The following reflects my opinions and lessons learned from Case Study #1 posted here. I will highlight the points and respond underneath as I did here for Points #1 – 4.  Let me know your thoughts.

On the day of the appointment I brought everything I needed, was greeted, offered something to drink and we sat down.  For some strange reason, the whole potential client experience prior was in my head because two things struck me, no web presence and how the accountant called me directly to set up the appointment, his demeanor and tone of the conversation.  I told him so.

He was very pleased when I mentioned personal phone call, a little frustrated by my bringing up the web presence because he said, ‘have you been talking to my partner?  He is insisting we are losing business by not having a web presence.’  I explained my feelings on this point and he just said, ‘I know, I know.  I’m just not going to maintain it.  Someone else will have to.’ (Point #5)

First, the accountant was ready to get down to business and never asked me about my experiences up until this point.  Had I not volunteered what was on my mind he never would have volunteered his responses above.  Based upon his being pleased with my reaction to the personal phone call, I was left with the impression it was either protocol or protocol for a referral from a long-time client.

Canvas your clients in a friendly way when you meet them in person for the first time. The information you will elicit will be invaluable to your relationship with this client as well as to results you are (or are not) achieving with your marketing efforts.  Consider it a one-on-one focus group if you will.

His reaction to my discussion about a web-presence was definitely one of frustration.  He is clearly aware of the need to have one but it represents change, an investment of time/money and one he realizes he can no longer avoid.  The attitude of resistance will not serve him well, in my opinion, but because he knows it is costing him business he realizes he has to find away to make it work.  He’s at the solution stage.  He will have to probably be convinced, the reluctant buyer, but he will do it.

Then we got to discussing business.  The first thing I said is, ‘is this a paid consultation or is it preliminary discussion to see whether we want to work together.’  (Point #6)

Whether or not a consultation is free or paid should be known to the potential client BEFORE you meet. This should have been clearly communicated on the outset when I spoke with the secretary or when he called me back to make the appointment.  Clients have both conscious and unconscious inhibitors to engagement.  It is your job to understand what may be stopping your client from engaging in any part of the ‘sales’ process.  If you do not, again, you are costing yourself money and time.  Keeping the lines of communication with potential clients free and clear at all times is imperative.

He told me very clearly, ‘how could I charge you for a consultation when we’ve never met?”  He also told me they do not do hourly billing at his firm.  They do it by the project and the various rates. (Point #7)

The potential client should not be responsible for information YOU should have provided. While I appreciated the message, “We will not charge you, ” making me feel silly for wondering if I would be charged when he had the responsibility to let me know up front what his protocol was did not sit well with me.  Now, you may be saying to yourself  I’m being overly picky.  Am I really?  We respond to everything in the ‘sales process.’  All the positive and negative experiences add and subtract from the final result – the client retaining your services.  Each client has a threshold ‘total number’ which will determine if they hire you.  I should never have had to come to the meeting wondering if I would be charged nor should  it have been my responsibility to broach the subject.  In addition, when finally forced to, I should not have been made to feel silly for asking.

The fact he did not charge hourly was very comforting.  I’m very inclined today towards project or flat fees.  I want a fixed cost unless there is a variable and it is communicated to me at the beginning.

We continued to discuss my situation and he gave me different pieces of advice.  While he was talking I was checking out his office, filled with family photos and professional reference books. (Point #8)

Everything makes an impression. Given I personally feel the relationship with an accountant is more personal in nature, I appreciated the family photos.  The professional books, dog-eared and dust-free let me know he stays up to date. Again, perception trumps factual when it comes to first impressions. These were all split-second assessments.

By the time the consultation concluded, he had told me the most cost-effective ways to handle what needed handling, most of them legitimately not requiring his services but keeping the door open to freely call him during the year before tax time and he would be happy to answer questions free of charge. (Point #9)

Being available is key in any professional relationship. I appreciated the fact I could call him with questions and the clock was not ticking.  I could sense he wanted my business but he did not present anything that would require me to retain him even though I was in front of him letting him know I basically knew nothing and needed his help.

I did not hire him. (Point #10)

Because he did not ask me to.  He never closed the sale. He let me leave with some suggestions and left the relationship loose and up to me to call him if I had a question.  I was READY TO HIRE HIM.  But he gave me no tools with which to do so.  There was nothing to seal the deal we even had a relationship.  Even if he had me fill out paperwork with all my contact information, gave me a tips sheet on common small business mistakes or red flags, some sort of educational sheet on small business frequently asked  tax questions….anything to pull me closer to him to make me feel he’s MY accountant.  Nothing.

I don’t feel like I have an accountant and I feel free to seek out another.  The strength of the referral got me into the office.  And that’s all a strong referral can do.  It is up to the professional to bring the client ‘home’ so to speak.

Your thoughts?