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CPA & Consultant for Accounting Firms
Referral engines, Golden Spikes, and a Flat Tire in Park City
Happy Frye-Day.
This week: some adventures and good meetings.
Monday, I needed a quick fix on a gravel bike trail in Park City after getting a flat tire. Since I was in town, I also got to attend the opening of Canopy's Customer Advisory Board meeting. It's where we bring in some of the leading industry voices to have conversation about the product and how we can move forward more intentionally.
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I also spoke on Tuesday morning by sharing about the Golden Spike, near Salt Lake. In 1869, this is where the first transcontinental railroad connected and for the first time ever, you could take a train 6 days from coast to coast, a journey that would have taken 6 months in a wagon or around the horn of South America. It's easy to hyperfocus on today's technological advancements and how they impact us, but it's important to remember that we're adaptable and have always had significant changes to manage.
Between that, heading out paragliding, and horseback riding in Sundance this morning, I'm trying to make the most of what's around me and enjoy a blend of downtime and new adventures.
Referral engines
Finding that balance between active pursuit and spontaneous enjoyment has me thinking about how we approach business, too. Specifically, I've been reflecting on how much growth in accounting firms comes from intentional partnerships, rather than just waiting for the right opportunities to show up.
I've been revisiting a presentation I gave for Logan Graf's Counter Community on building referral engines (I've attached the full PDF below).
Download the presentation (PDF)
A few principles that matter most:
• Know who belongs in your network: Not every connection carries the same value. Focus on clear fit.
• Be visible before you need anything: Referral relationships thrive when you stay in touch and offer value long before you ask for help.
• Make yourself easy to refer: If your positioning is fuzzy, your referrals will be, too. Saying you're a "Strategic advisor" or "I help with bookkeeping and taxes" is too soft. Spend time honing your value proposition. This includes the target customer (aka ICP or ideal client profile), the specific pain point or problem, the unique solution or benefit, and clear differentiation from competitors.
• Treat partnerships like a system: Sustainable referral engines are built on repeatable habits, not random bursts of outreach.
If you want to go deeper on building a sharper value proposition, a few resources worth your time:
Value proposition definition and use cases — read it here
How to create a value proposition — watch it here
The components of a value proposition — read it here
Real value proposition examples — read it here
Also, I recently crossed 2,500 new connections on LinkedIn since joining Canopy! I posted a quick reintroduction over there and would love for you to drop in and introduce yourself:
• What do you do?
• Are you actively looking for new clients right now?
• If not, are you open to sending or receiving referrals?
What are you waiting for?
The more we can help good people connect, the better off we all are. See you in the comments!
P.S. The news about wildfires across the U.S. and Europe has been tough to watch this week. I hope you and yours are staying safe.
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Luke
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#LookForTheHelpers #accounting #referrals #partnerships #networking