REFRESH! Exploring a Marketing Culture at KEB St. Louis

1. REFRESH!Exploring a Marketing Culture at KEB St. Louis KEB St. Louis Region June 23, 2015 Rev. Jan 6 2016 Presented by Art Kuesel

2. Art Kuesel, President • EXPERIENCE • Sales Executive • 3 years inside $100M CPA firm • 5 years inside $30M CPA firm • 6 years at PDI/Koltin Consulting • 3 years at Kuesel Consulting • EXPERTISE • Sales Coaching • Sales/Marketing Training • EXPERTISE (Cont.) • Keynotes, Presentations, Workshops on Growth • Growth Plan Development/Implementation • Managing Partner Coaching • Sales & Marketing Recruiting • STREET CRED • Top 100 Most Influential Person in Public Accounting • In-house and external experience • Clients include scores of T250 Firms including a third of the T100 • Frequent writer and blogger for Accounting Today • Accomplished speaker and presenter on growth trends

4. Today’s Discussion • Why this, why now? • Developing a marketing culture TOGETHER • Top Benefits of a Marketing Culture • What’s your role? • The Dangers of Sporadic Marketing • Discussion 4

5. Why this, why now? 5

6. Developing a marketing culture TOGETHER 6

7. Which firm Drives more Growth? • FIRM A / 30 People • 4 people who play a role in sales/marketing and know what is expected of them • 26 remaining people not really engaged in the sales/marketing process

8. FIRM B / 30 People 30 people who play a role in sales/marketing and know what is expected of them 0 people unaware of how they can help grow the firm Which firm Drives more Growth?

9. Ten Benefits of a Strong Marketing Culture • More folks with a “marketing mindset at all times” = Fewer missed opportunities • More people pulling on the rope = Stronger marketing engine • More wins = faster growth

10. Ten Benefits of a Strong Marketing Culture • More proactivity means stronger client relationships = Greater retention and profitability • More teaming (marketing should be a team sport) = Better relationships between your people (stronger retention)

11. Ten Benefits of a Strong Marketing Culture • Better communication across firm lines = Less “us” and “them” • Less reliance on institutional marketing or a few rainmakers = Less risk, greater opportunity

12. Ten Benefits of a Strong Marketing Culture • Better future managers and partners = Future leaders are better prepared to succeed in our new environment • More new clients create learning opportunities • More promotions!

13. What’s my Role? 13

14. Suggested Time/Activities by Level • Staff and Seniors and/or 0-4 years of experience • 50 Hours/Year • Common Types of Activities • Reestablishing college connections • LinkedIN • Client lunches/thrillers • Future referral lunches

15. Suggested Time/Activities by Level • Supervisors and/or 5-6 years of experience • 100-150 Hours/Year • Common Types of Activities • LinkedIN • Client lunches/thrillers • Referral lunches • Networking/Personal Brand Development

16. Suggested Time/Activities by Level • Managers and/or 7-14 years of experience • 200-250 Hours/Year • Common Types of Activities • Client development and cross-selling • Referral development • Networking/Personal Brand Development • Sales Calls/Proposals

17. Suggested Time/Activities by Level • Senior Managers/Directors/Principals/Partners and/or 15+ years of experience • 400 Hours/Year • Common Types of Activities • Client development and cross-selling • Referral development • Networking/Personal Brand Development • Sales Calls/Proposals

18. Personal Marketing Quadrants

19. Personal Marketing Quadrants

20. 2008-Present Technical Specialty Client Development PLUS People Development New Business Development Job Descriptions in Public Accounting • 1898-2007 • Technical Knowledge • Client Service

21. The Dangers of Sporadic Marketing 21

22. Discussion: Past 6 Months and Next 6 Months • 1) For those of you who’ve been here since we started this program: • a) What changes have you noticed? • b) Can you point to any successes? • 2) For those of you who’ve recently joined us: • a) What experiences can you bring from your former work experience to help us continue to move in the right direction? • b) What questions and concerns do you have? 22

23. Client Development Techniques During Transition and Opportunity Season KEB St. Louis Presented by Art Kuesel

24. Workshop Topics • Client Development During Time of Transition • Client Development During Opportunity Season • Next Steps Together 24

25. Client DevelopmentDuring Times of Transition

26. Put Yourself in your Client’s Shoes… • You’ve built a relationship with someone at your accounting firm whom you trust over the course of several years • That person leaves the firm • How does this make you feel as a client? • What would you do as a client? And What would you expect your firm to do? • So, how do we recover when someone leaves? • And, how do we prevent this feeling (on behalf of the client) from happening again?

