross Jeffries shares how you can tell good clients versus bad clients. He outlines the three ways to avoid working with PITA clients, or what we call as "pain in the ass" clients, as well as the three qualities to look out for to qualify your leads. Ross is the author of Subtle Words That Sell and has over 30 years of sales experience and has been featured in leading media outlets including BBC, CNN, and The Huffington Post. His speeches and trainings have motivated tens of thousands to discover their power to design their own results through the power of persuasion and language.

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Do you find the sales process fun, or do you find it scary?

We're changing things up for this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast. Dominique Molina, Co-Founder and President of the American Institute of Certified Tax Planners is interviewing the Pitch Queen herself about how accountants can change their sales conversations to lead to higher conversions, and more abundant clients.

Our guest today is the Co-Founder and President of the American Institute of Certified Tax Planners. She is a best-selling author and a frequent television guest and media expert on tax issues. She has previously been named as one of the "Top 40 Under 40 Most Influential Accounting Professionals" by CPA Practice Advisor Magazine. However, she will not reveal to us today if she is still under 40.

Sales conversations can be scary and intimidating - so much depends on them! But once you've moved past the stage in your business where your ideal client is anyone who has a heartbeat and breathes, you can really have fun with it - and find out just how much these sales conversations can change your business.

After you find that balance between being detached and being desperate, and can focus on your clients and serving their needs, you'll love showing them just how you can serve them and save them money and keep their goals at the forefront.

Learning to listen, and finding ways to incorporate these tricks will help all seasoned sales professionals and beginners alike - these are The Pitch Queen's techniques that are even used today!

In this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast, The Pitch Queen shares all her juicy tips and tricks with Dominique Molina about how to have successful sales conversations. Once you can master those little tricks, you'll see what a big impact they can have on your firm!

This episode is sponsored by Terra Optima. Terra Optima provides tax efficient real estate strategies for small to mid-size accounting firms and have become a proven resource to help grow the high net worth client base for firms all over the country. They possess a wealth of resources in the conservation space, as well as tools to add to your success in assembling and presenting tax plans attractive to your clients. Whether it's to manage a personal land conservation project for your client, or to participate in a "best in class" real estate project that could have a conservation outcome, make them a part of your resource team today. Learn more at www.Terra-Optima.com

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Dominique Molina introduces Michelle, the Pitch Queen, and her business.
• Every time you talk to a client, it's a sales conversation!
• The more powerful your sales conversation is, the more people you will be able to help.
• A sales conversation can be powerful because it helps educate people. People don't know what they don't know: you help them move past their own blocks to help them know what is good for them.
• When you care about a client, that impacts your attitude and you'll be able to serve them effectively.
• Bring your full self and full ability to serve in every sales conversation.
• Listen to your clients! Keep your gallon of water, your green juice, or your coffee pot close! Take a good sized gulp all throughout the meeting - when you're gulping, you aren't talking!
• Use the 80/20 rule: you should be listening 80% of the time, and talking 20% of the time.
• Take notes while you're meeting with clients - don't be intimidated; tell them that you're making sure to note what is important to them.
• Those notes will help you know what is important to your clients; the words that they say, and their goals.
• These notes will help you connect them with the meaning of future actions: "We're going to do A, B, and C so that you can accomplish these goals…"
• Make an agenda for client meetings, so that they can relax and listen, and not be waiting for your pitch.
• Remember, your client meetings are interviews to see if YOU want to work with them - you get to flip the script!
• The mindset you bring to client meetings is important. Don't schedule meetings around major deadlines (e.g., during tax season, around March 15th, or April 15th, or when you're under a lot of pressure). Your mood will impact that new client relationship.
• When meeting with a client, most of the time, you sit across from each other. Imagine yourself sitting next to them, go through the experience with them! Put yourself in their shoes, and empathize with them.
• Keep it real! Clients can sense anything that's fake - even if it's a white lie, like "I understand this can be shocking…." if you don't truly empathize, don't say that you do.
• If you come across as deceptive in any way, it unravels the trust that you have with your client.
• When you develop this skill to have good client sales meetings, it will change your business!

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Certified Tax Coach website
• Dominique's Facebook page
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

If you are an accounting professional who worries about where your next client may come from, or even struggling with inconsistent cash flow not during tax season then head over to 5stepstoabundance.com to get my simple 5-step process accountants use to go from "waiting around for the busy season" to closing high-level clients who are happy to pay the fees you deserve and who actually appreciate the work you do for them!

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!

• Here's How »

Join the Abundant Accountant Community today:

• theabundantaccountant.com
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• Facebook
• YouTube

When you started your own accounting firm, did you know that you were signing up to be in sales?

Most accountants who start their own firms are shocked when they realize that they are now in a 24/7 sales job. Every conversation that they have with a client is a sales conversation, believe it or not!

So how can you get better at those sales conversations? How can you turn those conversations into business opportunities that save your clients thousands of dollars, and bring abundant revenue into your firm?

The solution for many accountants is hiring a sales strategist.

However, it's easy to hesitate:

• Is it worth the time/money investment?
• Do I really NEED a sales strategist?
• How do I choose a sales strategist?

These are all great questions, that I am here to answer!

It's important to remember that no matter how good you are at the numbers, most of your clients won't buy based on the spreadsheets - they buy from an emotional perspective.

In this episode of The Abundant Accountant podcast, The Pitch Queen breaks down the value of a sales strategist, how they can help explode your business, and how to choose the right sales strategist.

If your sales have been in a slump, or you've taken a month off because you haven't had any business, you'll want to tune in to this week's episode of the Abundant Accountant podcast!

This episode is sponsored by Terra Optima. Terra Optima provides tax efficient real estate strategies for small to mid-size accounting firms and have become a proven resource to help grow the high net worth client base for firms all over the country. They possess a wealth of resources in the conservation space, as well as tools to add to your success in assembling and presenting tax plans attractive to your clients. Whether it's to manage a personal land conservation project for your client, or to participate in a "best in class" real estate project that could have a conservation outcome, make them a part of your resource team today. Learn more at www.Terra-Optima.com

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• The Pitch Queen, Michelle, introduces herself and shares about her business.
• I invested in myself and went to a big digital marketing conference. One of the biggest takeaways for me is that you want to be the thermostat in your firm, not the thermometer. You want to set how hot you want your firm to be!
• Invest in yourself! That allows you to set the thermostat MUCH better!
• When you started your firm, did you create a JOB for yourself?
• Although data and numbers are great, it's sometimes not enough to enroll new clients.
• Not everyone buys from a spreadsheet - people buy from emotion.
• A sales strategist helps you focus on new skills, knowledge, and strategies.
• "If I am not my best self, how can I serve YOU? If I am not learning and growing, how can I help you?" ~ The Pitch Queen
• You go to learn technical knowledge, you do continuing education credits. You need these skills and knowledge to help your client at a greater level! If you can't get them to come and work with you, the technical knowledge doesn't help!
• "The best MBA is the one you figure out on your own." ~ The Pitch Queen
• In order to serve, you have to see your weaknesses. It's not the most fun, but it's the biggest way to grow and get past fears blocking you.
• No one knows everything. You should strive to learn one new thing every day.
• If you are the best tax planner out there, then how can you learn a new thing every day in an area you are NOT great in? Choose sales, client relationship, or followup.
• No matter how good you are, you can always become better.
• Do you want a thousand clients at $10 each, or do you want a few clients at maybe $1000 or $10,000 each?
• Working with a coach will help you learn new methods and get the best outcome for your firm and your clients.
• You forget that you signed up for sales - but every time a client calls you, it's a sales conversation.
• Consider - how many missed opportunities have you had in the past 6-12 months by not working on yourself? Not having time to seek out anyone or work on yourself is not the best way to set yourself up for success.
• You don't want to be complacent - not working on yourself is the first step to a failed business.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY and WORK FEWER HOURS?

Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass!

You will learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today over at theabundantaccountant.com.

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!

• Here's How »

Join the Abundant Accountant Community today:

• theabundantaccountant.com
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
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• Facebook
• YouTube

Have you ever connected with a potential client, and thought that they were going to enroll in your services, and when the time came to commit, they chose someone else?

There's a fine line between making the perfect connection, and talking too much and losing the sale.

It's happened to me many times: I felt a connection with a client, and thought they felt a connection with me. Then, it happened. I talked too much, and lost the sale.

It even happened to me last month! A client asked me a question, and I got excited answering it, and started talking about myself too much.

No matter what specific services you're offering, you've got to learn to read the cues that your client is giving you to tell you if they are ready to buy or not.

Once you learn to read those cues, and master the art of being quiet and listening to your client, you'll find yourself closing an abundance of new sales and bringing in new clients.

If you're struggling with talking too much, and overselling your clients, then this week's episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST listen!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle introduces herself and the topic of today's episode: not overselling your clients.
• We hear this all the time: people who thought that a client was going to enroll with them, and then they lost the sale! You think you have a connection, but it got lost somewhere along the way.
• The question you need to determine is how do you draw the line, and when do you stop talking to close the sale?
• 90 percent of selling is conviction and only 10 percent is persuasion.
• If you already have the right solution for your client, it's really easy to influence a positive outcome of the sales conversation.
• People want to know that they are working with the best!
• "When you're confident in what you offer, and you're confident in your fees, and you're confident in your services, and you're confident in the results you can deliver, that confident acts as an influence to your prospects sitting in front of you."
• Don't forget that confident doesn't mean cocky.
• Certainty will lead to influence.
• Whoever talks the least asks the best questions and is the real winner.
• When your client talks a lot, that is a good sign!
• The person in front of you is the person you're here to help and serve.
• Prepare ahead so you can understand where you are leading people in your sales conversations.
• If you're talking too much, you're not listening to what your client's needs are.
• When you're not talking, your client is telling you key information about themselves that you need to know!
• If a client tells you they are ready to work with you, stop selling and ask for the sale! Learn to listen for those cues so you're not overselling your clients and know when to ask them to work with you so you can close the deal.
• There are multiple ways you can force yourself to stop talking: count to ten, take a drink of coffee, or ask clarifying questions.
• If they ask "how can we get started," that is your cue! Stop talking and ask them which form of payment will work best, Visa or Mastercard?
• Don't be hesitant to ask for payment.
• Having a sales process in place helps you to not give away your time for free.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY, WORK FEWER HOURS?

Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass!

You will learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today!

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!

• Here's How »

Join the Abundant Accountant Community today:

• theabundantaccountant.com
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube

Have you ever had a client balk at your pricing? That leaves you wondering how you can find clients that are ready to pay you for the incredible value that you have to provide for them?

Dominique Molina is the Founder and President of the American Institute of Certified Tax Planners. She is a best-selling author and a frequent television guest and media expert on tax issues. She has previously been named as one of the "Top 40 Under 40 Most Influential Accounting Professionals" by CPA Practice Advisor Magazine.

When you have high net worth clients, you can have fewer clients, but make more money! That sounds like a dream come true, doesn't it?

We're here to tell you that it is possible!

Making sure that you are working with high net worth clients allows you to provide incredible value to fewer clients. This means that you can work fewer hours, and make more money!

But did you know that your actions can repel these high net worth clients?

Here are 3 behaviors that can drive them away:

1. You don't have a high-value offer that sets you apart from other accountants
2. You haven't identified the market you're going after
3. You don't know how those high net worth clients make buying decisions

Never fear, though! These behaviors can be turned around so that you attract an abundance of the right kind of clients!

In this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast, The Pitch Queen along with Dominique Molina talk about three things you may be doing in your business that repel high net worth clients, and four things that you can do to attract them to your business.

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest written review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Be sure to join us on August 15, 2019 for our next amazing episode!

Over the last 18 months, I've been perfecting something called the Selling Without Ever Selling System. Up until now only my high-end clients have had access to this information. But I'm so excited about this that I'm offering you a free coaching session so I can share this information with you too.

This system is all about getting your IDEAL clients coming to YOU and finally getting paid what you're worth so you can build your dream practice and still have the time and money to enjoy your family and kids. If you're tired of waiting around for business, relying on busy seasons, or guessing at what works, this free coaching session is for YOU.

Learn more at theabundantcall.com.

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle Introduces Dominique Molina and her business.
• Dominique shares that she currently only serves 26 clients, but that they are all high net worth clients! Her business strategy helps her attract the type of clients that she wants!
• Everyone wants high net worth clients, but there is an art to attracting them! So many accountants and CPAs don't realize it, but their behavior may be repelling the clients that they desperately want to attract.
• Dominique shares three ways that you may be repelling these clients, and four ways to attract high net worth clients.
• Repellant #1: You don't offer a high enough value service.
• What sets you apart from every other accountant/bookkeeper/CPA out there? If you don't have a high-value offer, you don't have something to pull them in!
• Value is about the end results; what someone is getting from you!
• Repellant #2: You don't have your ideal market identified.
• Most accountants start their own firm, and their ideal client is anyone with a heartbeat and is breathing! However, that changes when you realize that you want to define your income and hours.
• Knowing what kind of person you want to serve helps you to sell effectively to them.
• If you want high net worth clients, you have to KNOW them, so that you can identify them when you see them.
• Don't know your ideal client? Reverse engineer them! Get to know everything about them.
• Repellant #3: you don't know how your ideal client makes buying decisions.
• If you're selling a $25,000 services package, a $25 off coupon will not appeal to these high net worth clients. These high net worth clients rely on relationships, so that they can get to know and trust the value that you have to offer. Once you understand how they purchase, you can lead with that value.
• There are four things that you can do to attract these high net worth clients.
• Attraction #1: have a high-value offering. If you serve a specific niche and save them 6 figures in taxes each year, that is a high-value offer that sets you apart from all other accountants.
• Attraction #2: know your ideal market.
• Attraction #3: know how your ideal client makes purchasing decisions, and adjust accordingly.
• Make sure that your words match what you're portraying: if you're bringing a high-value proposition to your client, they will research you, so don't have a $25 coupon on your site to entice the low-level client.
• Attraction #4: Know where your ideal clients are; what conferences they attend, what their needs are. Once you know them, and know who they are and how to reach them, you can serve them effectively.
• Should I give away advice for free? NO! You do not have to give away your work for free.
• Many accountants give a free consultation and offer incredible value during that consult to "prove" their worth. You do not have to give away knowledge for free. Ask smart questions that prove your worth, and charge for a follow-up strategy session.
• Don't be alone; don't be a lone wolf. Find someone who markets to the same type of client, and win together!

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Certified Tax Coach website
• Dominique's Facebook page
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Over the last 18 months, I've been perfecting something called the Selling Without Ever Selling System. Up until now only my high-end clients have had access to this information. But I'm so excited about this that I'm offering you a free coaching session so I can share this information with you too.

This system is all about getting your IDEAL clients coming to YOU and finally getting paid what you're worth so you can build your dream practice and still have the time and money to enjoy your family and kids. If you're tired of waiting around for business, relying on busy seasons, or guessing at what works, this free coaching session is for YOU.

Learn more at theabundantcall.com.

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!

• Here's How »

Join the Abundant Accountant Community today:

• theabundantaccountant.com
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube

Do your clients pay upfront, or do they pay after you've done the work?

Charging your clients in full before you do any of the work can help your firm be a more efficient and effective for your business.

When I was talking to one of my recent accounting students, I was shocked to find out that he had more than $60,000 in accounts receivable! He found himself spending so much time chasing down clients for payment, when he could have been serving them and increasing his value in the services he was providing.

If you're charging after you complete the work for a client, I'd encourage you to consider changing to require payment in full before any work has even begun.

It can be a tricky transition, but you can take baby steps towards dwindling down your receivables to zero When I worked with my last company, FITzee Foods, I had a brick and mortar location, and when we were working with the contractors, I had to pay 50% before the plans would be taken to the city for approval, and I had to pay the other 50% before the construction would begin.

Following a 50/50 system can baby step your clients into paying in full before the work starts, and you'll ultimately be able to spend more time serving your clients and getting them better results vs chasing them down after sending invoices out!

If you're tired of chasing clients down for payment, then this week's episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST listen!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Facebook, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Be sure to join us on August 1st for our next amazing episode!

Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY, WORK FEWER HOURS?

Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass!

You will learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today over at theabundantaccountant.com.

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle introduces herself, and the topic of today's episode: requiring payment upfront from clients.
• Many accounting firm owners find themselves chasing down clients for payment, often for work completed as far as nine months previous. This doesn't serve accountants, nor does it help them serve their clients at the highest level!
• I get asked a lot about how to start charging upfront for services instead of after the service is done.
• It may not be the most common practice for a CPA or accountant to charge up front for services, but there's no reason why you can't incorporate this into your firm right away.
• You can request payment ahead of time for a long-term project, or with a brand new client for even just compliance work or services rendered monthly.
• Michelle shares a story of a student that had more than $60,000 in accounts receivable. That's crazy; you don't have time for that and this can get down to zero quick.
• If you think about how much time you spend chasing down payments from work you have already completed, that is time that you could be delivering value to your other clients instead.
• Getting payment upfront not only can increase your revenue, but it can get cash flow going in the positive flow, and make you appear more professional and trustworthy.
• Think about courses, similar to a leadership training I just took. I had to pay in advance before I started any of the training!
• Also, think about a general contractor: with my old business, I had a retail store. When we were doing the store build out, I had to pay 50% of the fees upfront before they even took the blueprints to the city for approvals. I had to pay the other 50% of the fees before anything was even started for the build out!
• If you think that your clients will hesitate at paying upfront, you can start with a 50/50 system: require the first % of the payment upfront, and then before you deliver the tax returns or the final tax plan, require the other 50% to be paid in full prior to delivery of any work.
• Take baby steps towards charging in full upfront!
• Before I personally work with any clients, they pay in full, in advance before any work or classes begin.
• Having clients pay in advance ensures that you have cash flow and money in the bank. When it comes time to pay your employees, or the rent, you know where the money is and don't have to chase it down.
• For monthly work, you can bill up front. For example,Bill on the 1st of the month for the full month of service: that can also help cover any expenses for you, like software, etc..
• Charging upfront helps eliminate cash flow problems in your business.
• Remember, this is The Abundant Accountant Podcast, so if you want to live that life of abundance, you have to do the work to establish a firm of abundance.
• When you charge upfront, you do elevate your value, and set yourself apart from other firms.
• One of my students runs an efficient firm, and actually has set up ACH debits for his clients, so they are billed automatically on the 1st of every month prior to the services being performed.
• Charging upfront builds trust, as you are making the process smooth and easy, so that you can spend the maximum time possible with serving your clients.
• Having a money-back guarantee will also help ease the minds of hesitant clients.
• Making the change to getting paid upfront can be hard, but framing it as a way to provide even better client service will help your clients see and embrace the benefit.
• For a monthly retainer, I do not personally recommend the 50/50 approach we talked about earlier. Monthly retainers should be collected 100% upfront
• This can be a big shift in your firm, and it will help make it more efficient!

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY, WORK FEWER HOURS?

Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass!

You will learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today over at theabundantaccountant.com.

Do you ever wonder if you're being annoying to your new leads?

This is a struggle that holds many accountants back from following up, and ultimately hurts their clients and hurts their business!

Most clients require up to five follow-ups before they bring in more revenue to your firm by enrolling with you. However, most accountants don't even follow up once! That is money left on the table, but more importantly, that is the value that you have missed out on.

Instead of spending your time worrying about being annoying to your clients, you can change your focus. Focus on:

• Getting to know your clients on a more personal level.
• Serving them by putting them on a follow-up schedule based on their business and the needs of your prospects.
• Keeping yourself on the top of their mind so that when they need someone, you're the one they call!

If you don't follow up, they're going to need help eventually. If you haven't followed up, odds are that you won't be on the top of their mind. You want to be the one that they call first and proper sales follow up will help you achieve this.

In this episode of The Abundant Accountant podcast, The Pitch Queen, along with with Denise Mandeau talk about follow up, and how you can strategically follow up with your leads to help make yourself stand out from any other accountant.

If you know that you can serve your clients more effectively, and you are certain that you're leaving money on the table, you'll want to tune in to this week's episode of The Abundant Accountant podcast!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest & detailed review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Be sure to join us on July 15th for our next amazing episode!

Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY, WORK FEWER HOURS?

Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass

You will learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today over at theabundantaccountant.com.

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• The Pitch Queen, Michelle, introduces herself and Denise and shares about her business.
• Follow up - how can you do that without being annoying?
• Did you know that 80% of sales might require 5 follow-ups?
• "People are so afraid to reach out and talk to people, but the truth is, nobody follows up! People actually like it when you reach out to them and show you care."
• The fortune is in the follow-up, and is where a lot of revenue can be generated!
• Not one accounting professional that we've worked with has done any follow-up. This means there is a lot of opportunity to rise above the rest in this area!
• Follow up helps you grow a deeper relationship and build rapport with clients.
• Follow up helps you stay top of mind for your client's and prospects. Sometimes timing is off when you first meet, and there's always something that happens - if you're top of mind, they're going to think of you first and you'll gain the business.
• New leads are much more expensive than following up with current clients!
• Make your follow up communication have significance: "I'm just checking up on you" has no meaning. Make it specific to your last communication you had with them.
• There was one client who wasn't ready to enroll with Denise, and Denise continued to follow up with him. About 4 months after their initial meeting, something came up that she thought would be of interest to him, and she invited him to the event. He then signed up for a $10,000 engagement! The fortune is in the follow up!
• If you are working with someone who is not ready to engage with you right now, or today, anytime you're in a meeting or on a call with a client, schedule a follow up within 12-24 hours right then. Never wait! Schedule the follow up immediately.
• Remove the back and forth - you don't have to email or call them again, schedule it right then and there.
• People appreciate that you take action and book things immediately!
• Schedule a check-in in one month if they aren't a good fit now. If you feel like they will be a good fit for your firm, once a month is a great goal for follow up.
• I recommend sending a thank you email to your potential client, thank them for their time, and mention "I look forward to talking to you on [future date], etc…"
• When I'm sending the thank you, I will also do a little recap of our conversation, sharing "This is what I heard was important to you, etc…"
• It shows that you were listening and helps you remember what you spoke about in a later meeting - also, paste that email in the calendar appointment notes so you can see and know exactly what you spoke about previously.
• Send off-topic emails to your clients! Send something fun that is related to your client's interests. It's really the thought that counts, and that is what people remember.
• If you follow up, you differentiate yourself! If you can't do it every month, do it every other month!
• Accountants tend to like to send stuff about tax laws - your clients might not really care! Send them something personal. If you don't know anything about them personally, take them for coffee and learn more about them as a human being! What is their passion and what do they love to do?
• Focus on value. Reflect back to them what is important to them. Let them know you heard them, you care about what is important to them, and that will make you stand out!
• Keep building rapport! Every time we reach out and follow up, it builds that relationship even more!
• Follow up in a genuine activity that sets you apart, and will keep you at the top of your potential client's mind.
• Michelle and Denise challenge you to incorporate 30 minutes to an hour of follow up into their schedule each week, and see how it impacts your firm!

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY, WORK FEWER HOURS?

Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass!

You will learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today over at theabundantaccountant.com

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!

• Here's How »

Join the Abundant Accountant Community today:

• theabundantaccountant.com
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube

Would you believe that one of the most common questions I get from accountants is about how to price their services?

Our guest today is the Co-Founder and President of the American Institute of Certified Tax Planners, Dominique Molina. She is a best-selling author and a frequent television guest and media expert on tax issues. She has previously been named as one of the "Top 40 Under 40 Most Influential Accounting Professionals" by CPA Practice Advisor Magazine.

Your pricing strategy will determine so much about your business - the profits you make, the clients you work with, the number of hours you work.

But so many accountants don't fully understand all of their options.

There are five basic ways to price your services:

1. Hourly pricing
2. Flat Free pricing
3. Retainer pricing
4. FREE or market value pricing
5. Value pricing

Before you decide on one, take time to get to know the pros and cons of each of these. You may be surprised by how such a simple choice can impact everything about your business, and lead you to an abundance of clients!

In this episode of The Abundant Accountant podcast, The Pitch Queen along with Dominique Molina discuss five major pricing strategies and show how each of them impacts your business. By choosing the best pricing structure for you, you can prepare yourself for an abundance of clients!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY, WORK LESS HOURS?

Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass!

You will learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today over at theabundantaccountant.com.

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle Introduces Dominique Molina and her business.
• Your pricing strategy is one of the most important decisions that you will make about your business, and will impact everything!
• The pricing model that you choose reveals what is important to you.
• There are 5 basic pricing models: hourly, flat-rate, retainer, free or market value, and value-based pricing.
• What are you being paid for? Your time, your expertise?
• In hourly pricing, you are being paid for your TIME.
• Time is limited - we only get 24 hours per day - once it's gone, it's GONE!
• Our industry is so unique it is hard to do one thing for multiple clients - most of the work is so unique it cannot be replicated.
• Hourly pricing is harder to leverage.
• Flat fee pricing covers a task from start to completion but is often estimated based on the amount of time that it takes to do the project.
• Another option is retainer pricing, but again, what is the cost based off of? Most accountants will base it off their TIME rates.
• Some people use a FREE pricing strategy, and use that to convert free clients to paying clients.
• Market value is when accountants and tax professionals charge what the market will handle by looking at what peers and colleagues are charging.
• Value can be defined as the maximum amount that a customer will pay for anything.
• Customers don't always care about the nitty-gritty or the hard work that goes into getting them the end result - they care about the RESULTS that you bring them.
• Value-based pricing is based off those results and outcomes!
• Value-based pricing asks if you helped your client achieve their goals. If so, get a piece of those results as your fee!
• You have to know what is special about what you have to offer when you charge value-based pricing. You have to provide opportunities and skills that no one else can.
• Keep your client front and center!

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Certified Tax Coach website
• Dominique's Facebook page
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY, WORK FEWER HOURS?

Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass!

You will learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today over at theabundantaccountant.com.

Are you taking on every single accounting prospect that walks through the door? Do you ever consider whether they'll enhance your business or not?

It's time to step into the abundant life you're working so hard for, it's time to start turning down unqualified clients.

I know this probably feels pretty scary.

Having valuable income from clients is necessary, but what if I told you if you removed all of your less than ideal clients from your client roster, you'd be opening yourself up to bigger and better accounting opportunities?

In this episode, I'm sharing the 3 steps accounting professionals can use to turn down any unqualified client that comes their way. Plus, I'm sharing some BONUS tips that are sure to help increase your abundance, if you start taking action now!

If you're ready to start opening yourself to new and exciting opportunities by turning unqualified clients, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Special thanks to all of my listeners! Be sure to join us for our next new episode!

P.S. Over the last 18 months, I've been perfecting something called the Selling Without Ever Selling System. Up until now only my high-end clients have had access to this information. But I'm so excited about this that I'm offering you a free coaching session so I can share this information with you too.

This system is all about getting your IDEAL clients coming to YOU and finally getting paid what you're worth so you can build your dream practice and still have the time and money to enjoy your family and kids.

If you're tired of waiting around for business, relying on busy seasons, or guessing at what works, this free coaching session is for YOU.

Learn more at theabundantcall.com.

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle introduces this episode's topic.
• Telling clients who are less than ideal NO, will increase your value and your worth.
• The first step is knowing when to say NO to a client. Michelle shares how you know, in this episode.
• Luke, a CPA that Michelle has worked with has very specific stipulations for when he's going to take a client on, if the client isn't willing to meet those stipulations, Luke will happily refer them to someone who is a better fit.
• No more discounts! If a client keeps asking for a discount, it's time to turn them away. They will NOT be an ideal client.
• Another reason it would be good to turn away a client is if you've already overcommitted yourself. Take a step back before you can't deliver on what you've promised.
• Michelle shares an example from one of her clients who was working with a truck driver that wanted to save money on taxes but wasn't doing the work needed to save the money. Tune in to hear the story!
• When it comes to saying NO, there's a graceful way of doing it.
• If you're letting a client know that you NO longer want to work with them, be transparent. Explain why they're not a good fit.
• After telling a client NO, you must stick to your word, you cannot change your mind.
• Remember, that you never ever want to burn a bridge. There are times when some clients will come back down the road, and then be an ideal client. You don't want to ruin that opportunity.
• The next step is knowing WHY you're saying NO. It doesn't do you or your client favors to keep them on if they aren't an ideal client for you.
• Saying NO to opportunities that aren't the perfect fit will open up space for opportunities that are perfect.
• Telling a client NO is a great way to save yourself from working with P.I.T.A. client.
• Just as much as a prospect thinking about IF they want to hire you, YOU need to decide IF you want to work with THEM.
• When telling a prospect NO, be sure to decline with gratitude. To learn what this means, you must listen to this episode!
• The final tip that Michelle shares is to ensure that you position yourself as an expert. The potential client sitting in front of you doesn't know as much as you do about accounting. Own that expert status.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Over the last 18 months, I've been perfecting something called the Selling Without Ever Selling System. Up until now only my high-end clients have had access to this information. But I'm so excited about this that I'm offering you a free coaching session so I can share this information with you too.

This system is all about getting your IDEAL clients coming to YOU and finally getting paid what you're worth so you can build your dream practice and still have the time and money to enjoy your family and kids.

If you're tired of waiting around for business, relying on busy seasons, or guessing at what works, this free coaching session is for YOU.

Learn more at theabundantcall.com.

Do you ever feel that you wake up every day and think you would be further ahead by now with your firm and only working with clients that you love to work with?

Finding clients can be tough - or does it have to be? Sometimes it feels like dating; you're searching for that perfect match.

By defining what you're looking for in a client - often by finding your niche and developing an area of expertise, you can find an abundance of new clients.

Once you've figured out the type of client you want to have in your firm in abundance, you'll be able to bring in your marketing tactics so that you attract them all into your firm. You'll know exactly what you need to do to bring them into your firm.

You'll learn how you can market yourself in such a way that your ideal clients COME TO YOU - in abundance!

In this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast, The Pitch Queen along with Hugh Duffy explains how he helps accounting firms niche and posture themselves as industry experts, and how they've attracted a tremendous amount of clients.

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Be sure to join us on May 30th for our next amazing episode!

Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY, WORK LESS HOURS?

Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass!

You will learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today over at theabundantaccountant.com.

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle Introduces Hugh Duffy and his business, Build Your Firm..
• The goal is that accounting firms leverage marketing to find an abundance of the right kind of clients based on their specific niche.
• "Sales and marketing are like the Ying and the Yang" ~ Hugh Duffy. They work together to help you get to the right clients!
• When you market yourself well, you will have clients coming to YOU and saying "you are the kind of person I want to work with!"
• First, you have to really define that ideal client.
• Instead of just looking at what you want, often you can define that client by finding what you don't want! Reverse engineer the process.
• "Finding that client is like dating: you look through the deal-breakers to find that perfect match." ~ Hugh Duffy
• By defining your ideal client, you're finding the person that you can serve the most effectively.
• Accountants are not typically taught to work on serving a niche, however, serving a particular niche will help you find the right clients who will come to you and find you.
• Having a niche, and serving it well, sets you apart!
• The goal is that a potential client sees you and your expertise and thinks "this person knows me, and knows my needs!"
• You can use a website to posture yourself as a niche expert - websites are an affordable way to be able to show potential clients that you are equipped to serve them.
• As you're showcasing yourself as an expert in a niche, continue to do the work to be the expert in that niche! Learn the tax codes, the loopholes, everything that you can to serve your clients well in whichever specific niche you choose.
• Social media can be used to connect and market yourself, but there's no "one size fits all" answer.
• The key to social media is that whatever you do, you do it consistently and nurture it so that it is effective.
• Video can be a great connecting point with people - most accountants don't do it, so you can set yourself apart by using video!
• Hugh sums up his four thoughts on what accountants can do TODAY to find your ideal leads.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Build Your Firm website
• Hugh's LinkedIn
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY, WORK FEWER HOURS?

Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass!

You will learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today over at theabundantaccountant.com.

Do you ever feel like you provide excellent advice and service (for free) and then watch your potential client go hire someone else? You tell them how you're going to save them money and then never hear back?

It's time to stop working for free, and find new ways to build trust with both current and future clients!

When meeting with clients, it's important to have that trust factor so that they want to do business with you.

In this episode of The Abundant Accountant podcast, The Pitch Queen shares 5 actionable ways (plus a 6th bonus tip!) that you can use to build trust with current and future clients. This trust will help you grow your firm and find your ideal clients!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Be sure to join us on May 15th for our next amazing episode!

As an accounting professional, I know you're used to taking on anyone who knocks on your door, tired of not getting paid for your knowledge and your worth, or struggling with inconsistent cash flow during the offseason.

It's not your fault! I know that nobody is training you on how to fix these problems and connect the dots.

That's why I created my Selling Without Ever Selling System. I'm so excited about this that I'm offering you a free coaching session so I can share this information with you too. Let me help you get your IDEAL clients coming to YOU so you can build your dream practice and still have the time and money to enjoy your family and kids.

Head on over to theabundantcall.com to schedule your coaching session with me and my team!

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle shares how giving free advice doesn't help your firm - it actually hurts you!
• What is the definition of TRUST, and why is it so important for your firm?
• Tip #1 - give a "sample" of the work, not the whole "meal." When you provide your prospects with the full meal that is like giving away all of your knowledge for free.
• Don't tell your potential client HOW you will do the work - tell them WHAT the end result will be! The how to a client is actually irrelevant until you are paid.
• If you tell them how they can go find someone else to do the work for a cheaper cost.
• Be strategic about how you communicate - sometimes your genius can hurt you.
• Tip #2 - show the human side of the business.
• We get caught up in the details and the numbers, but our clients also want to know about US! Don't be afraid to show your personality. Clients truly do want to connect with you on a non work level.
• Give clients the chance to connect with the human side of the business - how your firm is changing clients lives, and your own life!
• Make an "about me" page on your website, and make sure that you have a good picture of yourself.
• Tip #3 - make yourself available for inquiries.
• Be ready and able to field inquiries. Be reachable even if it's through an assistant.
• Consider installing a live chat function on your website so that potential clients can reach out to you.
• Create unique touch points with clients to set yourself apart from the competition.
• Tip #4 - be clear about what your client should expect.
• Rule of thumb: Underpromise and over-deliver!
• Make sure that your client knows expectations regarding accessibility, potential charges, or anything else related to the engagement that they engaged with you in.
• Create boundaries, clearly, define them with your client, and stick to them.
• Tip #5 - make sure that you follow through!
• If you say you'll do something, DO IT!
• Operate in integrity in all aspects of your firm.
• People pay premium prices for your services when they trust you!
• BONUS tip: Create a Yelp business account so that you can have testimonials and reviews from current clients. Yelp will help bring you business! Check out Episode 14 of The Abundant Accountant Podcast to hear how Yelp helped build Aleksey Kaplans business.
• Michelle invites listeners to pick 3 of these tips and implement them at their firm so that they can stop giving away free advice and be paid their value!

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. As an accounting professional, I know you're used to taking on anyone who knocks on your door, tired of not getting paid for your knowledge and your worth, or struggling with inconsistent cash flow during the offseason.

It's not your fault! I know that nobody is training you on how to fix these problems and connect the dots.

That's why I created my Selling Without Ever Selling System. I'm so excited about this that I'm offering you a free coaching session so I can share this information with you too. Let me help you get your IDEAL clients coming to YOU so you can build your dream practice and still have the time and money to enjoy your family and kids.

Head on over to theabundantcall.com to schedule your coaching session with me and my team!

Do you view social media as a waste of time?

If you're not careful, it can be rather time-consuming! However, social media can be one of your biggest sources of new business - if you're willing to put in the work to be consistent!

Social media helps you connect authentically with an abundance of clients. With intentional, consistent work, you don't have to spend a lot of money to get abundant clients!

Yelp, LinkedIn, Facebook business pages - oh my! Does this sound overwhelming? It doesn't have to be.

Small steps over time will lead you to GREAT results in your business. But you don't have to take my word for it!

In this episode of The Abundant Accountant podcast, The Pitch Queen along with Aleksey Kaplan explains how to use social media to grow your firm and find ideal clients to have the firm of abundance!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Be sure to join us on May 1st for our next amazing episode!

Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY, & WORK FEWER HOURS?

Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass!

You will learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today over at theabundantaccountant.com.

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle Introduces Aleksey Kaplan.
• Aleksey works with entrepreneurs and professionals for tax services.
• Social media can be confusing and take a lot of time - how to use it best to get the most out of the time invested for your accounting firm?
• Social media is a powerful lead generator.
• We live in the 21st century, and need to use social media!
• What's the best way to gain traction to make sure people know about you, and will be contacting you?
• Aleksey determined that he didn't want to do things the old fashioned way - he wanted to try new things!
• When he searched for his competition, Aleksey found out that they weren't on Yelp - so he built his presence there.
• Social media reviews are authentic and real, and people rely on those reviews.
• Aleksey gained a lot of clients from Yelp alone.
• By creating a Yelp account, it creates a rich customer experience for those who find you and builds rapport and trust.
• Social media allows clients to get to know YOU.
• You have to spend money to make money - but don't just throw it away. Invest it! Aleksey started with $6000 in ad spend budget for the whole year.
• He chose the amount by asking "what is my break-even point? Can I make this back?"
• Cost per customer lead varies.
• The first year of investing in Yelp ads, brought in 3 times the investment. The second year, brought in TEN times the investment!
• You cannot slack on social media! Being responsive matters!
• If you don't have a business Yelp account, go make one NOW! Build the know, like, and trust factor.
• Reviews and testimonials can be repurposed and used on your website.
• Make sure you create a Google listing for reviews and a Facebook business page for reviews.
• The best social media for your ROI is going to be Yelp!
• LinkedIn is another great tool with a high ROI.
• Yelp brings immediate results, LinkedIn brings in the long-term network.
• LinkedIn helps you target your audience.
• LinkedIn takes a longer time to grow, but the ROI is high! The longer sales process makes for a great conversion.
• LinkedIn allows you to automate your networking, finding professionals you want to connect with.
• LinkedIn allows you to posture as an authority: post content that is consistent on your profile and targeting your ideal client.
• Tip: use hashtags on LinkedIn to connect with your target client - speak the language of your future client!
• Aleksey posts content weekly on LinkedIn, and a monthly newsletter with tips - that is to help with conversions for sales.
• Consistent content builds credibility.
• You can use Hootsuite to schedule and post content. Hootsuite is a scheduling tool.
• Tip: your newsletter can be posted on LinkedIn as an article.
• Aleksey spends 30-45 minutes a day on LinkedIn to connect with new clients. It takes time, but it brings quality clients!
• Be consistent, and stick with it! Consistency brings its own ROI.
• "We don't have a choice if we will do social media, it's a matter of how well we will do it." ~ Aleksey Kaplan
• Michelle closes by challenging you to make a social media plan to help increase the value of your firm.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Aleksey's Website
• Aleksey's LinkedIn
• Aleksey's Facebook Page
• Aleksey's Yelp Page
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Do You want to MAKE MORE MONEY, WORK FEWER HOURS?

Join me so you can unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass!

You will learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today over at theabundantaccountant.com.

How do you ask for referrals? Do you have a script or a template? Do you find yourself wanting to try something new and creative?

Referrals can be FUN! Being creative with your referral process can bring fun to your business, and increase the number of referrals that you get - and bring you those clients your love to help so you can have a firm of abundance. We all know the importance of asking for referrals.

By taking a few simple actions, you can set yourself apart in the industry, making your ideal clients continue to send more clients to have the firm of abundance.

Are you ready to set yourself apart by being creative in asking for referrals?

In this episode of The Abundant Accountant podcast, I'm sharing The Pitch Queen's 6 creative ways to encourage referrals from your current clients.

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Be sure to join us on April 15th for our next amazing episode!

Over the last 18 months, I've been perfecting something called the Selling Without Ever Selling System. Up until now only my high-end clients have had access to this information. But I'm so excited about this that I'm offering you a free coaching session so I can share this information with you too.

This system is all about getting your IDEAL clients coming to YOU and finally getting paid what you're worth so you can build your dream practice and still have the time and money to enjoy your family and kids. If you're tired of waiting around for business, relying on busy seasons, or guessing at what works, this free coaching session is for YOU.

