Episode 34: Standing Out with Unique Branding: Attracting the Right Clients for Bookkeepers & Accountants with Alisha Thomas
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Alyssa Lang interviews Alisha Thomas, owner and founder of Wait. What. Consulting a bookkeeping and consulting firm dedicated to helping creatives. In this episode, they cover what it takes to stand out in the industry, ways to align your content and resources with who you want to attract and so much more.
In this episode you’ll hear:
What it takes to be unique as a bookkeeper in the accounting industry
How to create content that attracts your ideal client
How to approach marketing in a different way that stands out
Tips and strategies on branding to align with who you really are
Resources mentioned in this episode:
💍 I Like It Here Club Classic Fine Jewelry
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I think it’s safe to say that as bookkeepers and accountants, we’ve planted ourselves in a traditionally “boring” industry. If numbers aren’t your thing, you’re not going to get excited about managing your money.
And since we need clients in order to make money, we need to figure out ways to attract potential clients to sell to, right?
But not all clients are a good fit, especially if we have a niche we’d rather work with (more on niching down later)! Soooo how are you supposed to attract clients besides telling them how much they need you?
The answer is branding! When you have solid branding that’s authentic to your personality (or your team’s) AND it resonates with your ideal client – you’re on the road to more perfect-fit clients booking sales calls with you!
In this podcast episode, I chatted with Alisha Thomas who accidentally started a bookkeeping practice after managing the finances for a physical product company. We talk all about…
How she got started and her secret to success
Why branding is essential for attracting the right clients
What to do when you don’t feel confident on camera
It’s such a good reminder to look at your firm as a whole, let’s dive in!
How Alisha Shifted From Textiles to Bookkeeping
Alisha got her start in seeing what the backend of a business looks like by helping out her friend with his knit koozie business. But soon she realized that there was SO much opportunity to help other creatives get the clarity they needed when it came to setting up their finances for success.
Creatives are famously NOT into the money side of things, and most of them feel intimidated by the thought of keeping track of income and expenses. Alisha knows exactly how to help them get the support they need without feeling embarrassed.
It’s a really similar mission to what I do at my firm, too. Because the concept of money management simply isn’t for everyone, which is PERFECT because I’m not good at everything either (aka why I don’t do my own social media marketing and hire brilliant people to handle it for me!).
Now, Alisha helps creatives master their money with confidence and sourced other local creatives to help her build a brand that matches her energy! She also knows how much her authenticity can draw in the right type of clients and, more importantly, repel the wrong ones.
Why Unique Branding is Essential for Attracting Dream Clients
Your dream client might not know they need you in their lives if you’re hiding behind generic branding and stock photography. Once you know your brand identity, you can create a brand that feels suuuper aligned with your target audience, values, and personality.
Solid branding includes things like:
Photography (bonus points if you’re IN the photos)
Typography
Colors/patterns
Specific emojis
Voice and tone
Overall vibe
And it’s important to be consistent across all the platforms, too! If you like to show up on LinkedIn, make sure your branding matches your website, which matches your Instagram feed, which matches your….
You get the picture!
Once you have branding that’s unmistakably yours, you’ll repel clients who you probably wouldn’t have enjoyed working with in the first place. I know it’s scary to think of intentionally repelling someone from wanting to work with you, but TRUST me when I say that it’s so worth it in the end.
Dealing with Imposter Syndrome in Your Business
It can be so easy to get caught up in the comparison game when you’re consuming a lot of other people’s content. In order to avoid wasting your time and energy worrying that you’re not doing something “right” or that someone else is doing it better, Alisha suggests ignoring what everyone else in your industry is doing! Instead, she focuses on what her ideal clients are up to so she can create marketing messages that speak to their real problems.
What To Do When You’re Camera Shy
One of the best investments I’ve made in my business is professional brand photography, and Alisha agrees that personalized photos are a MUST to creating a unique brand. But if you’re not a huge fan of getting in front of the camera, you’re not alone! Try taking photos of your office or desk instead, or your hands holding a coffee mug, instead of your face being the star of the show.
And if you’re not at the point where you can pay for a pro photography session, don’t underestimate the power of your iPhone and a tripod!
Niching Down Isn’t Always What You Think
When I started my very first firm, everyone was saying to pick a niche. But picking a niche isn’t always so simple! If I could go back and tell myself to focus on a type of client rather than a niche, I probably would.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredibly helpful for your systems and processes to have a certain industry that you work with as a niche. But don’t forget to think about other qualities you want your clients to have. Do they have to match your brand values? Do they have new businesses? Are they located in a specific place?
Bonus tip on marketing to your ideal client: Look for a gap in their industry and create something that offers a solution. So if your clients are course creators, maybe you create a special spreadsheet to help them organize their launch profit projections!
My Biggest Takeaways from Alisha
I noticed soooo many similarities between Alisha’s business and my own, but I really loved her perspective on showing up authentically and letting your brand reflect who you are. And if you get anything from this interview, I hope it’s that:
You can show up exactly as you are in your business (yes, even as a bookkeeper or accountant).
Repelling potential clients is just as important as attracting the right ones.
Show yourself in your brand photos if you can, but try to avoid stock images as much as possible (you can do better!).
Be consistent with your branding — it makes everything so much easier!
About our guest:
Alisha Thomas is the owner of Wait. What. Consulting, and lives in Wilmington, NC with her husband and their son Lew. Alisha is the brain behind the books. She have a formal degree in art and design and an informal degree in small creative business, which Alisha gained while heading up finance, operations, and logistics for a successful textile gift company that went on to sell in Target, Walmart, and Bed Bath and Beyond. Along the way she has worked with a team of magical accountants and CPAs that helped her gain the love of numbers and the understanding of how small business works.
Connect with Alisha Thomas:
Follow Alisha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waitwhatconsulting/
Schedule a Consult Call with Wait. What? Consulting: https://waitwhatcalendar.as.me/moneymoves
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