Ever wondered why clients choose a particular provider?

Recently SKY TV was removed from the Park household, much to the displeasure of my nearest and dearest.

The upshots are: terrestrial channels and streamed TV, including their multitude of adverts, dominating our evening viewing.

This recent change allowed us to discover Channel 4’s “Top 100 films of all time”, which is a duplicate of the American Film Industries Top 100 in a slightly different order and allows ex-celebrities to get some much needed face time.

Luckily there was also some “expert” opinion on hand as to why particular films are considered great.

The views on “Pulp Fiction” interested me, as many of us have enjoyed Tarantinos’ films without thinking “Why?”.

Tarantinos’ films contain gratuitous violence, colourful language, and loose plot structure; but tend to be well received and his name is mentioned in the same breath as the greats such as Kuprick, Hitchcock and Coppola.

The best answer seemed to be that Tarantino focuses on the conversations his characters (of questionable morals) have, when they aren’t being Gangsters or Thugs, giving them a certain warmth that endears us to them. His characters are memorable, quotable, and more importantly, likeable.

Regardless of sector, the most common question a business person asks is, “How can I increase the value of my product?”. I hear it often as “How do I increase the value of my accountancy business?” or “How can I attract potential sellers without paying everything upfront”.

The answer is simple and yet often overlooked. Help them come to the decision that they know you, like you and trust you. Become a likeable person and not a business, product, or service and you will find people will want to buy from you, hopefully at a higher price because of it.

If Tarantino can help you “like” a man who removes ears, you can help clients understand why you are the best choice for them.

(Simon is Regional Director for the South of the UK with Retiring Accountant)