Meet a Member: Jeff Jacobs

October 22, 2024

JUST THE FACTSJeff Jacobs Headshot

  • Name: Jeff Jacobs
  • Title: Director Of Development and Business Development Consultant
  • Years of Experience: six
  • College Name & Degree(s): Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) focused in Marketing from University of Mobile
  • Firm Name: Wilkins Miller LLC
  • Firm City & State: Mobile, AL
  • Firm Size: 80
  • Email Address: [email protected]
  • Professional Memberships: AAM
  • Community Involvement: I teach classes and serve as a teaching leader at Bible Study Fellowship. I also serve as a Business Advisory Council Member for the University of Mobile’s School of Business.
  • Twitter Handle: N/A
  • LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/jeff-jacobs-a37966108

 

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

  • What types of lead generation strategies does your firm employ? With a strong client base that can sustain us for years, our primary approach to lead generation is straightforward—delivering exceptional service to our clients. Client trust and loyalty aren’t built overnight; they’re earned through outstanding service, proactive engagement and delivering meaningful value. Regular check-ins and helping clients develop a strategic roadmap for the future are essential. While it can be difficult for billing professionals to make time for additional non-billable meetings, these efforts are crucial—they often mean the difference between a repeat client and a raving fan.
  • What is the structure of your marketing and BD departments? Aside from my role, we also have a Director of Marketing, and, most recent, a Marketing Operations Assistant.
  • What have you learned the hard way? Accounting is an industry where momentum goes to die, especially during busy seasons. Learning to grow your firm despite these challenges is crucial. Success comes from mastering the game and overcoming the obstacles that stand in your way.
  • What is a “must know” for new accounting marketers and/or BD executives? Sales and business development professionals are driven by ambition. A reminder for those in my position: patience and humility are key to building lasting trust. Remember, what matters most to you may not always align with priorities of the firm at the time—it’s not about you.
  • What are your special skills or what is something people may not know about you? Growing up with a collegiate baseball coach as a father, my guiding principle has always been to focus on others and recognize that it’s never about me. My goal is to help people see the best version of themselves. Be interested in others, rather than trying to be interesting.
  • What is the biggest benefit you receive from your AAM membership or what effect has AAM had on your career? It all boils down to relationships. The countless connections, one-on-one meetings and opportunities to serve on committees have created invaluable chances to connect, learn and grow.
  • Share one lead generation tip Don’t forget about your clients! You have a loyal base that values and relies on you. It’s easy to lose sight of that, but they need your continued attention and care.
  • What do you feel is the biggest issue facing accounting marketers and business development executives today? Time is always in short supply. In our field, the doers are the sellers, making it difficult to find the right balance—serving the right number of clients while also giving CPAs the time and opportunity to engage in non-billable but equally important activities.
  • What would you be doing if you were not in your current role? I would 100% be a Chiropractor!
  • What is the biggest project you are working on right now? Implementing Hubspot as our CRM.
  • If you had an unlimited budget, what is one thing you would implement immediately? I would hire client service representatives who can nurture existing client relationships while also cultivating new business opportunities within that client base.
  • What books have you read recently that you feel would be beneficial to other AAM members? Supercommunicators by Charles Duhig
  • What blogs/social feeds do you subscribe to that are helpful? I’m a big podcast guy. Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, A Bit of Optimism with Simon Sinek, Maxwell Leadership Executive Podcast with John Maxwell, The Podcast with Jason Staats, The Art of Manliness, Accounting High, At the Table with Patrick Lencioni.
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