27. Techniques to Strengthen Client Relationships in Times of Transition • Develop and Build Trust

28. Three Basic Building Blocks of Trust • Clients need to like you • Clients need to respect you • Clients need to have repetitive positive experiences with you

29. Techniques to Strengthen Client Relationships in Times of Transition • Develop and Build Trust • Spend time with your clients, getting to know them better. • Personally and Professionally

30. 20 Different Ways to Show you Care • Take to coffee, wine, beer • Bring donuts, food, BBQ • Buy lunch/dinner • Make an introduction • Take golfing • Make a referral to them • Meet with their COI • Give them free advice • Send an article of interest • Send a hand-written card or note 30

31. 20 Different Ways to Show you Care • 11. Birthday/Anniversary gift • 12. Recognize an accomplishment • 13. Under promise and over deliver • 14. Show interest in their personal lives • 15. Call and say “I was thinking of you…” • 16. Remind them of due dates • 17. Bring them a gift • 18. Be proactive • 19. Return calls/emails before/after hours • 20. Be hyper responsive when it really matters 31

32. Techniques to Strengthen Client Relationships in Times of Transition • Develop and Build Trust • Spend time with your clients, getting to know them better. • Personally and Professionally • Work on Relationship Breadth

33. One Relationship? Firm A Partner Company Owner

34. Or Multiple? Firm B Client Owner Owner’s Daughter Operations Leader Office Manager • Partner • Manager • HR Director • ASG Lead

35. One Relationship… Firm A Partner Company Owner

36. Multiple Relationships… Firm B Client Owner Owner’s Daughter Operations Leader Office Manager • Partner • Manager • HR Director • ASG Lead

37. Techniques to Strengthen Client Relationships in Times of Transition • Develop and Build Trust • Spend time with your clients, getting to know them better. • Personally and Professionally • Work on Relationship Breadth • Know their COI

38. The Client Circle of Influence

39. Techniques to Strengthen Client Relationships in Times of Transition • Develop and Build Trust • Spend time with your clients, getting to know them better. • Personally and Professionally • Work on Relationship Breadth • Know their COI • Be proactive

40. Being Proactive - Examples • Act like a trusted advisor • Send them an article of interest • Invite them to an event of interest • Contact them when new legislation may affect them • Ask about their future plans • Meet with them quarterly to discuss their business • Make introductions to others • Introduce services of value

41. Techniques to Strengthen Client Relationships in Times of Transition • Develop and Build Trust • Spend time with your clients, getting to know them better. • Personally and Professionally • Work on Relationship Breadth • Know their COI • Be proactive • Be hyper responsive

42. Be Hyper-Responsive • Respond to inquiries on the same business day – at the latest! • Respond as quickly as possible - to let them at least know you got their message • Respond before/after hours and on weekends as needed • Confirm when they need the answer (so you can set expectations) • Do things that make them say “Wow! KEB is on top of things!”

43. Techniques to Strengthen Client Relationships in Times of Transition • Develop and Build Trust • Spend time with your clients, getting to know them better. • Personally and Professionally • Work on Relationship Breadth • Know their COI • Be proactive • Be hyper responsive • Under promise and over deliver

44. “Upgrading” your Touches Do This: Deliver early Call Visit face to face Visit plus lunch Personal Delivery Introduce new services Refer someone to them Make an introduction • Instead of This: • Delivering on time • Sending an email… • Call… • Visit face to face… • Courier… • Do the job you were hired for • Thank them for their business • Seeing them at a reception… 44

45. Action Plan Development [A] • Can you strengthen one client relationship per week through 4/15? (either in transition or not)

46. Client Development in Opportunity Season

47. Additional Areas to Consider Delivering Value Creating Future Opportunities for Yourself and the Firm

48. Delivering Value • To deliver value you must define value – as perceived by the client… • Timeliness/Turnaround? • Result? • Hands-on Approach? • Efficiency? • Proactive-ness? • Frequency of touches? • Something else?

49. Creating Future Opportunities • What are we seeing now that we can’t address immediately but should circle back with the client at a future date? • Succession Planning • Business Valuation • Cost Segregation • Tax Credits • ICDiSC • What Else???

50. Creating Future Opportunities • How do we plant these seeds with the client? • Suggest a meeting in late April/Early May to discuss • Send some additional information on the topic • Have them chat with another client whom we helped with a similar issue • Introduce them to the person at KEB who would deliver the service • What else???