These accountants are drowning in their own workload. They haven’t articulated clearly what needs to be done and have not followed up so no one is held accountable. Consequently, the client hasn’t implemented the advice and feels like their lives are not impacted. They do not have a system in place to go beyond their functional skills and analysis paralysis has stalled forward momentum in their business.
Knowing there are businesses out there suffering is tearing at their heartstrings.
They know they have the knowledge, but their delivery methods leave them fumbling. CPAs are stereotyped as introverted and sometimes lacking soft skills. These accountants will embrace the Velocity Detective because I have been where they are stuck. I was unable to move forward, set in an unending pattern of tax-season blindness. I knew, because of my 20 years of industry experience, that there was more to serving clients than compliance, accuracy, and completeness. Like them, I tried Advisory Services only to find clients apparently ignoring the recommendations.
Learning through my mistakes and discoveries, together we can create the type of CPA firm that goes beyond advising. One that proactively brings proposals of things to consider, in a way that is consistent with the value and vision of the client. A firm that will build a partnership with their clients, not only to ensure the tax return is filed correctly, but to position their business and personal life to maximize their goals. CPAs can go beyond giving of advice, to implementing and seeing it through to give clients what they already expect and NEED.
Coordinating with the Velocity Detective accountants will accelerate their impact and they will discover fulfilling velocity in their practice.
Case closed.
The Velocity Detective
Lisa A Sretenovic, CPA
20 years in industry as a controller/CFO as well as 10 years as a shareholder in a CPA firm have given me an appreciation from the client-perspective as well as a thorough understanding from inside a firm. I embrace technology to target work that doesn’t require expertise, education or experience which has opened time to focus on accelerating my impact. Adding financial coaching to our service line has improved communication and relationships as well as providing an additional revenue stream. With proper systems in place, we have been able to consistently grow our Client Accounting Advisory Services department and stand out as an industry leader.
Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorite childhood characters because he is known as a master of deduction and observation. Inspired by these skills, as well as my own 30-year CPA-career, I investigate accountants' practices and see them drowning in their own workload, professionally talk at (rather than personally with) their clients and focus in such detail on the figures they forget that there are actual feelings involved. Tenacity, competence, and attention to detail are three of my strongest attributes, as is the case with every great accountant. But I have seen a giant divide between those traits and the proactive-personal-partnership that clients already expect (this annoys me more than when someone is using their phone while talking to me).
Too many times I hear from people that their accountant processed their tax return but did not mention there was a cashflow issue or they processed payroll wrong. We are letting our clients down and even causing them to go broke! CPAs that hide behind their pocket protector, green visor, and 12 monitors must change their behavior because the world needs us. If, as the Velocity Detective, I can inspire even one CPA to Go BEYOND Advising, they will accelerate their impact to their clients' lives and in turn will discover velocity in their own. I am selfish and will change the lives of many by serving only one.
It’s elementary.
Testimonials
What customers say about The Velocity Detective
Productivity increased 10% giving me the headroom to be more present during client conversations. I've found a whole new level of calm.
Just one example is Marco: We increased his fees $500 per month and our relationship continues to blossom.
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