What Do They Notice?

Unlike many others, I love getting tons of e-mail as it helps me see what makes an accounting firm stand out. And that was the case with the Summer 2008 issue of Rachlinnews, a PDF of which was e-mailed to me. I receive a great number of firm newsletters, those done by firms and by third-party providers.

Why was I so impressed by the newsletter from Rachlin, a Miami, Fla. firm? To begin with, each of the articles was written by a member of the firm. There is also a message from the managing partner, Larry Blum, on the front page, and he writes about the importance of recognizing and adapting to change, and challenges the readers on the subject. The lead story is about search engine optimization, a great topic, and has an excellent discussion of organic and paid search engine optimization. The article on tips for small businesses going global is informative, but more than that it shows the firm’s understanding of all it takes to ensure success in going global.

Although the other articles are more typical of what you would expect in a firm newsletter, the ones on mortgage relief for taxpayers, establishing internal controls of benefit plan assets, and IRS criminal investigation showcase the firm’s expertise. The spotlight on a charitable cause that the Rachin Foundation is supporting and the note that the newsletter and firm brochures are being printed on recycled paper are nice touches.

The newsletter is visually appealing, easily readable, and has a modern look with attractive graphics. Additionally, it is only four pages long and comes out quarterly. All of this appeals to how people now read.

I often wonder about the reactions of the recipients of some of the accounting firm newsletters that I receive. The newsletters aren’t attractive and don’t show a great deal of effort, expertise, or passion on the firm’s part. They appear to be an almost obligatory firm requirement. Do others who receive it have the same reaction as me? And does that impact how those recipients view the firm?
 
If you want to see some previous Rachlinnews newsletter and how you react to them, go to rachlin.com. Feel free to e-mail me your reactions at Howard.Wolosky@sourcemedia.com

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