I’m turning this post over to Jordan G., CPA firm Owner in Virginia. Jordan writes:
“After yet another exhausting tax prep season, I was determined to never go through that again. I talked to Susan Trivers and loved her thinking about how CPA firms can increase revenue with lower client volume.
I chose Susan’s IMPACT option, which included the full implementation of IMPACT Based Pricing (IBP).
What IBP Meant to Us
That meant we would list the IMPACTs our firm creates for clients. We would write a Great Fit Client profile which describes the traits of people who want those IMPACTs and who we really want to work with.
These two documents of IBP would be used to tell our firm’s story—how we change people’s lives and the people who want the changes we create.
Susan warned us that we would also lose some of our clients. The clients who don’t want the changes we create would no longer be a great fit. She said we would feel somewhat uncomfortable about this because some of our clients have been with us a long time. But in order to create the future we want, we will have to have the clientele we want.
In a nutshell the clientele of the future for us are people who have significant needs and desires and believe that paying more is the fair thing to do.
The Transformation Begins
We began our transformation in May 2025.
First, it was the internal work with me and my 5 associates. Susan helped us think about the IMPACTs we create and in many instances the IMPACTs we could have created but didn’t because the clients said no.
Next was thinking deeply about the traits of a person who would want those impacts. This person both believes they’re deserving of the more significant IMPACTs and that the company who creates these highly significant IMPACTs should be paid accordingly.
Our next step was to look at all of our clients and select those who we thought would want the IMPACTs and be a Great Fit Client. We identified about 75% of our current clients. That felt great.
But that also meant that about 25% did not fit and that we would likely lose them.
Losing them would have an emotional and a financial effect. We liked many of these people so referring them to another tax prep firm would feel uncomfortable.
We would have to figure out how to replace the revenue we got from them.
Summer 2025
Over the summer of 2025, we worked with Susan in several ways:
- Rewriting our marketing, such as our website, our business cards and our networking introductions. The new messages were about IMPACTs we create for our Great Fit Clients. No more mention of the tasks we do.
- Creating a personalized approach to the clients we wanted to keep. We called and emailed to announce our new focus on IMPACTs and how they would change our clients’ lives.
- We gathered the names of other tax prep firms to whom we would refer those of our clients who did want any IMPACTs.
- Each of us began practicing our new discovery call questions and writing Offer Letters using the Choice Framework.
Fall and Early Winter 2025
By September we were ready to fully implement IBP following the second busy tax season when extensions were due.
By the end of December, we had annual engagements with most of our Great Fit Clients confirmed with automated monthly payments locked in to start in January 2026.
June 2026
At the end of June 2026 we took stock. The vast majority of clients are taking full advantage of the new engagements they signed up for. We are receiving all the monthly payments as scheduled.
And we increased our revenue even though our client count went down by 22%. The more significant the IMPACTs we create, the higher the fee.
My associates and I feel absolutely great. We’re using our deep and specialized knowledge to create significant IMPACTs for our clients. Our clients are thrilled with how these IMPACTs are changing their lives. We have deepened our relationships with clients we’ve known for a long time and are quickly developing deeper relationships with newer clients.
I’ve been recommending to all the CPA firm owners I know that they schedule a meeting with Susan. I believe that the field of accounting is and always will be one that provides a great ownership experience for Owners and a deeply satisfying environment for associates. Our clients will prosper because of our work. What could be better?”
Are You Next?
If Jordan’s story resonates with you, whether you’re a CPA or other knowledgeable expert, I invite you to schedule a meeting with me.
It is early July! Summer is a great time to get your firm ready to fully transform itself with IMPACT Based Pricing. Schedule your meeting here.
Special Note: Susan’s book STOP Leaving Money on the Table is ranking between #50-#92 on Amazon for Business Pricing. Get your copy here.
