Accounting Influencers

Episode 86. On this week’s Accounting Influencers Podcast:➜ News - "The Best City for Accountants - Does It Really Matter?" ➜ Special Guest Interview: "Great First Impressions in Accounting with Louise Wilson." ➜ Practical advice and tips for accounting practitioners on "What Works in Accounting with Employer Brand Websites." ➜ Expert Interview: "How Accountants Adapt to New Technology with Farooq Raja."For full shownotes on these segments, check out the stand-alone episodes coming out this week and outlined on the days below. ◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥Need CPE/CPD? Continuing professional education for accountants on the move...Get points for Continuing Professional Education /Development by listening to the Accounting Influencers Podcast. Earmark CPE is the exclusive CPE/CPD partner for the podcast. The partnership is NASBA-approved meaning accreditation and certification counts in most countries. NASBA stands for National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. Download the Earmark CPE mobile app here

BONUS: a short bonus episode in a new series to help accountants price better and win more business - "The Price Is Right Part 5 - Not Caving to Client Pressure." In these bonus episodes, we focus on upskilling the accountants, bookkeepers, CPAs and commercially focused fintech vendors to better handle key challenges in their professional role like client service, closing deals, negotiating, pricing, hiring, reputation and differentiation.Key takeaways from this episode include:➩ what client pressure looks like for accountants feeling pushback on prices and fees➩ the difference between what clients feel is a fair price for accounting services and what the accountants feel is fair➩ the only circumstances that should lead an accountant or CPA to discount or lower their fees➩ calling out some of the false thinking that accountants are guilty of when defending their low fees and discounting➩ comparing accountants to lawyers and medical professionals who never really have to haggle on their fees➩ how recurring fee

Episode 85. In today's news episode, we discuss "Thought Leadership in Accounting with Matt Baldwin."Matt Baldwin is the co-founder of Coast, a public relations and communications consultancy that focuses on professional services firms. A former national newspaper journalist, Matt brings more than 25 years’ experience in helping accountancy and legal businesses develop impactful media relations, thought leadership campaigns and direct to client communications programmes. He is the editor of The Professionals, a magazine that celebrates the amazing achievements of professional services marketers. Key takeaways from this episode include: ➨ the differences and similarities in thought leadership in professional services ➨ defining thought leadership and content creation - what it should really deliver for accountancy firms ➨ the relationship between thought leaders and thought leadership in the accounting sector ➨ what the good thought leaders do in accounting that is more than social media hype, likes and follow

Episode 84. In today's practical episode, "What Works for Accountants with Better Client Empathy."Key takeaways from this episode include:⍟ what empathy means in basic terms, and why it is sadly lacking with many accountants⍟ shout out to Terrell Turner, podcast host of "The Finance & Accounting Show" ⍟ proof that going back to basics with human relationships and communications is necessary for even experienced accountants⍟ why courtship and dating is similar to building relationships for accounting professionals⍟ the benefits to accountants and CPAs of caring for prospects and clients, and showing them that they care⍟ simple but effective conversational phrases accountants can use to show interest in clients and prospects⍟ the good things that happen for accountants when they show genuine empathy with people they talk to⍟ the role of curiosity for accountants in developing empathy for the people they serve and work with⍟ the bad things that happen to accountants when they won't or don't or can't care for

Episode 83. In today's interview, "CPE or CPD Advice for Accountants with Des O' Neill."Des O’Neill is Founder of CPDStore and an accountant by profession and training. For 20 years, he and his team have created and delivered a range of tools, training, insights, technical knowledge, methods and systems to help accountants achieve better result for themselves, for their teams, for their customers and ultimately for their families.Key takeaways from this episode include:➠ the importance of CPE (continued professional education) for accountants and CPAs➠ how much CPE (or CPD - continued professional development) has become 'ticking a box' for accountants➠ the various components of good CPE and CPD for accountants that go beyond mere technical competence➠ the missing piece in CPE and CPD for accountants that means mere knowledge and training is not enough➠ how good CPE or CPD needs to be applied by accountants to client situations with proper communication➠ how accountants can access the best CPE and CPD in a w

