What’s in a Name?

Selecting a Business Moniker that Best Represents Your Stellar Services

I hadn’t been working long when someone asked for my business name.  Was my given name enough, I thought?  Apparently not.

Even though you may be a tax preparer working part-time from the spare room in your basement, you don’t want your business name to conjure that image with prospective clients.  A professional business moniker will make your practice more credible, memorable, and marketable.

But where do you start?  Here are 6 simple suggestions:

1. Select a functional and descriptive name. While some companies opt to use invented (Oreo), experiential (Infoseek) or evocative (Yahoo) names, a financial professional is probably best off selecting a business name that alludes to the services he or she provides.  People appreciate being able to recognize a business type simply by reading the name.  It also contributes to a potential client’s ability to remember the name and corresponding services later.

2.   Don’t be a copy-cat. You don’t want your name to be so close to another’s that potential clients call the wrong number or show up at the wrong business front.  Not only will duplicating another business name make yours less memorable, but it can cause legal problems as well.  The US Small Business Administration suggests visiting the United States Patent and Trademark Office to ensure that your business doesn’t make any trademark infringements. 

3. Avoid wordplay. While wordplay and unconventional spellings may seem witty and catchy upfront, it may prevent a prospective client from locating your business information later.  You want people to easily access your contact information, and if they can’t remember or spell your business name, there’s no chance they’ll be able to look you up online or in the phone book.

4.   Don’t abbreviate. While acronyms may be all the business rage, they won’t do your marketing efforts any favors.  And if you do use an acronym, you may spend more money educating the public on the meaning of your name than you’ll actually spend highlighting your services.

5.   Perform a domain-name search. Just as you want your business name to be memorable, you want your website address to be memorable as well.  After you select your business name, perform a domain search to see if you can use your business name in your URL. 

6.   Research and register. Some states require sole proprietors to register any business name, other than their own given name.  Before selecting a name it’s important that you research your state’s requirements.  Also consider registering for an Employer Identification Number (EIN), also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, at IRS.gov; it’s easy and free.

Online Forums

When it comes to topics like this one, it can be difficult to find a group of small business owners with whom you can ask questions, share insights, and offer advice.  Luckily there are online discussions groups, listservs and forums to help you connect with these individuals.  Universal Accounting Center has developed a forum for accountants and tax preparers to provide just that community environment for which you may have been searching.  Please join us and make our community stronger by “talking” about issues that matter to you.  Members are free to ask questions, provide resources and take advantage of the resources others may offer.  Join us today! 

Resources

“Employer ID Numbers (EINs).”  IRS.gov

“Name Your Business.”  SBA.gov

“Trademark FAQ.”  United States Patent and Trademark Office

The IRS Moves Forward in RTRP Appeal

Universal has been updating our readers on the IRS’s fight against the February RTRP court ruling that could potentially prevent the IRS from testing and regulating paid tax preparers. The Department of Justice, in behalf of the IRS, filed a Stay Pending Appeal on February 26^th, 2013 which, if approved, would reinstate the regulations throughout the appeals process.   The following events have since transpired:

March 28, 2013.  Three circuit judges denied the IRS’s request to revoke the injunction stating, “Appellants have not satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending appeal.”   Until another ruling is made, tax preparers are not required to test or obtain continuing education.

March 29, 2013.  The IRS filed a Brief for the Appellants arguing that the District Court incorrectly interpreted the law which should allow for tax preparer regulations.  They explained, “The District Court erred as a matter of law in holding that 31 U.S.C. § 330(a)(1) unambiguously foreclosed the Secretary of the Treasury from regulating the practice of tax-return preparers, and, accordingly, erred in declaring the tax-return preparer regulations invalid and enjoining their enforcement.”

April 1, 2013.  The Government filed a Motion to Set Briefing Schedule and to Expedite Appeal.  In the appeal they requested a May 17^th deadline for appellee’s response brief and May 31, 2013 as the deadline for the Government’s reply brief.  They also requested the earliest available date for oral argument.

April 5, 2013.  Two Amici Cuiae, by interested parties outside the litigation, were filed.  The first Amici Cuiae was filed by five former IRS Commissioners and attests that the Treasury should be empowered to regulate paid tax preparers.  The brief explains, “Far from being a mere bookkeeper, a tax return preparer who advises and assists in preparing a tax return may be solely responsible for ‘presenting the case’ for the taxpayer’s eligibility for the benefits provided by crucial government programs administered through the tax system” as intended by Congress.

