Allen I. Kutchins
by Allen I. Kutchins
Allen I. Kutchins (CPA, MST, CFP, and founding partner) has over four decades of public accounting experience. He specialises in tax and financial planning for businesses and families. He helps clients accelerate business revenue growth and plan for retirement. Contact Al.
“You need to plant before you can harvest.”
Stephen R. Covey
Everyone says, “Join a group – it’s good for networking. It will generate business.”
Not so simple. Rarely do you walk into an event and have attendees rush up to you with referral opportunities. It takes time. You need to build trust.
When attending an event, try to obtain the guest list ahead of time. Identify 2-3 individuals who you would like to meet. Consider reaching out to them beforehand. Check their LinkedIn connections to see if you are close to someone in their network who could make a warm introduction for you.
One of the easiest ways to build trust is to join a committee and get involved. When you are working in a small group, other members will notice your hard work. It will allow you to get to know fellow members more intimately. This also takes time. Normally plan on 2-3 years to build these relationships and develop trust.
One issue that creates challenges for CPA professionals is our workflow. Networking, business development, and trust building are a year-round activity. You cannot disappear for months and expect to maintain relationships. You need to block out time every week/month of the year to build relationships. Speedy responses and accessibility are great trust builders.
As you identify individuals that you believe share your values, do some power one on ones – or one on twos. This will allow you to get to know people more intimately. If in-person meet ups are not possible, Zoom also works well. I find that entering birthdates and anniversaries, (as you learn of them) as recurring events in your calendar gives you a good opportunity to send a short note and show others that you care.
As Stephen R. Covey says, “You need to plant before you can harvest.” Your involvement in any group is planting. Building trust will create the harvest.
KRD Ltd is a CPA firm that offers a full range of client services – accounting and software consulting, audit and assurance, tax strategy and preparation, business valuations and financial planning advisory services. Their team of 80 members have been serving clients in Chicago and the surrounding areas for 30 years.
GGI member firmKutchins, Robbins & Diamond, Ltd. (KRD)Chicago (IL), USAT: +1 847 278 4335
Advisory, Auditing & Accounting, Corporate Finance, Fiduciary & Estate Planning, Tax