Episode 82. In today's news episode, we discuss "5 Steps to Help Accountants Prevent Burnout."Key takeaways from this episode include:✓ shout out to Guy Pearson, founder of Ignition, author of "Curbing burnout in accountants: 5 steps that can help"✓ why accountants should become more familiar with 'the language of business'✓ what 74% business owners and CFOs deem to be essential to their commercial goals✓ what accountants and CFOs require to be relevant to business owners and CEOs✓ the kind of things that make an accounting firm or software company an attractive place to work✓ what leveraging automation and enhancing productivity does for reducing burnout in accountants✓ what stops many accounting firms caring about their clients✓ the importance for accountants of working in verticals, sectors or niches they are passionate about✓ what building relationships for the future means for accountants and CPAs✓ using 'submarine time' to prioritise workloads and set boundaries for your work✓ what contributing to the c

Episode 81. On this week’s Accounting Influencers Podcast:➜ News - Martin & Rob discuss "5 Steps to Help Accountants Prevent Burnout." ➜ Special Guest Interview: "CPE or CPD Advice for Accountants with Des O' Neill." ➜ Rob & Martin offer up practical advice and tips for accounting practitioners on "What Works for Accountants with Better Client Empathy." ➜ Expert Interview: "Thought Leaders in Accounting Firms with Matt Baldwin."For full shownotes on these segments, check out the stand-alone episodes coming out this week and outlined on the days below. ◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥Need CPE/CPD? Continuing professional education for accountants on the move...Get points for Continuing Professional Education /Development by listening to the Accounting Influencers Podcast. Earmark CPE is the exclusive CPE/CPD partner for the podcast. The partnership is NASBA-approved meaning accreditation and certification counts in most countries. NASBA stands for National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. Downloa

Trailer - coming up this week on the daily radio-show style Accounting Influencers Podcast with Martin Bissett & Rob Brown:➜ Monday: hear the full show with the best bits of accounting/fintech news, two expert interviews and practical tips for accounting professionals in the 'here's what works' segment.➜ Tuesday: News - Martin & Rob discuss "5 Steps to Help Accountants Prevent Burnout."➜ Wednesday Interview: "CPE or CPD Advice for Accountants with Des O' Neill." ➜ Thursday: Rob & Martin offer up practical advice and tips for accounting practitioners on "What Works for Accountants with Better Client Empathy."➜ Friday: "Thought Leaders in Accounting Firms with Matt Baldwin."➜ Saturday: a short bonus episode in a new series to help accountants price better and win more business - "The Price Is Right Part 5 - Not Caving to Client Pressure." ➜ Sunday: a short trailer for next week's episodes - a teaser of what's coming up on the show in the next seven days.For full shownotes on these segments, check ou

BONUS: a short bonus episode in a new series to help accountants price better and win more business - "The Price Is Right Part 4 - Justifying Your Value." In these bonus episodes, we focus on upskilling the accountants, bookkeepers, CPAs and commercially focused fintech vendors to better handle key challenges in their professional role like client service, closing deals, negotiating, pricing, hiring, reputation and differentiation.Key takeaways from this episode include:》the two benefits for accountants of listening to this podcast about pricing》why recognising value and self worth is difficult for most accounting professionals》the problems accountants have in justifying their prices or their fee increases》what makes charging premium fees hard for accountants if they haven't done it before》why clients really don't care about how much time their accountant or CPA takes to do a job for them》recognising that price only becomes an objection for clients when they don't see the value of what their accountant is off

Episode 80. In today's interview, "Career Advice for Accountants & CPAs with Randy Crabtree."Randy Crabtree is co-founder and partner of Tri-Merit Specialty Tax Professionals in the USA. Since 2019, he has hosted the bi-weekly “The Unique CPA,” podcast, which ranks among the world’s 10% most popular programs. (Source: Listen Score). You can find articles from Randy in Accounting Today’s Voices column, the AICPA Tax Adviser . He is a regular presenter at conferences and virtual training events hosted by CPA associations, state CPA societies and top 400 CPA firms across the country. Some of the takeaways from this interview:⍟ the story behind The Unique CPA podcast and the two requirements for guests and topics⍟ what makes a CPA or accountant unique in a world of noise and 'sameness'⍟ explaining why accounting as a career choice is not so attractive, leading to talent problems and labor shortages in the profession⍟ why the CPA or accounting qualification is limited in its scope compared to say legal qualifica