The second Amici Cuiae was filed by the National Consumer Law Center and National Community Tax Coalition which act as advocates for low-come citizens and taxpayers.  They claim that these individuals have continually been victimized by incompetent tax preparers.  Their brief included over 20 pages of violations by such preparers in attempts to demonstrate a clear need for testing and regulation.

For more information, please visit the official website of the National Association of Tax Professionals. 

Universal will continue to update you in our weekly newsletter. 

Marketing on Steroids 

For over 30 years Universal Accounting Center has trained financial professionals like.  In all our years working with accountants, bookkeepers and tax preparers, we’ve come to understand that most don’t know how to promote their services to this niche market of small businesses.

 We do!  And not only do we know how to market those services, but we know which strategies and approaches will grow your business to the point where you will become so busy you may just have to start turning clients away – that or consider increasing your staff in order to increase your capacity (and your bottom line!).

To share this priceless information we developed the Universal Practice Builder Program, otherwise known as Marketing on Steroids.  Here’s just a sampling of what you will gain from enrolling in this phenomenal program: 

• A guarantee of $30,000 in new annualized billings in only 12 months
• The skills to become a Profit Expert for each of your clients
• 12 marketing strategies that you can implement immediately
• A process which can produce 15 to 25 qualified leads per month
• 3 months of coaching via telephone and Internet
• Training on a computerized database tracking program
• A presentation DVD to show potential clients
• Access to a plan proven to help retain clients

Sign up now for the Universal Practice Builder Program and grow a stronger, more lucrative business.  Call us at 1-877-833-7909 to enroll now!

Ensuring Consistency and Efficiency

Using a Checklist to Standardize Your Processes

Most tax professionals are looking for ways to streamline their services in order to guarantee greater accuracy and efficiency throughout tax season.  And nothing will thwart your attempts to save time and energy more than by performing routine tasks differently each time they’re done.

Whether you’re working alone, with partners, or employees, standardizing your processes is not only a great time-management tool, but it also promotes greater efficiency and consistency in your work.  A checklist is a great way to ensure that your practice is using standardized processes to complete tax returns and perform other routine functions.

If you want to use checklists to help improve your practice, consider the following three tips:

1. Create checklists for routine functions.  In a recent CPATrendlines article, author and accountant Ed Mendlowitz explains, “Establish checklists whenever repetitive procedures are to be performed…  They are not to be filled out after the work is completed as punishment.”  Checklists should guide professionals as they complete projects—they ensure that key steps are not skipped or forgotten.  Mendlowitz goes on to explain that the importance of checklists needs to be established and maintained by partners, managers and reviewers as well.
2. Use checklists as a training tool.  Checklists are a great way to help new employees or partners become familiar with your practices’ processes and procedures.  They will enable staff to have an abbreviated tutorial that will walk them through the work.
3. Update and revise checklists.  Checklists provide a great opportunity to monitor and assess your practice’s processes and procedures.  You can do this by routinely evaluating your checklists, and then, after discussion and debate, eliminating unnecessary steps and, perhaps, adding new ones.  While this may seem a tedious task, it is the one way to ensure that your practice is even more efficient next tax season.

Also called “working smart,” efficient work strategies can makes any tax practice more profitable as owners determine how to get more done in less time.  Using checklists to ensure consistency and standardization of your processes is just one way to improve your services and your reputation as a tax preparer.

Universal Accounting Center’s Solution to Higher Efficiency

The wise financial professional looks for ways to add complementary services to their menu in order to get those higher-yielding clients to do even more business with them.  In doing so, you increase your earning-potential and your appeal to prospective and current clients.

By adding small-business accounting services to your menu, you are able to increase your billable hours, which in turn, increases your bottom line.  UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper Program will teach you everything you need to know to manage a small business’s books, including how to market those services to prospective clients.

To learn more, order our video Introduction to the Professional Bookkeeper Program.  This video will introduce you to the four module included in this course, demonstrating just how valuable it can be to you and your business.  Survive the recession by adding accounting services to your offerings.  What do you have to lose? Call Universal at 1-877-833-7909 for more information now!

Resource

Mendlowitz, Ed.  “Five New Tax Season Tips to Provide Consistency in Service, Processes, and Standards.”  10 March 2013  CPATrendlines.com

4 Small Business Do’s and Don’ts

It’s a New Year—time to revamp and look for ways to improve your business.  Here are four easy things you can do that will make a big difference:

1.   Charge what you’re worth. First you need to do your research to see what your competition charges.  And based on that knowledge, charge what your products and/or services are worth.  Sometimes small business owners feel a little self-conscious about their fees; never compromise your value in order to get business.

• Do:  Communicate the value of your services.
• Don’t:  Be apologetic and tentative when talking about fees.

 2.   Be visible. Often small business owners are not as good at PR as they are with their business specialty.  But that’s no reason to become a hermit.  As awkward as it may feel, you need to get out there and be both seen and heard.  Attend community functions, meet your costumers, and spend time socializing; the more you interact with others, the greater your networking opportunities.  Remember, everyone is a potential costumer.

• Do: Make appearances and talk about what you do.
• Don’t: Be pushy and overbearing.

3. Be Helpful. Small business owners can live or die on one account or customer.  By keeping the business “Golden Rule,” you will be able to capture the big sales with the little sales.  There’s just something about knowing you have had a positive effect on those you do business with every day.

• Do:  Make each interaction with customers the best one they have had.
• Don’t: Be arrogant and unresponsive.

4.    Have a marketing plan. Remember Field of Dreams?  If you build it, they will come.  When it comes to your business you have more in common with Costner’s character than you might think:  If you publicize, they will purchase.  You need to get the word out in order to get costumers through your front door, because without costumers, you won’t make any money.  Assign yourself a marketing budget and

• Do: Research marketing methods that work for your particular business niche.
• Don’t: Spend lots of money on an unproven marketing technique.

 Register for Universal’s FREE Start Today Seminar

From DC to Texas and Canada to California—Universal travels the country providing free 3-hour seminars teaching the secrets to establishing a successful accounting and bookkeeping service.  There you’ll learn how to enhance your service offerings while increasing your bottom lime!  Look at our schedule and register for one of our seminars in a city near you.  As attendee Dennis Shumway explained, “I have been involved in financial service for 20 years and have attended seminars all over the country. The quality of this class has been head and shoulders above any class that I have ever taken.”

Take advantage of this FREE opportunity now!  Register today!

Recommended Reading for the Holiday Break

Do you need a little holiday reading to carry you through Christmas break?  If so, we have a list for you.  In his recent post to Inc.com, author Jeff Haden shares “6 Books for the Well-Rounded Entrepreneur,” of which we list four here:

Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck: What It Takes to Be an Entrepreneur and Build a Great Business by Anthony Tjan, Richard Harrington, and Tsun-Yan Hsieh.  Tjan, Harrington and Hsieh are prominent business leaders, who, after interviewing and researching successful entrepreneurs around the world, have discovered that all share a combination of four attributes, one of which is generally dominant.  Which are you?  Heart, smarts, guts or luck dominant?  Read to find out!

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen.  In addition to being a best-selling author, David Allen is also a coach and management consultant, an experience through which he has developed a process for increasing productivity, something he claims is directly proportional to our ability to relax.  Who wouldn’t like to discover how to increase productivity by relaxing more?

Practice Perfect: 42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better by Doug Lemov, Erica Woolway, and Katie Yezzi.  As Haden explains, “Instead of describing how to improve one specific skill, Practice Perfect provides practical tools for practicing, modeling, using feedback, and making those new skills stick.”  In sharing the “how-to” rules of practice, this book covers topics such as rethinking practice, modeling excellent practice, using feedback, creating a culture of practice, making new skills stick, and hiring for practice.

The Hidden Agenda: A Proven Way to Win Business and Create a Following by Kevin Allen.  This book enables readers to determine what motivates those making key decisions.  If you can determine what motivates your prospective clients, you are closer to seling your products and services in such a way that they resonate with them.  As reviewed by Andy Janowski, COO of Burberry, “Kevin Allen has a powerful ability to turn insight into winning results.  In The Hidden Agenda, he turns his approach into a discipline we can all use to drive results and win more consistently.”

In the Black: Nine Principles to Make Your Business Profitable by Allen Bostrom.  And finally, this list wouldn’t be complete without endorsing one of our own, written by Universal’s President and CEO Allen Bostrom.  This book demonstrates how to increase your business’s profitability using improved accounting and business metrics – a must-have for organizations of any size. This book also discusses the importance of increasing communication among the three major business functions: marketing, production and accounting.  Designed to help any small business owner, especially those who specialize in financial services, In the Black can bring greater success to your businesses as well as those of your clients.  Order now and you can begin applying tried and true principles of business profitability.

Resource

Haden, Jeff.  “6 Books for the Well-Rounded Entrepreneur.” 17 October 2012  Inc.com

Mistakes that Trigger Business Failure

You have probably heard the daunting news before: roughly 50% of new businesses fail within the first five years of operation.  If you’ve ever considered launching your own practice, that statistic has probably given you pause.  However, there are tangible things you can do to avoid the most common mistakes made by entrepreneurs.

In a recent Entrepreneur.com article, author Martin Zwilling lists the “10 Top Reasons Why First-Time Entrepreneurs Fail.”  We share five of those reasons here:

1. No written plan.  You’ve heard the old maxim, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”  Perhaps you’ve spent hours dreaming about your business, imagining your achievements, and talking with friends and family about your goals, but without a business plan you aren’t giving yourself the opportunity to truly plan all the necessary details and build a foundation for your success.

2. Limited business opportunities.  Some entrepreneurs fail to perform the necessary market research that will help them determine whether or not the products and/or services they’ve selected are actually in demand.  Thankfully, whether it’s tax preparation or small-business accounting, financial services are not only in demand, but generally required by law.

3. Too much competition.  Again, this problem could easily be overcome with a little market research.  Before launching your business you must determine who your competition is and what makes them appealing.  Is there something you could offer that they don’t?  Only by studying your competition will you develop that necessary advantage.

4. Not enough marketing.  We get it!  Promoting services doesn’t come naturally to accountants and tax preparers.  But the truth remains: regardless of how skilled you are, your business won’t generate revenue without clients, and you won’t secure clients without a marketing plan.

 5.   Can’t execute.  As Zwilling explains, “When young entrepreneurs come to me with that ‘million dollar idea,’ I have to tell them that an idea alone is really worth nothing.  It’s all about the execution.  If you’re uncomfortable making hard decisions and taking risks, you won’t do well in this role.”

Above all, you must have the necessary skills and know-how to ensure your practice succeeds.  If you’d like to launch your own startup, we’d ask you to consider acquiring additional skills that will attract more clients and enable you to secure that competitive advantage.

Small Business Accounting

Small business accounting is a valuable niche market.  In fact, over 90% of accounting opportunities can be found in the small business arena.  Universal Accounting Center (UAC) has been training professionals like you in small business accounting for over 30 years because they recognize what many do not; most universities and trade programs are teaching students corporate accounting which isn’t preparing them for the typical, real-world accounting experiences they will encounter.

Becoming a small business accountant doesn’t require years of your valuable time.  UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program is not only reputable, but it’s self-paced, enabling a busy professional like you to take your time or complete the program quickly, in less than 60 hours.

Through this program, you will gain the confidence and skill necessary to start and manage nearly every client’s books, and when you have a question, our follow-up program enables you to call and ask one of our seasoned professionals.

QuickBooks Services

By why stop with accounting services?  Increase your business’s appeal by offering QuickBook services as well.  UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide (PBG) to QuickBooks will help you master this accounting software, and once you do, you can offer QuickBooks setup, help and consultation services, charging $45 to $75 per hour.

Becoming a QuickBooks Specialist would provide you with numerous ways to bring in more business, increase your income, and make your job easier.  You’ll find companies who want to do their accounting tasks themselves, but need help configuring QuickBooks to meet their needs.  And once you’ve helped a company set up its initial QuickBooks system, who do you think they’ll turn to for help? You, of course! After all, you’ll have the training and expertise they’ll need whenever they run into a problem.

By turning your tax service into a full-service financial provider, you get your game on, working year-round for clients that not only need your services, but value them enough to tell their friends and family about your business!  Call 1-877-833-7909 to become the premier financial service provider your area!

Resource

Zwilling, Martin.  “10 Top Reasons Why First-Time Entrepreneurs Fails.”  14 September 2012

5 Tips to a More Lucrative Practice

Most small-business owners are continually on the lookout for ways to increase profits: your own and that of your clients.  Doing so makes you a much more valuable financial professional, not to mention, a profitable small-business owner.  What are some simple things you can do to accomplish that?

1.    Remember the 80/20 rule. Also known as Pareto’s Law, this rule states that 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers.  Do you know which of your customers comprise that 20%?  If not, it’s time you found out.  You can then target them for special promotions and service offerings.

 2. Getting that 20% to retain more services more frequently. Now that you know which customers comprise that valuable 20%, you must try to get them to use more of your products and services more frequently.  Consider expanding your offerings to include complementary products and services.  This will enable you to bill current customers more often, something called Geometric Growth.  Geometric Growth also enables you to attract new clients who might be interested in your original and increased service offerings.

 3.   Determine what motivates the 80%. By focusing on the 20%, don’t forget there is still value in the 80%.  Studies show that it’s better to spend your time retaining current customers than it is to find new ones.  That 80% represents a customer base that is familiar with your products and services and values your offerings.  Now you need to determine what motivates them and how you might be able to get them to join the 20% by patronizing your business more frequently.

 4.   Ask customers what they want. No one can tell you how to best serve your customers than your customers themselves.  What do they need?  Are there other services they wish you offered?  What might get them to more readily refer your services to friends and family?  You may discover things that are difficult to hear.  You may also get the most valuable business advice ever!  These clients will definitely offer more personal and specific information than you could get from any other source.

 5. Demonstrate gratitude. Nothing makes a customer feel more valuable than by a genuine show of gratitude.  This is also a good way to increase retention and inspire customer loyalty.  Whether you do this by giving them a modest discount or by thanking them personally for their business, it will be a gesture well remembered.

These five simple tips can help you increase your business’s profitability as well as the profitability of those small businesses you work for.  Allen Bostrom, President and CEO of Universal Accounting Center, has a lot of experience helping small businesses do just that, and he’s written a book about it called In the Black: Nine Principles to Make Your Business Profitable.  Practical and easy-to-apply, you can finish this book in one day and begin implementing those principles the next.  To learn more about this book and some of the principles he shares, visit his website today!

Richard Branson: 5 Strategies for Success

Richard Branson is somewhat of a legend.  Best-selling author and billionaire entrepreneur who has launched and/or acquired a number of successful ventures, Branson has been around the block a time or two and knows what he’s talking about.  In an Entrepreneur.com article entitled “Richard Branson on Strategies for Success,” the legend himself shares a handful of valuable tips:

1. Customer service and the trickle-down effect.  Branson explains, “Good customer service begins at the top.  If your senior people don’t get it, even the strongest links further done the line can become compromised.”
2. Thoughtful branding.  Don’t release a logo into the world without carefully considering what it represents.  Some create sterile corporate logos that make it nearly impossible for their brand to feel personable and approachable.  Branson says, “Whatever you decide your new brand will stand for, deliver on that promise.”  And, “If you don’t define what the brand means, your competitors will.”
3. Compassionate leadership.  Branson suggests that instead of tracking down mistakes, you search for employee successes.  As you strive to praise someone for good performance every day, you’ll foster an environment of productivity and success rather than one that’s laden with the fear of failure.
4. Dealing with success.  Once they become successful, many businesses turn their attention to profits and away from what set them apart in the first place.  Branson suggests, “If you are mulling over expansion, tell all your employees about your plan…and ask for their input.”  It’s important that you remind yourself of what makes your business special.
5. Delegation.  Branson says that it’s important to see how well your business functions without you.  “When your team is in place and the launch phase is over, take the time to conduct a test to see how well the company performs without your help.  This can be a very revealing exercise: It will show you where the problems are and, most important, how well you have learned to delegate.”

As you follow your own course to entrepreneurial success, it’s important that you apply guiding principles that will help you establish a long-lasting practice.  In accomplishing that it often helps to take advice from those who have achieved what you dream of achieving.

Universal Accounting (UA) Can Help You Earn Make More Money!

Universal can help you achieve your entrepreneurial dreams!  If you were wondering how, exactly, we might benefit you and your business, visit our website and take a tour.  You’ll learn more about our programs, our products, and other services we offer.  Don’t wait to find out how UAC could change your professional future. Visit our corporate website or take a virtual tour today!

Resource

Branson, Richard.  “Richard Branson on Strategies for Success.”  19 January 2012 Entrepreneur.com

Become a Profit and Growth Expert

Accountants offer valuable services—services every business needs.  In fact, businesses are required by law to keep books.  So, by adding accounting and bookkeeping services to your offerings, you increase the value of your business.  And by using your accounting skills as a Profit and Growth Expert, you become invaluable to your clientele!

What is a Profit and Growth Expert?

A Profit and Growth Expert uses information from the accounting system to analyze a business’s fiscal standing, sharing that analysis with those who can use it to make more profitable financial decisions.

A Profit and Growth Expert is a proactive accountant who realizes that the information he/she generates provides crucial data that can make or break a business.  It’s the accountant’s job to share this data with business owners, explaining it in such a way that they both understand what the information indicates and use it to inform important business decisions.

Profit and Growth Accounting

When you enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program you not only learn small business accounting, but you are trained to watch key indicators that will help you diagnose a business’s health and recommend a course of action that will improve its profitability.  This will enhance your service offerings and enable you to market this competitive advantage.  Here’s what one student had to say about her new skills:

I am about half way through the program and, in the next month or so, plan to start visiting my local businesses.  I have been focusing on the marketing side of things and it seems like every meeting I have with a potential client I am able to close.  So far since purchasing the program I have about 6 more monthly clients.  I am sure that 50% of those transactions were closed because [of] improvements in my sales techniques.  I love the fact that I am not an Accountant or Enrolled agent, I am now a “Profit, Growth, and Tax Expert.”  It does work…. –Lynette R., CA

Using the skills mastered in the Professional Bookkeeper Program, Lynette has been able enhance her tax practice before she even completes the entire course.  You can do the same, and within weeks can market yourself as the “Profit, Growth, and Accounting Expert.”  Imagine how appealing that will be for prospective clients who are interested in increasing their profitability and ensuring the growth of their small businesses.

The Profit and Growth Expert Tutorial

If you would like to learn more about becoming a Profit and Growth Expert, watch our FREE “Start Today” video. When you do, you will learn how to do the following:

• Make over $80,000 per year working from home!
• Secure more clients than you can handle
• Charge your clients so you can afford to take that next vacation, and they get such a great deal they will be telling all their friends about you!
• Get started for next to nothing and make BIG BUCKS within weeks!

Change the course of your practice.  Take action now to become a Profit and Growth Expert.  Watch the video online today for free!

The 60-Second Sales Pitch

Time is in short supply, and with so many things vying for our attention, it’s important that we learn to communicate quickly and efficiently, especially when it comes to one’s business.  If you don’t learn to tell contacts what you do in less time than it takes them to ride to the top floor in an elevator (also called an Elevator Speech), you’re likely to lose their interest and their prospective business.

In a recent article posted to Entrepreneur.com, author and communications coach Carmine Gallo explains “How to Tell Your Business Story in 60 Seconds or Less.”  She explains, “Unfortunately, many small-business owners don’t think enough about their company’s story and how it comes across.” That’s why she’s developed four questions designed to enable business owners to develop an effective 60-second sales pitch.

1. What do you do?
2. What problems do you solve?
3. How is your product or service different?
4. Why should I care?

Your answers should be quick and to-the-point.  The following is an industry-specific example:

My name’s Sharon West and I enjoy doing what most people don’t: I file taxes, helping individuals and small business owners maximize their returns.  I’m a professional tax preparer [what your business does and what problems it solves].  You see, many paid tax preparers haven’t received any formal training in filing taxes and working with individuals on their tax planning.  That’s what I do and I’ve been trained to do it [how it’s different].  And if business owners are concerned that my fees will eat up their profits, I can guarantee that what I charge will come back to them at least 100% in tax savings.  Now how many tax professionals do you know of that come with that kind of guarantee? [why you should care]. Here’s my business card.  If you know of individuals or small business owners who could use a trusted tax professional, please refer them to me.

Practice your delivery so that it doesn’t sound canned or monotonous.  It should be exciting and engaging, communicating your passion for what you do and how well you do it.  And it’s important that you not drone on and on; that’s why it should be no longer than 60 seconds.  In fact, you may consider having two versions of your 60-second sales pitch: the 30-second version and the one minute version.

Ultimately, the 60-second sales pitch is designed for any networking situation where you can introduce yourself and your business to potential clients.  This may be at a convention, a conference, the grocery store, or the dentist’s office.  Remember that anyone can be a potential client or can refer you to a potential client.  And with your 60-second sales pitch on the tip of your tongue, you’re ready to sell yourself in any given situation with comfort and ease.

What’s your 60-second sales pitch?

If you’re interested in learning more about securing and retaining new clients, watch our free video on marketing. It will forever change your business approach!

Resource

Gallo, Carmine.  “How to Tell Your Business Story in 60 Seconds or Less.”  19 December 2011 Entrepreneur.com