Learn more at theabundantcall.com.

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle shares why referral clients are important and will bring more life to your business.
• "Referrals are the key to the door of resistance" ~ Michelle Weinstein.
• Make asking for referrals easy! Keep referral cards handy so that your clients are able to quickly and easily give you potential future clients.
• Turn getting referrals into a game: get an Uncle Sam hat; add names, and draw a winner every month or so.
• Use your email list to connect with current clients in a fun way and ask for names of others who would be a good fit for you to work with. TIP! Make sure you know who your ideal client is.
• When you sign on new clients, donate a portion of the revenue to a good cause. Share this with your current client as they will be more likely to send great referrals your way!
• Incentivize referrals with exclusive benefits that only they get! Make a VIP club for your best referrers and give them exclusive value.
• Ask previous prospects for referrals who may be a good fit for your business.
• Make sure you ASK! You won't get referrals if you don't ask for them!
• Finally, Michelle ends by encouraging all accountants to implement these ideas into their business.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Over the last 18 months, I've been perfecting something called the Selling Without Ever Selling System. Up until now only my high-end clients have had access to this information. But I'm so excited about this that I'm offering you a free coaching session so I can share this information with you too.

This system is all about getting your IDEAL clients coming to YOU and finally getting paid what you're worth so you can build your dream practice and still have the time and money to enjoy your family and kids. If you're tired of waiting around for business, relying on busy seasons, or guessing at what works, this free coaching session is for YOU.

Learn more at theabundantcall.com.

Are you feeling burnt out? Do you take on every prospect that comes your way?

It's time to stop the hamster wheel, and step into high-end, premium offerings for your accounting clients which means you can't take on everyone.

In this episode, Peter Freuler joins The Abundant Accountant Podcast to share his story of taking on every single client that came in the door to his firm, to recognizing that narrowing his focus and only serving a specific niche, would help his topline revenue.

Peter started his firm 13 years ago, and for years he believed that the best way to serve his clients was to offer every service under the sun to anyone that approached him at his firm. This led to problems, Peter's bottom line wasn't growing, some of his clients would up and disappear after the initial meeting, and Peter couldn't find qualified staff for everything he wanted to fulfill.

When Peter finally decided to zero in and focus on a specific type of client & follow a sales system, in May of 2018, his revenue increased about 20%.

It might be hard to believe, but by creating a sales system that all prospects must go through, you are saving yourself time by not working with less than ideal clients, and you'll be able to start charging top dollar for your services, since you'll be more available to the right clients which then you would be able to charge more.

Peter shares his personal journey from having NO sales system, to a high-functioning, ever revolving system, THAT WORKS!

If you're ready to work with dream clients, only do tasks that you enjoy doing, and increase your revenue, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Special thanks goes out to Peter Freuler for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us on March 15th for our next amazing episode!

Have you have ever felt like you give away too much information for free or are you tired of not being paid what you're worth? Then you're like most accountants who may feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster! & we have a solution for you!

Join us for our Abundant Accountant Masterclass to learn how to communicate your value, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more mone

This Masterclass is for you if you want to stop giving all of your information, time and knowledge away for FREE, identify ways to have consistent income, and start being paid for your value and worth - all year round! Click here to sign-up for the Abundant Accountant Masterclass!

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle introduces Peter Freuler.
• Peter introduces himself and shares a little bit about himself and his firm.
• When Peter first began his firm, he did not have a sales system in place. He followed the method, that if someone called them to work with his team, they'd take you on, no matter what your needs were.
• Peter's and his team had NO way of identifying whether someone was a good client for them or not.
• It took Peter 10 years to begin making changes with his firm. He was fearful of losing what he had, by making new changes in his business and not taking on any and all clients.
• Peter and Michelle discuss the effect a scarcity mindset can have on your accounting business.
• Peter's and his team went through and analyzed different industries, personalities of potential clients and profitability to determine what kind of clients they wanted to work with.
• When you work on and focus on your value and your worth, you are more likely to stick to the boundaries you set for yourself and your clients.
• Peter talks about what it's like to turn clients away, once you identify who you should be working with.
• By narrowing their niche, Peter and his team are now able to bring in their ideal clients and charge a higher premium price for their services. Being a one-stop-shop isn't all it's cracked up to be.
• Peter provides 3 tips that newer accounting professionals can use to avoid the mistakes Peter made.
• Accounting professionals tend to think in systems and in getting the work done for their clients, they don't often think sales are integrated with running the practice. Peter explained how he made the shift from this way of thinking.
• Taking a potential client through your sales process is SO important, to ensure they're an ideal fit.
• Peter shares the sales process he and his team use.
• When Peter put a sales process in place, his business completely changed. He went from being able to just offer commodity type services to offering premium high-priced services. The same would be true for you and your firm!
• When Peter and his team redid their sales process in May of 2018, they've seen a topline growth of $65K, as of his interview in August of 2018.
• If Peter had made the shift to a sales process sooner, his revenue would be more than double what he is making now.
• Peter shares one last quality piece of advice. Tune in to hear it!

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

Have you have ever felt like you give away too much information for free or are you tired of not being paid what you're worth? Then you may be like most accountants who feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster! & we have a solution for you!

Join us for our Abundant Accountant Masterclass to learn how to communicate your value, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more money.

This Masterclass is for you if you want to stop giving all of your information, time and knowledge away for FREE, identify ways to have consistent income, and start being paid for your value and worth - all year round! Click here to sign-up for the Abundant Accountant Masterclass!

011 | How to Identify Clients That are Ready to Hire You NOW

Is your firm full of clients, you're working 12-hr days and you're barely making ends meet?

Turning away business is probably one of the most difficult things you will ever do as an accountant. You know you have rent and employees to pay, so taking on everyone that walks through the door seems like the right thing to do. That couldn't be further from the truth!

I have a student; his name is Scott. I spoke with him about my 8-week accounting class about three or four months ago. At that time Scott didn't have the time to take my course, but I didn't know this immediately, I had to dig.

I started asking Scott questions like, "I only work with people who are willing to take out five to seven hours per week, every single week, for an 8-week period. I want people who will do the homework, and actually implement the sales process in their accounting firm. Are you willing to do this?"

He answered me honestly and told me that at that moment he didn't have the time to dedicate to my class. About six or seven weeks ago, Scott reached back out and let me know that he was now ready to make the time commitment and invest in himself.

Let's be honest, none of us actually have the time to commit to something like this. We have to carve out time for what's important to us. And, since Scott wanted to generate an additional $100k in revenue, he knew he needed to make the time.

I'm really happy and proud to share that just last week Scott closed $25K in business. All because he decided he was ready to invest time and money in himself.

However, if I hadn't done my due diligence and determined that Scott wasn't an ideal client in the beginning, he may have joined the course, not done the work and wasted my time and his own.

In this episode, Ross Jeffries joins me to share his best tips on how and why it's so important to identify your dreams clients, before you start working with just anyone.

It probably feels incredible to have bunch of potential clients just dying to work with you, but if you don't take the time to actually identify their problems and how you can help them, and find out whether they're willing to invest in themselves, you're wasting your time. And, as we all know, time is precious and not something we can ever get back.

Stop wasting your time on people who say they're interested, but aren't really ready to invest!

If you're ready to identify your ideal clients and put a stop to your 12-hr days, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com

• Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com

• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Special thanks goes out to Ross Jeffries for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode!

PS. If you're like many accountants we work with, you may feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster.

There is a solution - a proven, time-tested way to get off that cashflow rollercoaster once and for all. You'll be able to connect with high-level clients & business owners that you want to work with; communicate your value, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more money. Click here to sign-up for the Abundant Accountant Masterclass!

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle introduces Ross Jeffries.

• Michelle introduces the topic and how it affected her in the mortgage business.

• "Time is the one thing you don't get any more of. You can always make more money but you could never get more time." ~ Ross Jeffries on why it's so important to qualify your leads.

• Not everyone is ready to work with you right now, and if you work with people who aren't ideal clients, your quality of work will decline.

• Ross shares the top three ways to qualify leads that won't waste your time.

• It is so important to share your expectations with your accounting client right from the start, and ensure that they are willing to work with those expectations. The ONLY correct answer is an "Absolutely YES" from any client.

• The more you say NO to working with an unqualified client, the more you increase your sense of worth.

• The more you are yourself, the more you'll attract the accounting clients you desire, because like attracts like.

• Michelle shares some questions you can ask yourself in order to determine WHO your ideal clients are.

• Scott, a student of Michelle's, acts as a perfect example of how Michelle knows when someone will be an ideal student.

• "The money is made in the follow-up." ~ Ross Jeffries

• 50% of accountants do not follow-up with their prospects. Michelle is on a mission to help you change this!

• Ross shares three ways that he can tell whether someone will be or WON'T be an ideal client.

• Michelle shares this brilliant qualifying question, "I work with people who want to make strategic decisions, are committed to changing what they have been doing year after year, and are ready to act now to make a change. Is that you? Can I count on you for that?"

• Curious how to know when you should turn a prospect away? In this episode, Ross shares three ways to know if you should turn a prospect away.

• Michelle closes out the episode.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog

• Buy Ross' Book

• Join us on Facebook

• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

PS. If you're like many accountants we work with, you may feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster.

There is a solution - a proven, time-tested way to get off that cashflow rollercoaster once and for all. You'll be able to connect with high-level clients & business owners that you want to work with; communicate your value, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more money. Click here to sign-up for the Abundant Accountant Masterclass!

010 | The Best Ways for Accountants to Get Referral Clients

How often do you ask your current happy clients for a referral? Do you sit around hoping that they'll just send people your way?

It's time to change your thought process... Referral clients are GOLD!

Receiving referrals from current, happy clients also increases the chances that the referral will choose to enroll with you. People are more likely to buy from people they know, like and trust.

When a referral is sent to you, it's coming from a trusted source. The individual is more likely to want to work with you one-on-one.

However, referrals will only come your way if you are direct and ask for them from your current clients.

In this episode of The Abundant Accountant podcast Michelle shares The Pitch Queen's top four ways to get a constant flow of referrals without having to waste lots of time or money.

