Think Marketing

GOLDEN BUSINESS IDEA

lthough a business doesn’t usually expect its accountants to give marketing advice, there are some areas in which number-oriented CPAs can provide some very useful counsel.

For example, CPAs can track the source of sales leads; if more leads come from the sales staff rather than from marketing, that’s often a sign the marketing program is not effective in pulling in live leads. Or, if the marketing department regularly uses deep price discounts as a sales strategy, the accounting department can prepare breakeven analyses to demonstrate how that strategy affects the bottom line. Using a steady stream of gimmicks to boost sales simply trains customers to wait for the next gimmick before placing their order.

—Stanley Zarowin