Episode 79. In today's practical episode, "What What Works for Accountants with Client Surveys."Key takeaways from this episode include:➯ evaluating the advice given to accountants to run client satisfaction surveys➯ the mistakes accounting firms make with client satisfaction surveys and why they show very little➯ adopting the CAD system in accounting firms to gain a better understanding of how happy your clients are➯ what accounting firms should actually be doing and saying to proactively reach out to their clients➯ the criteria for client facing staff in accounting firms, especially when conducting client surveys➯ what it means for an accounting firm or CPA or accounting professional to actually care about their clients➯ why simply asking clients how they are doing creates multiple opportunities for accountants and CPAs➯ the rich information that can come from accounting firm clients who are approached in the right way by accountants➯ the 4P's of accounting clients that lead to new revenue opportunities for

Episode 78. In today's interview, "Mental Wellbeing for Accountants with Richard Hattersley."You can also watch this on youtube here: https://youtu.be/eLDXUN8Val8Richard Hattersley is a journalist and broadcaster. He is the editor of AccountingWEB, the UK's leading community for accounting professionals. He took the reins of the site in January 2020 and oversaw record levels of traffic and hosted a weekly Coronavirus Q&A webinar as AccountingWEB became a lifeline to accountants during the Covid pandemic. He manages an in-house editorial team and commissioning quality content. In April 2020, he became host of AccountingWEB Live’s flagship digital show Any Answers Live. In December 2021, AccountingWEB launched its first exhibition and as editor, Richard had a hand in devising the content programme to engage and educate the exhibition attendees. He also hosts interactive panels and ‘how to’ discussions for the accounting and fintech world.Key takeaways from this episode include:✓ how mental health and well

Episode 77. In today's news episode, we discuss "How Accounting Firms Thrive in a Competitive Market.""A new breed of accountancy practices, flourishing in post-pandemic conditions, are making life hard for traditional firms."Key takeaways from this episode include:➤ Shout out to Steve Cox of Iris, who appeared recently on this episode "The Future of the Accounting Profession" https://accountinginfluencers.captivate.fm/episode/the-future-of-the-accounting-profession-with-steve-cox-of-iris-uncut➤ QUOTE: "A new breed of accountancy practices, flourishing in post-pandemic conditions, are making life hard for traditional firms."➤ how the competitive landscape has changed for accountants from existing firms to new entrants into accounting➤ figures on how many new accounting firms have started all over the world, all fighting for the business of those already in the marketplace➤ speculating whether the new breed of accounting firms actually need qualified accountants or just software certified professionals➤ how th

Episode 76. On this week’s Accounting Influencers Podcast:➜ News - Martin & Rob discuss "How Accounting Firms Thrive in a Competitive Market." ➜ Special Guest Interview: "Mental Wellbeing for Accountants with Richard Hattersley." ➜ Rob & Martin offer up practical advice and tips for accounting practitioners on "What What Works for Accountants with Client Surveys." ➜ Expert Interview: "Career Advice for Accountants & CPAs with Randy Crabtree."For full shownotes on these segments, check out the stand-alone episodes coming out this week and outlined on the days below. ◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥Need CPE/CPD? Continuing professional education for accountants on the move...Get points for Continuing Professional Education /Development by listening to the Accounting Influencers Podcast. Earmark CPE is the exclusive CPE/CPD partner for the podcast. The partnership is NASBA-approved meaning accreditation and certification counts in most countries. NASBA stands for National Association of State Boards of Ac

Trailer - coming up this week on the daily radio-show style Accounting Influencers Podcast with Martin Bissett & Rob Brown:➜ Monday: hear the full show with the best bits of accounting/fintech news, two expert interviews and practical tips for accounting professionals in the 'here's what works' segment.➜ Tuesday: News - Martin & Rob discuss "How Accounting Firms Thrive in a Competitive Market."➜ Wednesday Interview: "Mental Wellbeing for Accountants with Richard Hattersley." ➜ Thursday: Rob & Martin offer up practical advice and tips for accounting practitioners on "What What Works for Accountants with Client Surveys."➜ Friday Interview: "Career Advice for Accountants & CPAs with Randy Crabtree."➜ Saturday: a short bonus episode in a new series to help accountants price better and win more business - "The Price Is Right Part 4 - Justifying Your Value." ➜ Sunday: a short trailer for next week's episodes - a teaser of what's coming up on the show in the next seven days.For full shownotes on thes