(There might even be a BONUS tip for you!)

If you're sick of spending money on marketing materials that rarely get used, then it's time to start asking for referrals! This episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Special thanks goes out to all my listeners for taking the time to check-out this week's episode! Be sure to join us on the 1st or 15th of every month, for our next new episode!

P.S. MAKE MORE, WORK LESS

Unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass!

You'll learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today!

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle shares why referral clients are like GOLD, to your firm.
• When Michelle started asking for referrals she did not clarify the type of client she wanted to work with, so she was getting referrals that were less than ideal clients. It's important to clarify WHO you want to work with when asking for referrals.
• The number one best way to ask for referrals is to be sincere and direct.
• Many accountants say they're too busy to ask for referrals after they've finished the work for a client, but if you take the time to schedule it in your calendar and then actually do the work to ask for the referral, your accounting firm is going to start exploding with business.
• "For every single client that you made happy, but you never asked for the referral, you're missing a HUGE opportunity. It's what I call, the opportunity cost." ~ The Pitch Queen
• The second best way to ask for referrals is to have an incentive in place or a referral program, where if a referral comes to you and enrolls as a client, you reward the referrer for sending the individual your way.
• Referral gifts can vary, Michelle provides several great suggestions in this episode!
• The third best way to bring in referral clients can be explained with an acronym… K.I.S.S. This means, Keep It Simple Stupid.
• This means having prepared email templates that you can forward to a referrer so that they can share your information, or business cards are another great example. You want your contact information to be readily available and easy to locate!
• The fourth best way to get referrals is to stay top of mind and FOLLOW-UP.
• You absolutely must have a follow-up system in place. Michelle briefly shares her system in this episode.
• BONUS: The fifth best way to get referrals is to give others referrals. When you give referrals out to others, you are more likely to receive those referrals back, ten-fold.
• "When you refer people out to others, they're going to send you your ideal clients. It goes hand in hand." ~ The Pitch Queen

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

MAKE MORE, WORK LESS

Unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountants Masterclass!

You'll learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today!

Do you have any long-term clients who you undercharge in fees, and you worry that they're going to leave you if you raise their rates?

If you answered YES, then this week's The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN! Marc Schnoll joins the show to share how he learned the importance of owning your worth and charging adequately for it.

Marc started his firm about 14 years ago and has had a long-term client since the beginning. As the years have passed, the amount of work that Marc and his firm have done for this client has increased dramatically, but the monthly rate they charge has not.

There were countless hours of email messages and phone calls that were going uncharged. These messages and calls weren't being tracked and, because Marc was afraid to lose the client, he didn't want to raise his rates for quite some time.

However, after a lot of thought, doing a 90-day analysis was a necessary next step. Marc realized that it was time to raise his rates NOW!

The information he found by doing this analysis opened his eyes to how much value he was providing and how badly he was undercharging.

If you're tired of being underpaid, and you're ready to own your value, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

To help the show out:

Special thanks go out to Marc for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us on the 1st or 15th of each month for our next new episode!

P.S. Are you tired of feeling like you have to give away your knowledge and expertise for free? Register NOW for my FREE Accountant Masterclass and learn my 3 proven strategies to establish a systematic, efficient process that quickly qualifies your leads and turns them into high paying clients that guarantees you a consistent and growing stream of revenue all year round. Get FREE access NOW at abundantaccountant.com

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle introduces Marc Shnoll.
• Marc shares a little about who he is and where his firm is located.
• After working with a client for 15 years, Marc realized that his firm was undercharging for the amount of work they were doing for this client on a daily basis.
• Marc was receiving approximately about $4,500 a month for his work, but the work was worth seven or 8 times that.
• Marc would often check his email first thing in the morning and he'd have a series of emails from this same client. We're talking about 300 emails over a 90 day period.
• The firm also had an entire staff person dedicate about half of their work time to this client.
• After a 90 day evaluation, Marc realized they needed to increase this client's rates – listen to THIS episode to hear how much they increased it and the result.
• If you're ready to start analyzing what your clients are paying you, so you can start asking for what you're worth, Marc suggests some things you should review to determine your price.
• When raising rates, you must consider whether or not there is a better or less expensive option for clients, because they may make the choice to leave. You have to be ready for this.
• After 15 years Marc's client decided to leave, but it actually was a good thing. Marc shares why, in THIS episode!
• By analyzing the work and the amount of money he was being paid from his long-term client, Marc realized that he was undercharging across the board. Marc raised his rates 10 to 15 percent, and will likely raise his rates again next year.
• Doing all of this work, raising rates, and analyzing the work they were doing for clients, helped Marc raise his confidence levels. Especially when dealing with clients, which meant he was better able to believe in his worth and ask for what he was worth.
• Marc's final piece of advice was to have the confidence and know you're worth it.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Marc's Website
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

1. P.S. Are you tired of feeling like you have to give away your knowledge and expertise for free? Register NOW for my FREE Accountant Masterclass and learn to implement my 3 proven strategies for your accounting practice to stand head and shoulders above your competition and offer superior value and unmatchable service to easily build your practice with premium clients who eagerly pay you what you're worth. Get FREE access NOW at abundantaccountant.com

Do you have a marketing plan for your accounting firm? Or, are you kind of winging it as you go, hoping dream clients fall into your lap?

I've worked with a lot of accountants, and I know that many of you shudder at the thought of having to go out and market yourself, so you avoid it at all costs. But, as I'm sure you've learned, that isn't going to bring in any business!

In order to build a solid accounting firm with the clients you love, having the right marketing techniques to ensure that you have a steady flow of dream clients walking in your doors (or calling you on the phone) is a must.

In this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast, Ross Jeffries joins me to share THE four best marketing tips for accountants and how to put them into practice starting today.

If you're ready to start showcasing your expertise in a way that shows your prospects what's possible, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

To help the show out:

Special thanks go out to YOU for taking the time to listen to this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast.

Learn the 3 proven strategies my accounting clients use to easily build their accounting practice with premium clients who are eagerly willing to pay what they're worth. Sign up for the FREE masterclass

NOW at abundantaccountant.com

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle introduces Ross Jeffries and shares a little bit about who he is.
• Michelle explains that there is NO way to show how good you are at being an accounting professional without properly marketing yourself.
• Ross shares his definition of marketing.
• Content marketing is one of the most strategic ways that accounting professionals can market themselves.
• Want a quick tip on how to create more content? Ross shares a brilliant tip that he learned from his mentor Gary Halbert.
• Be sure that when you're pushing your content to different channels, you ensure it is formatted in whatever way is best for that platform.
• It's important to get feedback from current clients so that you know what you are doing really well so that you can market that to future prospects.
• Tip number two is to ensure you capture your leads.
• Unfortunately, many accounting professionals do not have a solid system for capturing leads and following-up with them.
• Michelle stresses that we never ever want to discount our prices. NEVER!
• "When you discount your services, you become a commodity like rice." ~ Ross Jeffries
• Tip number 3 is to start using social media, particularly LinkedIn, to market yourself.
• Both Ross and Michelle offer some great tips for building your presence on LinkedIn and on Twitter.
• Tip number 4 involves creating a passive income stream through affiliate income.
• While building up your affiliate income, continue to build your relationships because you never know who could lead to additional commission or referral fees.
• Ross introduces the acronym NEER – Naturally Existing Economic Relationships – and explains what it means.
• Ross shares a great tip on how to build your credibility and expertise by using free publicity.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Buy Ross Jeffries Book
• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Learn the 3 proven strategies my accounting professional clients use to easily build their accounting practice with premium clients who are eagerly willing to pay what they're worth. Sign up for the FREE masterclass NOW at abundantaccountant.com

007 | 5 Steps to Developing a Winning Elevator Pitch for Accountants

Do you have a pre-written and practiced "Brand Shake?"

If you're not familiar with the term Brand Shake, it is the term I like to use with my Royal Family to describe the ever-important elevator pitch.

Having an award-winning elevator pitch is the key to mastering your next networking event, but what goes into writing an effective elevator pitch?

In this episode, I'm sharing The Pitch Queen's top 5 steps for creating an elevator pitch that has people lining up to work with you and your firm.

Plus, I'm sharing my special little bonus that has set me apart from many individuals and has helped me secure interviews with some big name entrepreneurs, like Mel Robbins.

If you want to create an award-winning elevator pitch that has clients waiting to work with you, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Special thanks goes out to you for taking the time to listen to this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast.

Are you tired of feeling like you have to give away your knowledge and expertise for free? Register NOW for my FREE Accountant Masterclass and learn my 3 proven strategies to easily build your practice with premium clients who eagerly pay you what you're worth. Get FREE access NOW at abundantaccountant.com.

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle introduces this week's topic and shares why it's on of her favorite topics, creating your Brand Shake.
• Can you easily describe what you do and who you serve? In this episode, Michelle shares how to master step one of creating your sales pitch.
• Most accountants have a deep passion for helping their clients achieve their goals, which is why Michelle loves working with them.
• "When you are shaking someone's hand you are representing your own brand." ~ The Pitch Queen
• It's impossible to be everything to everyone, so choosing a specific niche you want to serve is SO important.
• When it comes to step 2, you must know who your ideal client is and how you can serve them.
• Michelle shares the basic format of how she writes out her elevator pitch, aka Brand Shake.
• In order to pitch to the right people, you must know who to pitch to. There is no use pitching to people who you can't help.
• Step 4 all comes down to practice, practice, practice. You can have the most well-written elevator pitch in history, but if you haven't practiced it, it won't matter when you get in front of people and try to use it.
• After you've introduced yourself and shared your elevator pitch with a prospect, Michelle recommends that you follow-up within one or two days.
• Michelle shares a very effective little secret that she uses to connect further with those individuals that she's met in person. You don't want to miss this tip!
• Finally, Michelle shares her personal sales pitch, to provide you an excellent example how to write your own.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Are you tired of feeling like you have to give away your knowledge and expertise for free? Register NOW for my FREE Accountant Masterclass and learn my 3 proven strategies to easily build your practice with premium clients who eagerly pay you what you're worth. Get FREE access NOW at abundantaccountant.com.

How frequently does a less than ideal client reach out to you? How often do you end up taking that prospect on as a client?

