Dealing with the Pre-Season "Deer in the Headlights" Phenomenon

Each year at this time, we tax professionals experience a unique state of being that some describe as a deer-in-the-headlights feeling. That is because we know what the days ahead are going to be like and we know how tired we are going to feel and we know that there is absolutely nothing we can physically do about it until tax season officially “starts” for us. With this newsletter, I want you to know that you can take charge of your tax-time experience and turn it into a great time for you and your clients. For me, that means taking a two-week vacation right in the middle of tax season to restore and recharge. For other tax professionals, it means being able to go home for lunch each day for a couple of hours or only working late one day a week. Whatever our dream may be for a perfect tax season, I’ve found that it cannot be realized until we each get out of our own way.

Eliminating the Biggest Obstacle - Many years ago, I was hired by another CPA in California as a business consultant. Here’s what he said, “Nick, my practice is all messed up, will you come in? I will pay you $5,000 to come in for a week or two and do a complete analysis of my tax practice because I know you really like systems.” This was during the summer months and I figured it would be an easy way to pick up $5,000, so I agreed. As he had requested, I went through and analyzed EVERYTHING. I interviewed his staff, I interviewed some of his clients, and I reviewed his procedures. I did a really thorough job. His name was Marv, and after a couple of weeks, I told him, “Marv, we need to sit down and talk in your office. I’m ready to give you my report. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to do it verbally on a yellow pad first, then if you want me to type it up later, I’ll be glad to.” So, we went into Marv’s office. Marv looked at me expectantly as I told him, “Marv, you’ll be happy to know that I’ve discovered exactly what your problem is.” He was delighted that I might have pinpointed his situation. I continued with, “Not only that, I can tell you that I can boil down the problem area to a 3’ by 3’ square.” With that, he took my bait and begged me to tell him where it was. I said, “Marv, you’re sitting in it.” Marv was a bit confused by this statement and asked me to elaborate. So, I proceeded to explain to him that the way he interacted with his clients, his staff and his systems was interfering with his success. I coached him to step back a bit from the process and actually DO LESS. I was convinced that his practice would improve if he backed off a bit. I still chuckle today when I remember that I had to go over all the things he needed to STOP DOING. It was quite a concept for him to grasp: not doing more, but doing less! A few weeks later, Marv came to me and confessed that he just wasn’t comfortable executing my instructions – it just wasn’t in him. But what he would like to do was sell me his practice and come to work for me. All he wanted was a percentage of what he billed. He actually put more money in his pocket under my systems than he did out on his own. I submit to you, that you can be a greater impediment to your business than almost anything else.