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Last week I wrote about ‘Diagnosing Topics Accountants Don’t Want to Talk About’ Results. This week follows on from the diagnosis stage by taking you through the process of change that a client of mine adopted. I’ll show you what he changed and what he was able to achieve as a result.

I follow the same structure as last week… First I address the changes implemented for each problem, then show benefits to the Partner, the Team and the Practice as a whole. You’ll also see a client impact statement to show how the change process works in real life.

1. Partner Centric Focus required New Roles & Responsibilities

A new model team was set up who could take care of daily client needs. This also positioned Darren as the strategic provider.

Partner… was freed up to work on higher level strategic activities that grow the practice. Plus they experienced greater personal stimulation and satisfaction.
Team… gained clarity. The new structure meant they now know exactly what to do and when it needs to be done.
Practice… increased service levels thus ensuring clients received value and clarity about who is best to attend to their requirements.

“My own time has been freed up to develop additional services / offerings that have a higher recovery rate – Darren

2. Hourly Rates & Service Agreements required Value Add Products to be Designed

Darren and I worked through my process for creating, implementing and delivering a new menu of services.

Value Add Services offer ongoing benefits…

Partner… becomes a strategic advisor to the client. Plus, they can now enjoy ‘selling’ as the products practically sell themselves.
Team… get to be involved in VAS delivery, this develops their skills further and gives them more experience. They also become involved in the sales process and are motivated by the enjoyment of discovering opportunities for clients.
Practice… experiences natural growth as systems create more sustainable operations.

“Gave me an awareness of valuing my services more appropriately” – Darren

3. Instead of Hiring More Accountants to Increase Capacity, we Implemented a Delegation Plan

By doing this we ensured that the…

Partner… now had certainty that the team were taking care of clients and jobs were being completed on time.
Team… had greater opportunities to develop skill sets and become more effective at delivery.
Practice… now had an easier to manage workflow and could gain greater efficiency and become more profitable.

“Helped me to understand where best to spend my own time and how to delegate more effectively” – Darren

4. Instead of automatically saying ‘yes’ to new opportunities, we Designed a New Client Selection Process

The new process screened opportunities to ensure new clients were a great fit for the practice, and would experience the full benefits of services.

Partner… could stop selling and allow the client to self select what they needed.
Team… could now understand what they can offer clients and position that very well without intense selling.
Practice… could grow and generate immediate profitability. Since the work is repeatable there is a more effective operational flow.

“Taught me to be more selective with the new clients we do take on” – Darren