Building a strong alliance with a CPA can greatly benefit your financial practice. However, many advisors find the task of initiating this relationship difficult. The key to maximizing interactions is to build a strong friendship not only on the business level, but also on a personal level. Business professionals are more eager to refer people they have a bond with and can relate to; therefore, laying the foundation of an enjoyable relationship is a significant aspect of making this connection beneficial.

You might be asking yourself, “Where do I begin?” Follow these steps to start on your path to creating long-lasting and fruitful relationships with CPAs.

Ask Yourself the Right Questions

Connecting with a CPA is an important decision, and as with any important, practice-altering decision, you must consider all possible questions:

• What is the purpose of creating this relationship?
• What do you hope to accomplish?
• Would this benefit your clients?
• What client needs will be fulfilled through this partnership?
• How will you measure the success of your relationship?
• What will you bring to the table for the CPA?
• How will you ensure the longevity of your relationship?

Create a Plan of Action

Many of these alliances fail due to lack of a strategic and well thought-out plan of action. Understanding the reasoning behind building this relationship makes it easier to convey what you hope to gain.

NEXT is here to make the process of finding a CPA easier. Our marketing department can research your area and create a mailing campaign focused on connecting you with a local CPA. Once the initial connection is generated, the rest is up to you, and if you plan to begin a long-lasting partnership with a CPA, knowing whether or not you can get along is essential. During your first few meetings, try focusing conversation on getting to know one another and try to stay away from pushing referrals. Once the relationship is secure, there is a good chance referrals will begin to come naturally.

Here are some ideas for creating a lasting impression and building rapport:

• Meet for coffee
• Invite them to lunch
• Invite them to your office
• Make friendly follow-up calls or emails
• Send thank-you notes
  

Put in the Work

If the initial meetings go smoothly, schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss the potential of creating a strategic partnership. Preparing for this meeting is critical. You want to get all of your questions answered, learn more about each other’s practices and identify what you are hoping to gain from working together. Express interest in helping grow their business. You want to show him/her your dedication to making this a symbiotic relationship and that you are eager to help them achieve their goals as well. If you have fully committed to nurturing this relationship, all of the guidelines and policies need to be defined. Establish a good referral arrangement, set up a systematic process and make sure all parties are on the same page.

Do not fret if the relationship does not progress as quickly as you would like. Every solid foundation takes time to build, and the strength of this foundation needs to be strong in order to develop a thriving and productive future. Taking these steps to connect with a CPA can help you respond to your clients’ needs, diversify your services and increase revenue.

For more information on how you can create a campaign targeting CPAs in your area, contact the NEXT Marketing Department at marketing@nextfinancial.com or call 713-333-4899.