Five Ways Accounting Marketers Can Support Their Firm’s M&A Strategy

Mergers and acquisitions are an imperative part of most firm’s growth strategies. In fact, when attendees on our recent AAM High! Webinar were asked if M&A is part of their firm’s growth strategy, all but two respondents said yes. What is the accounting marketer’s role in M&A? Here are five ways that accounting marketers can support their firm’s merger and acquisition strategy.

1. Get leaders on the same page. Inform partners of the importance of messaging and timing. Pre-communications, mid-stream, and follow-up messaging is necessary to support seamless, appropriate and ongoing communication.
2. Identify the key points for each audience. Each audience has a different message that you’ll need to talk to them about. What you say to clients is different than employees, the community, referral sources, and the media. What will people care about? They want to know what’s changing – will they have the same advisor? Will I keep my job? When is this happening? What is or isn’t changing? Be prepared to answer FAQs.
3. Align the timing appropriately. Consider who needs to know and when. Your partner group and employees will know before the community and the media. Consider who is on a need-to-know and want-to-know basis.
4. Prepare for the unexpected. Be prepared to pivot quickly and identify “on-call” staff who can be available for questions and concerns. Stay in front of the rumors by sharing the facts.
5. Ask for help. Reach out to peers and experts for guidance. This is new territory for many people and it is okay to acknowledge that you need support. Reach out to your peers at AAM or consider an outside expert to successfully guide your firm through this transition.

AAM High! Webinar Blog Post: M&A Communications

By: Dawn Wagenaar, Principal of Ingenuity Marketing Group, LLC.