When I was in practice as a CPA, there were days when I left the office wondering why I would ever want to go back the next day and do it again.
Those days seemed to drag on forever. I did not feel very productive or accomplished, and generally did not feel good about myself or my chosen career path.
Then there were days when I'd look at the clock and be amazed that it was already 6 p.m., and wonder if I could postpone what was on my desk until tomorrow, or perhaps take it home to finish up after putting the kids to bed.
More often than not, the quality of my day had to do with the clients I was working with on those given days. When the clients were too small or not fun to be with, I hated work. But when my day was consumed with one or more of my ideal clients, the day was nirvana.I am here to tell you that the key to success is more about working with the right clients, rather than more hours and more clients.
Discovering whether a prospective client is right for you is a combination of art and science, or qualitative and quantitative criteria. And these criteria are right under your nose, but not fleshed out in enough detail for you to benefit from that information.
UNDERSTANDING THE CLIENT BASE
To gain a good understanding about whether a prospect is a good client for your firm, you must first understand your client base. Most CPAs know that stratification of the client base is necessary for any well-run business, yet very few can show me the stratification of their client base when I ask to see it.
At the beginning, you should probably stratify clients in three or four levels. Commonly a "school-like" system using grades from A through D is adequate. Some practice management consultants will tell you that you only need to define your ideal A + clients and disregard the rest, but that is not reality for the firm just embarking on this path of defining and attracting more ideal clients. We'll talk more about this later.
For a starting point, consider the top 10 to 20 percent of your clients today as your "A" clients. The definition of an "A" client needs to begin with your current reality - not your vision of your future dream client. The balance of your stratification efforts from B through D should occupy approximately 25 percent each, unless the detailed analysis tells a very different story. Every practice will have natural break points that help define their current stratification.
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE
This stratification effort should be based on both the quantitative and qualitative criteria that are important to you. Some of the more common quantitative criteria include:
* Gross accounting fees paid to the firm;
* Realization rate per hours worked;
* Years that a client has been in business;
* Whether or not the prospect has ever sued a professional services firm;
* Number of employees;
* Quality of accounting staff;
* Net worth;
* Gross income;
* Interest and dividend income;
* Gross sales of the client company; and,
* Tax bracket.
This list, obviously, can become quite long. Customize this list to the quantitative criteria that are significant and important to your firm, and then rate each client in each of the important quantitative criteria. Try not to let subjective criteria enter the picture here. These matters should be considered on the facts and circumstances as they currently exist, and not as they may grow to be.
As for qualitative criteria, I believe they are just as important as the quantitative criteria. Some of the more important include:
* Paying your bill on time and without complaining or negotiating;
* Willing to refer you to other ideal clients;
* Fun to spend time with;
* Appreciate your work and look to you for more guidance; and,
* Willing to hire you for more than just telling them what happened last year.
Both the quantitative and qualitative criteria can and should include any niche specialties that your firm has successfully carved out, such as multi-state issues, international issues, or industry specializations.
This sounds like a lot of work, and it is. But this is the baseline that is necessary for you and whoever else in the firm is responsible for business development - especially when it comes to creating a vibrant wealth management practice alongside your CPA practice.
ESTABLISH CLIENT 'SCORES'
Once you have ranked every client, you are in a position to use this information to benefit your life and your business.
First, make a decision regarding how high a new client must score to make it through your new client acquisition process. If you decide that the firm will accept all levels of new clients, you may be asking for trouble.
Ask yourself what significant opportunities are provided by new D clients. If you think that you have a good answer, ask the question of your staff. Unfortunately, there is no room for D clients if the partners and employees want to enjoy their days and grow their business. In fact, one very liberating way to prove to your staff that you'll not be accepting new D clients is to fire your existing D clients. I am shocked at just how many firms fight me on this, thinking that the tiny margins generated from such clients are worth the aggravation.
At the same time, if we were to poll your A clients asking if they'd appreciate more time with you, the answer is typically an overwhelming "Yes." Don't waste time here - fire your Ds and spend more time with your As.
A less painful way than simply firing them may be to find another practitioner who may find them to be an A client. I've counseled firms to actually identify the successor firm in advance and reach an agreement on how the transition may occur. Then send a very professional letter to the D clients suggesting that you have found a more attractive service alternative for them, and that you'd be happy to assist with the transition.
CLIENT PROFILES
Profiling new clients is even more critical when it comes to the wealth management side of your practice. A small client may take as much time as a larger client with far less revenue and opportunity. In fact, it seems that client complaints and problems happen more frequently with smaller D clients than larger A clients.
A common mistake that most firms make when they get started in wealth management is to start with the small clients. Their theory is to start where the exposure is less and the work is simpler. A better alternative may be to start with your A clients, who already love you and depend on you for more than just your accounting or tax expertise.
Don't be shy when meeting new prospects. A big part of their enjoyment in working with your firm will be based on how well they fit your ideal client profile. Ask the questions that you need to ask in the first interview to see if they fit your profile. It makes the first meeting experience more of a mutual interview than a "sales" meeting where you are simply trying to generate more fees. You may be surprised how liberating it can be to turn down new business because it doesn't meet the criteria of clients that your firm can help. Of course, be professional about it and have a few names of other practitioners who may be able to help them.
The most successful firms are those that have drawn a clear line in the sand about what new clients will look like. It sounds a lot harder to implement than it actually is, and most practitioners fail miserably at living by the line-in-the-sand rule. They continue to accept any and all comers whose payment for services will clear the bank.
DON'T RUSH IT
Setting higher standards for the acceptance of new clients will not change your firm overnight. In fact, the first year may seem a little painful. If your typical year yields 20 new clients ranging from A to D, under the line-in-the-sand theory, you may only net one or two As and one or two Bs in the first year of these new, tougher standards. But if you do it consistently, by the end of the third year, your new client flows will be back up to the old levels of 20 or more - except they'll all be As and Bs. It is then that you, too, will love all of your clients and only work with those who meet your firm's stringent quantitative and qualitative criteria.
John P. Napolitano, CFP, CPA, PFS, is chairman and CEO of U.S. Wealth Management in Braintree, Mass.