BONUS: a short bonus episode in a new series to help accountants price better and win more business - "The Price Is Right Part 3 - Gleaning Pricing Intel." In these bonus episodes, we focus on upskilling the accountants, bookkeepers, CPAs and commercially focused fintech vendors to better handle key challenges in their professional role like client service, closing deals, negotiating, pricing, hiring, reputation and differentiation.Key takeaways from this episode include:▶ the two options for accounting practitioners who want to upskill in the area of pricing▶ the importance of getting the right information from prospects so accountants can price properly▶ what leads accountants to a poor or wrong diagnosis of a client's needs, meaning pricing is more problematic▶ why initial meeting preparation with potential clients is underestimated by accounting professionals▶ the number one job of an accountant or CPA when meeting with a potential new client▶ the big mistake accountants make with assumptions in prospect

Episode 75. In today's interview, "How Accounting & Fintech Are Evolving with Jody Padar."The Kim Kardashian of Accounting Tech, Jody Padar is Head of Tax and Evangelism at April. She is described as the Radical CPA, thought leader, influencer and change maker in the accounting/fintech world.Jody has been on the Accounting Today Top 100 Most Influential People List for the last ten years. She is the author of From Success to Significance: The Radical CPA Guide and The Radical CPA: New Rules for the Future-Ready Firm, and Botkeeper for Dummies. She wants to bring taxes into the digital age and lead the next generation of consumers and accounting professionals to a better relationship with tax filings. The idea of using AI and automation to transform industries and now taxes is a true love and Jody can't wait to develop, evolve and share a simplified and pleasurable tax experience. Key takeaways from this episode include:➜ the thinking behind a fintech start up going up against a big spending establish

Episode 74. In today's practical episode, "What Works for Accountants When Budgets Are Small."Key takeaways from this episode include:➜ what makes cost the biggest issue in pricing conversations for accountants➜ why 'we don't have the budget for that' is often a true statement from prospects of accountants➜ the mistake accountants make when they misinterpret a small budget to mean 'we have no money'➜ why having no money is not the same as having no budget for accounting products and services➜ the realities of budgets and how accountants can help potential new clients reallocate spend➜ the number one thing that what gives accountants and CPAs the power to direct budgets in pricing negotiations➜ how accountants can justify value and ROI with prospects who engage their accounting services➜ an example conversation between an accountant and a potential client to address the small or no budget objection ◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥Follow Accounting Influencers on Linkedin - we'd love to keep you informed on latest interv

Episode 73. In today's expert interview, "Wisdom from 20 Years in Accounting with Darren Glanville."Darren Glanville is no stranger to the accounting profession and has more than 20 years experience helping accounting practices develop digital strategies and processes to drive efficiencies and profitability. Having worked for some of the biggest software providers including Sage, CCH, and Xero, Darren now heads up the EMEA region for Fathom and is passionate about accounting firms leveraging technology to drive better business outcomes. Key takeaways from this episode include:＞the key things that separate the good accountants from the great ones＞the two biggest challenges accounting firms face if they want to grow in competitive environments＞what makes an accountant or CPA relevant and vital to business owners＞the one aspect of accountancy that hasn't evolved as quickly as it should have done in recent years＞what accounting firms are missing out on by neglecting the development of advisory services＞breaking

Episode 72. In today's news episode, we discuss "A Major Fintech Acquisition Implications for Accountants."Key takeaways from this episode include:➜ zooming in on Bright Group's recent acquisition of AccountancyManager in the UK and Ireland➜ why accountants and fintech people should care about this, both in the UK and internationally➜ observing the trend for fintech houses, software companies and accounting firms to join forces➜ asking who owns the client relationship - the accountants or (increasingly) the software vendors➜ shout out to the interview with Kevin McCallum of Accountancy Manager on the evolution of accounting software (link below)➜ asking who accountants and CPAs listen to and take notice of and who influences them➜ what mergers and acquisitions accelerate in the accounting and fintech world➜ why accountants need to observe what is happening in software and fintech to best advise their business clients➜ why fintech companies are done with waiting for accountants to properly handle and advise th