Probably more frequently than you would like. We often live in this lack mindset, thinking that if we don't take on every client we come across we'll never find another one.

This leads us to taking on clients that range from deal makers, who aren't willing to pay the prices you're worthy of, to clients who want help with a service you don't know. When you take those clients on you will begin to resent the work you do for them because they eat up so much of your time.

I'm here to tell you that you CAN work with your dream clients, all it takes is learning how to turn the clients away gracefully that can't afford you.

Sounds simple in theory, but it does take some practice!

Denise Mandeau joins this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast to discuss with The Pitch Queen how you can turn away clients who can't afford you and just aren't your ideal clients with grace and ease.

Denise and I discuss how important it is to refer prospects out that aren't our ideal clients, because it builds up what I like to call "sales karma."

If you're ready to kick that lack mindset to the curb and start living your abundant life (more money with less work), this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!

Do you take on every potential client that comes your way and now you have a client roster full of people who are just in it for the deal? Then THIS BLOG POST is a MUST READ!

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle gives an overview of what today's episode is all about.
• Denise explains step 1 – that once you know that a lead isn't a good fit, you shouldn't drag the relationship on and on.
• You should never discount your prices for a potential client, because when you do you eventually start resenting the work that you're doing for them.
• Michelle shares how their client Marc realized a client was a time and money suck, so he had to let them go & it saved him money!
• Step 2 – Be completely transparent.
• If a prospect approaches you to work with you and they're looking for a service that is outside of your expertise, let them know that. Taking them on can remove the space in you business for clients who are your dream clients.
• You are the expert, so remember that you should never discount your services for prospective clients.
• If someone isn't a good fit, don't be afraid to refer them to someone else or possibly a course that might be a better fit.
• Accounting professionals should only work with those individuals that value their work. Not the individuals that are trying to nickel and dime them.
• Step 3 – Don't burn any bridges. Just because someone isn't a good fit now does not mean they won't be a better fit in the future.
• Moving right into Step 4 – If someone isn't a dream client, refer them to someone who is more capable of helping them, because they could possibly turn into an ideal client in the future.
• Denise shares a story about her client Matt, who only worked with $400K in net income businesses, but was approached by a startup who was making $75K in net income. If they stayed on target they would be an ideal client down the road. Matt referred this person to someone else who can help them now, and then will continue to follow-up every 90 days.
• Denise and Michelle discuss their follow-up system and why it's important to follow up with a prospect even if they're not the right fit now.
• Denise explains what sales karma is and how you can keep it going in your life.
• Michelle provides a quick recap of the episode.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Watch the Facebook Live
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Did you know that the prospect that you referred out today could end up being an ideal client in the future? It's true! THIS BLOG POST shares why referring out is important!

P.P.S MAKE MORE, WORK LESS

Unlock the secrets to growing a profitable accounting firm with less stress by joining our upcoming Abundant Accountant Masterclass!

You'll learn:

• The easiest ways to sift through clients and get to the RIGHT ones!
• Proven tactics to actually get paid instead of giving away FREE advice!
• How to stop competing on price FOREVER!

Join our Abundant Accountant Masterclass today!

Is your accounting firm FULL of less than ideal clients? Clients that just want you to file their tax returns, but aren't looking for the higher value services you really want to offer?

If you answered YES, this week's guest on The Abundant Accountant Podcast, Heath Walters, might be able to offer some insight into fixing this problem.

When Heath began his firm, he took on anyone that was interested in his services. Three years later and he was up to 400 clients.

He and his staff were stressed out and working until midnight or later during tax season. Heath knew he had to put a stop to this. He knew he wanted to work with fewer clients and give those clients more of the attention they deserved.

Over a three year span of time, Heath reduced the number of clients his firm serviced from 400 to 40.

How did he do that? By setting FIRM boundaries when a new prospect comes his way. Heath now knows that if a prospect doesn't fit into those boundaries, it's a NO to working together.

By implementing these boundaries, Heath and his firm are now able to give their clients the attention they deserve and grow their revenue by offering higher-quality services and servicing higher-quality clients.

If you're ready to create solid boundaries that will help build up an accounting firm you love, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!

Do you continue letting in less than ideal accounting clients into your firm, leaving yourself stressed out and unable to efficiently handle the workload? Then THIS BLOG POST is a MUST READ!

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle introduces Heath Walters.
• Heath shares who he is, where he's located and a little bit about his accounting firm.
• In order to set a boundary, Heath shares that you must know who you are and who you want to serve.
• Heath prefers working with businesses in the construction and financial planning niche, and he shares why in this episode.
• For Heath to communicate better with his clients, he likes to understand the inner-workings of their business.
• Heath shared that when he started placing boundaries around who he and his company would work with, they were able to better serve their clients and the clients loved that.
• Three or four years ago, Heath was overwhelmed with the number of clients they had and did not have enough time to meet personally with those clients.
• Today, Heath's firm has 40 clients versus having 400 just a few years ago.
• The easy first step for Heath and his firm was to take about 100 people that were just having their tax returns done and sell them to another firm that was interested in that kind of work.
• Selling off these clients helped increase the time he had for his other clients and it didn't really affect his bottom line financially.
• Over the following two years, Heath and his team continued to let the less than ideal clients go.
• When a prospect comes in for help on something that Heath's firm does not handle, Heath will build up his "sales karma" and refer that individual out to someone who wants that type of work.
• Another one of the boundaries that Heath instituted was to not take on businesses with 4 or more partners because you struggle to get everyone to agree to the actions that are needed.
• A very lucrative opportunity presented itself to Heath. This opportunity would have brought in a regular monthly retainer as well as a large amount of money at tax time, but because Heath could see the problem with four partners Heath's firm turned the prospect away. He shares the full story in this episode!
• No matter what, Heath will always work with people he likes. If he feels as though he doesn't jive well with a prospect, he will refer them to one of his peers.
• Heath's firm also has a minimum revenue that a prospect must be making in order to work with him. He will share ways that the prospect can hit that amount of revenue, and then refer them out to a peer in hopes that once they are making more revenue they'll come back.
• The cons of having boundaries and knowing you will only take on a specific type of client are similar to the pros: By letting a client go you make more time for your current clients, but if someone new comes along how do you not take them when you have payroll to worry about? Financially making decisions for your firm is always in flux.
• Heath still has clients in his book of business that have been around for awhile and do not meet his firm's new boundaries. It's hard to keep those boundaries tight around your long-term existing clients.
• Heath shares his last words of wisdom — You'll have to listen to this episode to hear them!

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Heath's Website
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Is your accounting firm BURSTING at the seams? Are you ready to set some boundaries and only work with those ideal clients you've been dreaming of? Then THIS BLOG POST is a must read!

P.P.S. Do you feel like you give away too much information for free? Or you're tired of inconsistent income after tax season is over? Or, you feel like you're not being paid what you're worth?

If you're like many accountants you may feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster!

There is a solution – a proven, time-tested way to get off that cashflow rollercoaster once and for all.

You'll be able to connect with high-level clients & business owners that you want; communicate your value, have a proven process that you can follow, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more money! Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today!

Have you ever found a new prospect who is genuinely interested in your services, but when it comes time to discuss your prices, you FREEZE UP?

Do you fear the "what do you cost" conversation?

In this episode, Ross Jeffries joins me to discuss how you can build up your confidence so that you can begin discussing your prices with ease and without fearing a negative response.

It's tough! I'm sure there have been times when you've been discussing the needs of your client, and when the price comes up, you allow them to dictate the conversation. This episode will help you put an end to that FOR GOOD!

It all comes down to building unending confidence!

Ross provides real and practical tips that you can begin putting into action TODAY!

If you're ready to confidently stroll into your next sales meeting knowing your value and worth and proudly stating your prices, without worrying about the outcome, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

To help the show out:

Special thanks go out to Ross Jeffries for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode.

So many of my accounting professional clients come to me because they are tired of giving away their knowledge and expertise away for free. If that sounds like you, I invite you to join my complimentary Masterclass created just for accountants who want to build a practice with premium clients who eagerly pay you what you're worth. Sign up NOW at abundantaccountant.com.

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle introduces Ross Jeffries.
• Ross shares a quick synopsis of who he is and what his specialty is.
• Michelle gives an overview of what this episode is all about – knowing your worth so that you can help more people and increase the revenue for your firm.
• "A confident person is not conflicted." ~ Ross Jeffries
• What does a toy robot from 1966 have to do with building confidence? Listen to this episode to find out!
• Ross believes that in order to sell with confidence, you must be aligned.
• The first step to not allowing your clients to dictate your prices is to not be conflicted and be in alignment with your worth.
• The second thing you need to know about confidence is that it is a thing or activity you do, so that it can become a quality later.
• Ross shares three practical tips to build your confidence and how to apply it to your sales conversations with your accounting clients.
• When you embrace uncertainty and even enjoy it when it comes to sales, you then have the confidence that is independent of the day's events.
• Michelle and Ross share an example of how mixing paint colors and never quite getting what you want is similar to how some sales conversations will go. By being okay with the unknown you can build your confidence.
• Before you ever discuss what your rates or prices are, you should find out what your client's needs and problems are.
• Meditation is a great way to embrace uncertainty.
• One very important way to feel confident is to realize that NO client is out of your league. There are NO "big" clients, only those that offer incredible value to you.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

1. So many of my accounting professional clients come to me because they are tired of giving away their knowledge and expertise away for free. If that sounds like you, I invite you to join my complimentary Masterclass created just for accountants who want to build a practice with premium clients who eagerly pay you what you're worth. Sign up NOW at abundantaccountant.com.

003 | How To Ask For A Testimonial At An Appropriate Time

Do you struggle to ask for testimonials from your clients? Does it feel uncomfortable or awkward when it comes time to approach your clients to review your work?

If you're like most of my clients, then you struggle to ask for a testimonial. In this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast, I'm sharing the exact steps you need to follow to ensure that you're asking for the testimonial at the right time.

Asking for testimonials is just like asking for the sale, you just have to do it, but if you do it at the wrong time, things could go badly.

My advice? Really listen and talk with your clients, find out their needs and what they're struggling with and then provide the best services that help them overcome those struggles.

