The Big Ideas of ABLE
In each installment of the “Our Big Ideas” series, we take a look at one of the cornerstones of the CRM for CPAs. We discuss what the feature is, why it’s important, and how to use it best.
Today, we’ll be examining ABLE’s Thought Leadership Tool. Check out the video below to hear ABLE CEO Jeff Pawlow’s explanation, or scroll down for a summary of what Jeff has to say:
There’s no avoiding accounting industry disruption. The key is to face it head-on and adapt to the coming change. Jeff poses the question, “Why on earth would a client or a prospect pay us a premium fee when they know [another accounting firm]…is willing to provide those services at a lower price?” That other firm, Jeff explains, is likely as technically excellent as you—so how can your firm differentiate and rise above?
“We think that practitioners who use ABLE are equipped to answer that question very effectively. In using ABLE, you have the ability to build your personal brand and position yourself as a thought leader.”
Becoming a Thought Leader
Consider the example of an accounting firm’s e-newsletter strategy. “We come up with a lot of good content that we send out in our e-newsletter on a regular basis. And it’s stuff that I think is actually pretty good. The response I get from that is crickets.”
Jeff explains that a Thomson Reuters evaluation of the analytics of Biz Action showed a 28% e-newsletter open rate. A small fraction of the 28% went on to click through links in the e-newsletter. Though they boasted that these were great numbers, taking a step back, it becomes clear that this does not indicate great engagement. Here’s where you can take advantage of the new technologies causing accounting industry disruption.
This is what Jeff suggests:
“Let’s say you take that really good piece of content that you’ve previously sent out in your e-newsletter, and you use ABLE to create a personalized email that will put that piece of content in context in the email inbox of one of your clients, prospects, or referral sources.”
Sending content in a one-to-many format that appears to the recipients as a one-to-one email can drive significantly more engagement. Firstly, the recipients feel special because you thought of them, in particular, when you ran across a piece of relevant content. Secondly, they know that you’re paying attention to the subjects that matter to them.
This is how you can become a knowledge worker and a thought leader, explains Jeff. “People will pay us a premium when we apply our experience and our expertise against their specific situation. And ABLE allows you to do that in the most efficient manner possible.”
Learn More About ABLE
Ready to learn how ABLE can help you transform your practice, increase engagement, and position yourself as a thought leader? ABLE can guide you in successfully navigating accounting industry disruption. Sign up for a free, no-obligations demo today!