Episode 163

Lead Generation & Prospecting Strategies for Accountants

Jeff Antaya is a business development and marketing gladiator. Jeff began his career with PWC before roles in  the cellular phone industry. He then spent 13 years at top US accounting firm Plante Moran, one of the largest US based accounting, tax, consulting and wealth management firms. The firm was also a founding member of Praxity and as part of its international expansion strategy, Jeff lead a team of  85 focused on growing the firm. His responsibilities include social media, brand development, marketing technology, communications, and digital business attraction and business development. Jeff has a degree in accounting and an MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy. His new book “Don’t Ride a Dinosaur Into Your battle for New Clients” reveals how the efforts of service professionals to execute and optimizing digital marketing efforts can accelerate their growth trajectory. Selected shownotes:
  • The importance for marketing functions to make the business case for their activities in accounting firms
  • How business development and selling has changed for accountants over recent years
  • Why accounting firms chasing big clients must specialise in dealing with RFPs and procurement
  • How accounting firms can to get ahead in the tendering and pitching game
  • How Covid has in some ways made selling and prospecting easier for accountants
  • Why accountants must upskill and become confident with communicating through video
  • The origins of the book 'Don't Ride a Dinosaur Into Your battle for New Clients'
  • What constitutes thought leadership for accounting professionals and firms
  • The key differences between how law and accounting firms identify, approach and convert leads
  • What 'old world vz new world' looks like in the accounting profession and why it's not always about age
  • What accounting firm leaders need to know to properly lead and engage their marketing departments
  • The kinds of resources accounting firms have at their disposal for bringing in new business
  • The importance of joined up marketing strategies for accounting firms to get real results
  • The need for accounting firm leaders to manage succession when their best rainmakers leave
  • The key differences between rainmakers, business developers and marketers in accounting firms
  • Why it's dangerous for an accountant to copy what a successful rainmaker has done in their firm
  • How accounting firm marketers should decide who creates what type of thought leadership and content
  • Whether accountants can be coached and trained to be better business developers and thought leaders
  • The importance of coaching in the culture of accounting firms who want to grow their revenues
  • Tips for new partner and below partner-level accounting professionals to get buy-in for their ideas
  • Two things accountancy firm leaders must do to instil a culture of business development in their people
  • Answers to the accounting professional's objection 'I don't have time to create content and win business'
  • Best practice advice on tracking and measuring the impact of various marketing and prospecting activities in accounting firms
Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn
Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

About the Podcast

Show artwork for Accounting Voices Podcast
Accounting Voices Podcast
Accounting Voices helps people in the accounting world stay relevant visible and vocal. Host Rob Brown interprets trends reshaping the profession and gives listeners insight to build authority influence and a stronger voice in firms and markets.

Listen for free

About your host

Profile picture for Rob Brown

Rob Brown

Rob Brown is the founder and host of the Accounting Voices Podcast, the flagship solo show of the Accounting Voices Network. Each episode offers sharp analysis and commentary on the trends, ideas and people shaping the global accounting profession.

Through this Accounting Voices Podcast, Rob helps accounting firm leaders, decision makers and professionals stay relevant and make sense of disruption in areas like AI, automation, M&A, private equity and soft skills beyond the tech. His perspective blends clarity, insight and curiosity, making complex issues relevant and practical for professionals and decision makers across accounting and finance.

He also leads two monthly panel shows, Accounting M&A and Accounting AI, which bring together senior voices to explore consolidation, strategy and the impact of technology on firms and people.

Rob is the author of the bestselling book Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and a TEDx speaker whose talk The Personal Brand of You has more than 400,000 views. Over his career he has hosted and moderated more than 1,000 conversations with accounting and fintech leaders worldwide.

Based in Nottingham UK, Rob is a stroke survivor living with epilepsy, a black belt in kickboxing, a decent chess player and an average player of four musical instruments.