Once you've done that, asking for a testimonial is a breeze!

If you're ready to fill your website with glowing testimonials and reviews about the amazing work that you do, this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

P.S. Are you ready to FINALLY be paid your value and worth? Join my FREE Masterclass NOW and learn the 3 proven strategies my clients use to fill their accounting practice with premium clients who eagerly pay what you're worth! Sign up NOW at abundantaccountant.com

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle introduces the topic that she's going to discuss on today's show.
• Just like in sales, you have to ask for the sale - the same is true with testimonials. You must ask your clients for the testimonial.
• If you're not comfortable asking for a video testimonial to start, you can use Google Forms or a tool called Survey Monkey.
• Michelle shares that she always keeps track of the things that clients say about working with her. These testimonials make your website like GOLD!
• Always make sure to get your client's permission to use their testimonial for advertising purposes.
• When people say they want to talk with others you've worked with, you can direct your prospects to your testimonials page.
• If you get a client testimonial in an email and it's not structured well, you can always ask if the client is okay with you tweaking the formatting.
• The best way to help your client is by helping them overcome their problems. You do that by listening 80% of the time and talking 20%. If you listen carefully, your clients will tell you everything you need to know in order to help them.
• Once you've delivered the result that your client desired, you can then ask for the testimonial.
• Sidenote: You may not always provide the result that your client wants, if they don't do their part of the work, everything may not go as planned.
• Michelle shares the exact step by step process she uses when asking for a testimonial.
• After a client has submitted a testimonial, be sure to send them a thank you note, thanking them for taking the time and for sharing their experience with others who may be interested in working with you.
• An additional bonus you can offer certain individuals is to provide a linkback to their website, under their testimonial or review on your website.
• Michelle shares her ONE goal for you to accomplish this week!

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

Are you ready to FINALLY be paid your value and worth? Join my FREE Masterclass NOW and learn the 3 proven strategies my clients use to fill their accounting practice with premium clients who eagerly pay what you're worth! Sign up NOW at abundantaccountant.com

002 | Should You Have a Niche as an Accountant?

Are you afraid to niche down your accounting business because you fear that you might run out of clients?

In this week's episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast, Luke Gheen joins us to share the evolution of his business' niche.

When he first started out, Luke's primary goal was to bring in business and revenue to the firm, but he quickly learned that working with any ol' client was not what he had in mind when he decided to become self-employed.

Luke contemplated a few different potential niches, before naturally falling upon the one that he works with now (you'll have to listen to hear what he chose!).

By choosing a specific niche, Luke has been able to create tailor made services, and charge higher-end prices for them. Which means, Luke is able to work a little less clients, and make a little more money, leading to that Abundant Accountant life we all desire.

If you're ready to start working with your dream clients in the niche of your choosing, then this episode of The Abundant Accountant Podcast is a MUST LISTEN!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Special thanks goes out to Luke Gheen for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode!

P.S. Do you feel like you give away too much information for free? Or you're tired of inconsistent income after tax season is over? Or you feel like you're not being paid what you're worth? If you're like many accountants you may feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster!

There is a solution - a proven, time-tested way to get off that cashflow rollercoaster once and for all. You'll be able to connect with high-level clients & business owners that you want; communicate your value, have a proven process that you can follow, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more money! Join our Abundant Accountant Masterclass today!

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle introduces this week's special guest, Luke Gheen, CPA.
• Luke introduces himself and shares a little bit about what he does and how he got started as an accountant.
• From the beginning Luke and his team were cognizant that they didn't just want to bring in money from any client, but they were much more open to who they'd bring in than they are now.
• Luke opened an office in Denver and in Colorado Springs in order to generate the revenue he was looking to bring in.
• When Luke created his accounting firm he didn't want to create something that was dependent on him personally. He wanted the niche he worked with to be able to work with anyone on his team, not just Luke.
• Luke believes that in order to pick the niche for you, you need to find the natural fit. You have to look for what feels good.
• Luke shares how he and his team stumbled into a specific industry for their niche. (you'll have to listen to hear what niche he chose!).
• If you're unsure why you chose to become self-employed, Luke encourages you to think back to when you first chose to become self-employed and then build your business around those reasons.
• Luke talks about how zeroing on his niche helped him focus his marketing efforts.
• My narrowing their focus, Luke has been able to increase his company's income because of offering more specialized services to his specific client base.
• Luke shares an interesting story of when he took on a client that he shouldn't have because he wasn't a good fit for the firm. Luke ended up firing the client.
• Over the years the firm Luke built has changed, but constantly analyzing whether people were his ideal client or not helped with his consistent lead generation, and sinking a lot of money into marketing.
• Luke and his team are willing to work with individuals who are below their typical revenue requirements for an ideal client if there is potential for growth there.
• Luke talks about a service he tried to provide that didn't end up working out because the clients wouldn't put in the necessary work.
• If you're feeling frustrated with the work that you're doing, Luke encourages you to re-evaluate.
• Michelle and Luke discuss starting before things are perfect, because nothing will ever be perfect.
• Luke shares what he'd tell his younger self.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

P.S. Do you feel like you give away too much information for free? Or you're tired of inconsistent income after tax season is over? Or you feel like you're not being paid what you're worth? If you're like many accountants you may feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster!

There is a solution - a proven, time-tested way to get off that cashflow rollercoaster once and for all. You'll be able to connect with high-level clients & business owners that you want; communicate your value, have a proven process that you can follow, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more money! Join our Abundant Accountant Masterclass today!

000 | The Abundant Accountant Podcast

The Abundant Accountant Podcast is where accounting professionals come to learn the most efficient and powerful ways to grow their firm, sharpen their skills, and have consistent increasing revenue. We cover topics from networking, pricing, finding your ideal clients, increasing cash flow, setting boundaries with clients and much more so you can stop giving away your time and expertise away for free and start being paid your value and worth! You'll learn tips and strategies as well as hear personal interviews from successful accounting professionals. This podcast will show you exactly how to create the business (and life) of your dreams full of abundance!

If you're like many accountants you may feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster!

There is a solution - a proven, time-tested way to get off that cashflow rollercoaster once and for all. You'll be able to connect with high-level clients & business owners that you want; communicate your value, have a proven process that you can follow, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more money! Join our Abundant Accountants Masterclass today!

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Heath's Website
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!

• Here's How »

Join the Abundant Accountant Community today:

• theabundantaccountant.com
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube

How often are you asked for free advice? The second you let people know that you're an accountant, they probably start asking you question after question.

It can get overwhelming, plus giving all of that free information away doesn't help you AND it doesn't help those friends of your either.

Not to mention, that when you give advice away for free, the prospect rarely (if ever) takes action on the advice you gave?

It's a pretty common occurrence, one that many of my accountant clients have experienced.

In fact, when someone pays for your services they are much more likely to take the advice, put it into action and then benefit from that action.

The key here… Stop giving away everything for free! ;)

There is a better way to serve your prospects, prove your worth and land the new client without sharing everything you know.

In this episode, Denise and I share all of our reasons for not giving away information for free, plus we share how you can still serve your clients without giving **too** much away!

Enjoy, and thank you for listening and tuning into The Abundant Accountant Podcast!

Special thanks goes out to Denise Mandeau for taking the time to chat with Michelle. Be sure to join us next week for our next new episode!

Here are a few key secrets we talked about in this episode:

• Michelle introduces The Abundant Accountant Podcast, what the show's purpose is and how she hopes to help accountants.
• Michelle shares a quick synopsis of who she is and her experience.
• Denise introduces herself and shares her experience and who she is.
• The topic this week is surrounding giving away too much free information and free advice to non-paying clients.
• It's important to know how much free information you want to give away before talking with prospects.
• Denise discusses why entrepreneurs give away free advice.
• Michelle describes her client Kate, who was giving away too much free information and how she helped her change her process and mindset.
• "Very few people implement any free advice you give them." ~ The Pitch Queen
• Another client, Lauren, is discussed and how Denise and Michelle taught her the best way to answer any question about free advice, is to ask another question! Listen for the full description.
• Denise shares a couple tips on where to draw a line before giving away TOO much free information.
• Michelle and Denise discuss "Awareness Content" what it is and how it can help your business.
• Another way to help your clients without giving too much information away is to provide them with "Insider Value." Curious what that is? Listen to this episode to find out!
• There is nothing quick about building a long-term business relationship. You want to become your client's trusted advisor.
• Denise shares a great example of how you wouldn't expect a doctor to give away information for free, why do people expect their accountants or CPAs to give information away?
• The ladies discuss how doing a time study can help you recognize how much time you've spent giving away free information, like answering peoples "quick questions, to responding to emails all day long, that could have been spent in other ways to build your business.
• Michelle shares the story of her client Marc, and how he realized too much of his and his team's time was being eaten up by just one of his needy clients.
• "Do you prefer to get paid for the work that you do, or do you prefer to run a non-profit?" ~ The Pitch Queen
• If you think giving away free advice is the only way to show your value and worth, then you're moving into the scarcity mindset. Learn how to shift out of this, in this episode.
• The number one way to turn people into paying clients is to tune into Michelle and Denise's webinar.
• It's time to attract your ideal clients and push yourself to stand out from the crowd.
• Michelle thanks everyone for being with them for the first episode.

Learn More & Connect With Me Here!

• Read The Abundant Accountant Blog
• Join us on Facebook
• Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

To share your thoughts:

• Email The Pitch Queen @ hello@thepitchqueen.com
• Ask a question over at www.ThePitchQueen.com
• Share The Abundant Accountant Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To help the show out:

• Please leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the show on iTunes.

P.S. Do you feel like you give away too much information for free? Or you're tired of inconsistent income after tax season is over? Or you feel like you're not being paid what you're worth? If you're like many accountants you may feel like you're on the cashflow rollercoaster!

There is a solution - a proven, time-tested way to get off that cashflow rollercoaster once and for all. You'll be able to connect with high-level clients & business owners that you want; communicate your value, have a proven process that you can follow, collect higher fees with confidence and be paid what you're worth so you can work less and make more money! Join our Abundant Accountant Masterclass today!

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!

• Here's How »

Join the Abundant Accountant Community today:

• theabundantaccountant.com
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube