Effective Communications in the Age of COVID

Misunderstandings and shortcuts in the workplace can create a hostile and stressful environment.

By Steven E. Sacks
The NEW Fundamentals

With more people using mobile devices for communication shortcuts, are we facing troublesome challenges in speaking in a recognizable language in the U.S.?

MORE: Why Proper Communication Is Critical | Syncing Up for the COVID Era | The New COVID-19 Workplace: Are You Prepared? | How to Create Effective Internal Communications | Profit Is Not a Mission | Confronting Leadership: Not Such a Bad Thing | New Opportunities for a ‘New Normal’ | Is Trust Elusive?
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While it may be convenient for some, for others it leaves them scratching their heads. I am not seeking to be a public scold. However, if you want your communication to be effective, then understand your audience, situation, and topic.

This is especially relevant with teams working virtually, and at a distance, in the Age of COVID.
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Start Marketing Now for Next Season

No, it’s not too early to begin planning.

By Ed Mendlowitz
Tax Season Opportunity Guide

Marketing takes many forms. Further, many accountants are not trained in marketing. I also know that while most CPAs want more business, they are too busy with what they have to be actively seeking new business. Additionally, marketing can be external, internal or retentive.

MORE: 4 Reasons Not to Let Staff Go After Tax Season | Nine Keys to Success and Growth | What Kind of Accountant Are You? | COVID Tests Accountants’ Entrepreneurial Talents | Have You Gotten Where You Wanted Yet?
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External is where new clients are solicited. That takes effort, ingenuity, time and maybe even some money.
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Nine Keys to Success and Growth

Put them to work for you.

By Ed Mendlowitz
Tax Season Opportunity Guide

What is needed for growth and success?

MORE: What Kind of Accountant Are You? | COVID Tests Accountants’ Entrepreneurial Talents | Help Your Clients and Yourself | 9 Overlooked Tax Season Resources | What’s NOT to Like about Tax Season? | Do Your Clients Feel Important?
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All these elements are essential:
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3 Questions for Determining Your Value

HandshakeHow necessary are you under Covid?

By Ed Mendlowitz
Tax Season Opportunity Guide

Know your value to your clients. Better, understand your business and what you really do and what you add to the client’s life.

MORE: Help Your Clients and Yourself | Ask This Before Clients Do | More Services for Your Tax Clients | Can Your Reviewers Answer These 10 Questions? | 5 Small Leaks That Can Sink a Tax Season | One Can’t-Skip Touch for Tax Season | 3 Steps to Tax Season Happiness
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I had a group of gastroenterologists as clients who were going to get into a business of inserting a gastric bubble into people’s stomachs. There were a number of issues to this.
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Ask This Before Clients Do

Stack of cards labeled with question marksPlus some suggested answers.

By Ed Mendlowitz
Tax Season Opportunity Guide

Here are two questions to ask yourself:

  1. Why should clients use you?
  1. Why should staff want to work for you?

MORE: 41 Items to Check on Business Tax Returns | 9 Overlooked Tax Season Resources | What’s NOT to Like about Tax Season? | Can Your Reviewers Answer These 10 Questions?
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You should be clear on the responses to the above two questions. If you can’t clearly articulate the reasons clients should use you and why staff would want to work for you, then why should they?
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5 Steps for Tax Season Success

Man talking to woman with checklistApply consistency to service, processes and standards.

By Ed Mendlowitz
Tax Season Opportunity Guide

One way to guarantee extra work is to have everything always done differently each time it is done.

MORE ON TAX SEASON: Help Tax Clients Help You | 3 Steps to Tax Season Happiness | 12 Ways to Have More Fun This Tax Season | Bill with the Tax Return, Get Paid Faster
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Not establishing uniform procedures is bad business and unnecessarily consumes part of your life. Consistency in performance reduces work and review time and creates a greater reliance on the staff people.
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