Guest Post: Joe Tucciarone's Experience on Basso On Business
May
5
Written by:
5/5/2010 5:13 PM
Guest Blog from Joe Tucciarone, Founder of the National Network of Accountants
I was pleased that I had the experience and the opportunity to be on Basso on Business. The follow-up and the whole process from beginning to end really gets you to think about your business and about the planning and marketing activities you’re doing. The effort allows you to rethink your business model particularly because the video was followed up by the Working Lunch With Rob Basso. There were many helpful comments made by different people at the luncheon. I liked this approach because when you’re in business, it’s difficult for a business owner to illicit such forthcoming responses from people. This information is helpful in making informed business decisions, and this process encourages you to do that. I would highly recommend the Basso on Business video and lunch process to everyone who is in business, because I do believe that anyone who attends will come out of it with some good ideas that will have a positive impact on his or her business.
Being on Basso on Business allowed me to uncover some activities that we were doing, and I began to think about actions that I hadn’t thought of in many, many years. It caused me to rethink how we were positioning ourselves in the marketplace, and how, with a just a little bit of effort, we could reposition ourselves to be more effective in reaching our audience. The process caused us to look at how clients and prospects see us, and the truth is, it’s not really how I see my firm but how the market sees the National Network of Accountants.
Gary Cucchi suggested that we do a survey; I think that is a good idea. We are going to do a survey, but we will start by doing some fact finding regarding how the accounting profession views NNA.
First step is to address the name and image. What actually happened when we were at the lunch with all the businesspeople was that they were talking about changing the name of NNA. Since that meeting, I had a chance to talk to Gary, and we are going to make a change in the name. We will be releasing the new name in a few weeks with the first elements of a reintroduction program.
The second step we will take, not now, but by the end of the summer, we will do a survey. We want to find out what the market perception is and this, added to what we have done, will help us keep moving forward.
The challenges faced by NNA are similar to those faced by other businesses. Ours is unique because in the marketplace we have not clearly defined what we really do for our accounting firm clients. It is important for us to make sure that our clients and prospects have a clearer understanding of what we do. It is hard for us because we do not have a clearly identifiable business type, like a payroll company or law firm. It is apparent what they do, and no further education needs to be done. However, for us what we are and the services we offer needs to be better communicated and defined. Every business to be successful needs to communicate what they do and use different vehicle to bring this information to customers and prospects. In our case we have to do a better job communicating. The process of being on the show with Rob and Gary has helped us to prioritize what needs to be done, and we are already taking the necessary steps.
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Re: Guest Post: Joe Tucciarone's Experience on Basso On Business
Rob Basso and I have a great relationship, and we rely on one another often for consultation and business advise. When he reached out to me regarding a company that was experiencing a Branding problem, I lit up because I embrace the challenge of listening to some’s perceived problem and providing a solution. Within a week I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Tucciarone, president of NNA (National Network of Accountants). Joe started to explain his potential Branding program, and Rob and I both realized that Joe had to start at home and hone down a strategy and establish his business and marketing objectives. I began to uncover a lot of strategic elements that were missing from NNA’s approach to business. Most importantly, Joe and his team did not have a true pulse of what his customers think of NNA. We suggested not only to poll and survey his customers, but his employees and prospects and get a better gauge of what all his audiences think of NNA…who they are, what they stand for, what they represent and the services they provide. Branding is only one part of the Strategic Marketing process, and as we indicated to Joe, the Brand is the difference between ‘you’ and ‘your competitors’. Most of the time, the Brand is determined by the the customer or prospect.NNA’s perceived Branding issues may be mitigated and corrected over time, but it all starts with a Strategy, the development of the Position (What the organization stands for), and delivery of the Message (the communication to customers, prospects, strategic alliances, etc).One of the many things that I like about Joe, besides his infection and charismatic personality, is his wiliness to absorb and learn. He’s not afraid to take the necessary steps and the right course of action needed to Rebrand his organization successfully. Some people think the process happens overnight. This is so far from the truth. Joe asks the right questions and understands that his business is changing. He’s also smart enough to surround himself with the right people and corporate partners to provide the right advice and guide him along the way. I also believe that Joe has a tremendous opportunity to score big with accounting firms and offer a fresh perspective. He has a unique value proposition, but it needs to be polished. His marketing materials are a bit out-of-date, but with time, the revised Brand will take shape and his image will transform the way NNA presents itself to customers and prospects. Communication is the key ingredient in any marketing and Branding strategy, and I’m confident that Joe will start to take that pulse of his audiences soon. Once he clearly identifies and codifies his objectives, he’ll start to formulate his position and message. As an engineer by trade who helped put a “Man on the Moon”, I know Joe has “The Right Stuff” to make it happen.
By Gary Cucchi on
7/12/2010 12:26 PM
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