Some Folks Will Never Get It

I once had a professor in college who frequently employed a common expression but with a colorful twist. For example, when you painstakingly showed someone the correct procedure for something, and they did their best impression of ignoring it, he would straighten up to his full 5-foot-5 inch frame, wag his finger and said, “you can lead some people to water, but invariably they will p#&$ in it.”

Graphically put, but point well taken.

Now, within our company we also have an expression when meeting with clients and that being we don’t pretend we’re experts in things we’re not. We don’t offer services such as executive recruiting, or technology consulting although we have excellent referrals for each.

Another area we don’t wade in too deep is training and marketing although again there are some very good people in the profession who do and we’re glad to pass any inquiries along.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t understand the critical importance of each.

Unfortunately, our understanding of that tandem’s value doesn’t translate universally to the profession.

Pop quiz: whenever a CPA firm or a company in any business for that matter, hits some rough financial times, what are the two areas that are subject to the first budget cuts? If you answered marketing and training, you have my permission to take the afternoon off. In fact, if you ask any sales trainer or practice management specialist, they will tell you that in fact those are the LAST areas that should be cut.

Yet it boggles the mind how many firms do exactly the opposite.

Let’s take training for starters. Over the years a number of managing partners and firm owners have bemoaned the fact that they spent X amount of dollars on training their staff only to have them leave for other opportunities.

So I asked them, what would have happened in the event you didn’t train them and they stayed?

Next up marketing.

Recently I visited a firm in the Northeast whose billings had dropped 7 figures over the past several years. When I asked who was in charge of business development I learned that the marketing budget had been cut to almost nothing and no one had taken the reins with regard to championing new sources of revenue. Staff morale had evaporated and the owners were warring against each other.

Even I was depressed.

But again hopefully you get my point with regard to marketing and training.

It just amazes me how many companies never tire of cleaning out the pool.