CS-Connections

Are you good at getting follow-up meetings with persons who you meet at networking events?

Let’s begin by using a real estate agent as an example. The real estate agent is at a networking event. She meets someone and it doesn’t take long before they ask “what do you do?” She responds by saying “I sell real estate” and then adds “I help buyers and sellers complete successful transactions”. Does that make the person she met jump up and down? No.

Then someone suggested to the real estate agent that she develop an elevator speech. She learned that an elevator pitch is a 10 to 30 second mini-commercial that highlights the major benefit that she provides that her competition does NOT. This would separate her from her competitors, grab the other persons’ attention and entice them to want to know more.

The real estate agent created an elevator pitch unlike most of her competitors: “We help homeowners sell their home and our commission is 3%. We provide the same service as other agents who charge 5 – 6%. This translates into saving at least $10,000 on a $500,000 sale”. Note that she used “we” rather than “I”, thereby conveying the message that she is not alone.
If asked how they are able to do this, she replied: “Our realtor firm is able to do this by keeping overhead costs low and the owner providing his agents with a larger portion of the commission than in traditional realty firms. He does very well, based on our volume of sales.”

More as it pertains to accountants at:

Are you good at getting follow-up meetings with persons who you meet at networking events? – CS Connections Let’s begin by using a real estate agent as an example. The real estate agent is at a networking event. She meets someone and it doesn’t take long before they ask “what do you do?” She responds by saying “I sell real estate” and then adds “I help buyers and sellers complete successful ...

What makes for a successful partnership?

I’ve talked with partners in many accounting firms with 1 – 15 partners about growing their business. I often receive comments like:
• I’d love to do that but my partners won’t go for it
• We would benefit from doing that but it’s not worth it given the amount of effort to get my partners to agree
• I’ll have to wait to do that until my partner retires

Aside from the attributes of a healthy and successful partnership as per the exhibit at the link below, it is important to ensure that:
1. The entrance criteria are applied and met
2. There is a partnership agreement
3. There are periodic reviews
4. The partnership agreement addresses how you will deal with:
a. Retirement
b. Departure prior to retirement
c. Non-voluntary departure

Sometimes life throws curveballs at us and we find ourselves in a tight spot. A well regarded workshop for dealing with issues and differences of opinion is offered by VitalSmarts, called Crucial Conversations (https://www.vitalsmarts.com/crucial-conversations-training/). The founders of VitalSmarts are former colleagues of the late Stephen Covey.

EXHIBIT at: https://cs-connections.com/uncategorized/what-makes-for-a-successful-partnership/

Crucial Conversations Training – VitalSmarts "Giving our new leaders the skills to effectively and comfortably handle crucial conversations has a tremendous positive impact on their ability to create relationships of trust."