How many Saturdays did you work over the winter? This was a recent topic on the Association for Accounting Marketing listserv. It was concluded that any marketing director who didn’t put in extra time, even if they weren’t paid for it, was missing the realities of a bad economy.

It’s a trim-your-hockey-hair, pull-on-your-pantyhose and get-to-work kind of economy. Everybody knows that the marketing staff is constantly under fire to prove their value, and many have experienced the resulting perception through layoffs and reduced budgets.

If you are still at work and plugging along, there is something you can do to take back control. No more survivor guilt, people! Focus on improving your firm’s presence in the marketplace — and your own credibility.

Take Yourself Seriously
Okay, here’s my pep talk. Marketing adds huge value to a professional service. If you don’t believe that, you might as well wait for your pink slip. Sorry that’s not peppy.

Take a few moments to review your list of accomplishments over the past year, likely without as much staff, money or time. Celebrate the wins. Evaluate the losses and take steps for self-improvement. You owe it to yourself to put forth the amount of effort necessary to impress internal and external clients.

My other suggestion is to dress the part of a professional. Anyone who is dressing casually may be perceived as taking business just as casually. Women should have their hair well styled, nails manicured and clothes that fit the position and kinds of clients you want.

Men should get regular haircuts and pull out the dress shirts and ties, particularly when seeing clients and prospects. If they question your change of dress, let them know that it’s a conscious choice to show that their business is important to you. Tell them that it makes you more productive.

Be conscious of appropriate dress for different venues, from sporting events to happy hour or a fundraising formal. Your look should be neat, flattering, appear effortless but be very intentional.

Be Visible
Now that you’re looking so great, don’t hide in your office. You’ve avoided that cranky partner long enough. Make a point to stop into the offices of all partners, request a conference on marketing efforts or offer to take on a project that is languishing on their desk. Do not be above buying snacks or lunch to bribe them.

Get to know other key staff in the firm. This includes the CFO, the receptionist, maintenance, IT leaders and human resources director. Talk with them about your goals and ask for feedback on how to promote each department and create a marketing culture. You never know when you’ll need to ask them for a favor with an event, special visitor or budget question.

Prepare well for each internal meeting so that you have something of universal interest to contribute — some buzz you heard about a competitor or a new service opportunity. This shows that you are informed and well connected. Let everyone know what you are doing regularly. Send out information that is valuable or helpful to partners and clients, such as an article or blog of interest or an update on speaking engagements. People in your firm should know who is on the speakers circuit, to whom and when.

Check in with clients, too. Make a point to call or meet with every key client and ask about business. Do the same with partners, colleagues, editors and those in your social networks to find out what’s new and how you can help.

Do More With Less
Yes, I know you’ve heard that before. Still, it’s possible to squeeze more juice from the lemon. For example, if you are doing a direct mail campaign, you could switch from three custom designed pieces to a first touch with a letter on letterhead, then a custom mailer and then a phone call. I think it’s important to think about the basics – what’s working without spending a lot of money. Don’t go for flash. Show fiscal conservation in your communications.

Plan your tradeshow materials to fit more than one event. One of our accounting clients recently had us craft tradeshow banners that communicated career opportunities and the key messages of the firm. The design and messages fit audiences at career fairs and tradeshows.

To support your internal clients, scour your network for experts who would love to get in front of your firm. Ask if they would offer a lunch-and-learn or provide a teleseminar.

Finally, in the area of public relations, research the multitude of options for promoting your firm online. You could first find relevant blogs and ask if the blogger allows guest bloggers. Perhaps one of your professionals could contribute.

Use the status function on your LinkedIn or Facebook profile to highlight an award, an event or service niche. Poll your network for market research or ask a fun question to build rapport.

And hey, if any of your young professionals are looking for extra work, pull them into the marketing department to handle some research or calling for you. Tell them that it’s part of their professional development plan.

Measure, Measure, Measure
You know that the big complaint about marketing is that it isn’t billable. There are many ways to measure the success of marketing as it contributes to revenue. One way is to look at the past year of proposals and measure your wins and losses. Determine what elements of the winning proposals supported the win.

