Without promotion something terrible happens... Nothing!
By Ty Kiisel from Universal Accounting Center

 

When I was boy, my mother used to say, Son, don't blow your own horn. She obviously hadn't paid too much attention to Mr. Barnum.  So please, don t blow your own horn  unles syou want something wonderful to happen.

The art of self-promotion walks the tightrope between modesty and conceit; if you re not too careful, you ll need the net.  However, once you understand how easy, and unassuming self-promotion can be; the world will be your oyster.  Self-promotion isn't something you should avoid for fear of being showy  in fact, it s your responsibility.

Be Brave  You Can Become a  Shameless Self-Promoter.

As you consider building your own accounting and tax preparation business you need to believe in yourself and tell it to the world.  Will Rogers once said,  If you done it It ain't bragging.   

By sharing your expertise and talents, you will find yourself in a position to provide a valuable service to others.  But if they don t know about you, if they don t know what a wonderful resource you can be, you ve done a disservice to your community as well as yourself.  

What do I have to Offer?

Well  let s find out.  Grab a pencil and let me ask you a few questions.  Now, be honest and thoughtful about your answers and I think you ll be surprised at just how much you have to offer.

1) Who am I? 
2) What excites me about starting an accounting and tax preparation business?
3) What makes me unique and different from everybody else?
4) How can I help my clients be more profitable?  
5) What can I do or say that will help my clients be more excited about what I have to offer them?

Please, take this seriously.  The answers to these five questions will give you a lot of insight into just how much you have to contribute.  Be honest, don t try to be modest; and if you really want to feel like a million bucks, ask a friend or spouse to answer some of these questions about you, too.  You might find out that you have talents and abilities that you haven t thought of.

OK, I can see the value of self-promotion, how do I get started?

Once you start looking for the opportunities to promote yourself and your accounting and tax preparation service, you ll find them all around you.  You can start by exchanging business cards with professional acquaintances, talk to your friends and family about your new venture, join a networking group, your chamber of commerce, participate on the internet in forums where you can demonstrate your skills and abilities,  not to mention dozens of other possibilities.

Don t be shy.

Emphasize your accomplishments.  You can potentially save your clients thousands of dollars or maybe improve their collections by X%... But, they ll never know unless you tell them.  If you re a student of our course, you may want to use some stories and examples from your class, until you have experiences of your own.

Self-promotion can be some of the most cost-effective advertising you can do.  Far more effective than paid advertising because it can enhance your credibility and the public perception of you as an expert in your profession.