Accounting Services Explained to Business Owners

Context

An accounting services provider was presenting its offer in much the same way as its competitors: bookkeeping, tax returns, payroll, financial reporting, and compliance. The services were clear to someone working in accounting, but the actual buyer was usually a business owner who did not think in accounting terms.

For the business owner, the real questions were different. Who will take this problem off my desk? What will I actually need to provide each month? How will the engagement work? And what will it cost? The existing presentation of the services did not answer these questions clearly, making it difficult for a potential client to understand what working with the firm would actually involve.

I restructured the service offering around the situations and needs that bring clients to the firm rather than around the way accountants traditionally name their services. I also clarified the engagement model, what would be expected from the client, and how the different services fit together, while creating a more consistent structure across the firm’s communication materials.

The result was not a longer list of accounting services, but a clearer path from recognizing a business problem to understanding how the firm could take care of it and deciding to make contact.