PR, which is free, has six times more impact than an ad. To measure its value, multiply the price of the ad by six. Better measurements for impact of online media are forthcoming.

How have marketing efforts supported lead generation, either through speaking and workshops, website traffic stats or direct mail? Everything should be tracked to show value or lack of value for future strategy.

I may have told you some things that you already knew. But are you doing them? In this economy, actions speak louder than words in the marketing department.

Tax professionals, their marketing departments and anyone who works with tax professionals should create a strategy for the application and enforcement of IRS Regulation 7216. It is not only a prudent client service strategy, but also a sales opportunity in disguise.

Background

• Regulation 7216 was enacted in the 70s to prevent accountants from knowingly or intentionally disclosing private tax information. The existing law failed to address the fact that technology had revolutionized the industry with regard to email blasts, data mining, e-filing, preparing returns overseas, etc.
• It is a misdemeanor to use client data gathered in the process of doing a tax return for any purpose unless you have written consent of the taxpayer to do so. Penalties are assessed on tax preparers only. They can have their CPA license revoked and incur monetary penalties.
• Three rules to test the regulation: Are you a tax preparer? Do you have access to tax return information? Are you committing intentional unauthorized use and disclosure?
• Burden of proof on unintentional disclosure is on the preparer; it’s hard to argue.
• Three reasons a tax preparer may be called on the carpet: a client who is angry at the CPA and complains to another tax preparer, advocacy and watchdog groups who are watching this regulation closely or a tax preparer who is being investigated for other unlawful activity.

Why Should CPAs Be Concerned?

• CPAs who do tax preparation also offer other ancillary and affiliated services such as financial planning, business consulting, valuations, employee benefit consulting, HR, etc. If they use data from tax preparation clients to cross-sell without prior consent, they violate the law.
• If they can prove that they acquired the client data in some other way, independent of the tax return data, they are fine. For example, keeping a separate database of new clients for their other services or obtaining a list from your Chamber. However, strictly tax clients who are solicited without prior consent are off limits. For example, data mining a list of the top 100 wealthiest tax clients for purposes of selling investment advisory services is not allowed.
• CPA firms that don’t have client databases for non-tax practice areas should begin to create one from new non-tax clients and those tax clients who consent to the use of their data. Update the database annually with information from any new tax client consent forms. In addition to obtaining client consent, keeping a separate database is a strong internal control to meet the regulation.
• The best way to adhere to this regulation is to include a statement in the tax preparation engagement letter that asks clients to sign off on allowing use of their personal data to inform them of the firm’s other services and offering additional consulting. (Examples of consent request are found on the AICPA website.) Top reasons to obtain consent include: completing the tax return, advising them of other beneficial services, sending a firm newsletter or other non-related tax news, and/or, conducting client interviews for market research or testimonials.

Why Should Third Parties Be Concerned?
Professionals who help CPA clients strategize on business development and create and distribute collateral materials should know whether or not a CPA’s tax clients have provided consent before sending out any materials.

Consent is only good for one year, but you can specify a longer period. Tax clients who have been solicited for other services prior to January 1, 2009, do not apply. The burden of proof is on the CPA firm to prove that a tax client was solicited based on data from a non-tax related service — an audit, for example.

Marketing departments or non-tax practice areas that send out e-blasts, newsletters, direct mail pieces, etc. to tax clients must receive client consent if the piece talks about more than tax services. They will not be held liable for the regulatory breach, but it is important to protect the tax department. Third parties outside the firm can sign non-disclosure agreements regarding client data, but only the tax preparers will be penalized for violation.

CPAs should include the consent information in current and future tax engagement letter templates. If they are already involved in the engagement, send out a separate consent request promptly.

If your firm works with CPA firms, write information into your proposals about Regulation 7216 so they know that your firm is aware of it and believes in ethical use of client data. It is simply a smart business move. For more information, visit www.aicpa.org.