I just fired my accountant. She did good work, but phone calls and emails consistently went unanswered.

As a business owner, I need data to run things properly. Chasing my accountant for information is a sloppy, frustrating, inefficient way to operate.

For six months, I questioned how much advance payment to send to Sacramento. Stuff I didn’t ask for wasn’t volunteered. Eventually, I felt like I was doing her job.

So I replaced her, though there’s no guarantee her replacement will be any better. Given that accountants are data-oriented, quantitative thinkers who bask in their left-brain activities, poor communication is just the nature of the beast.

It’s a crap shoot. If my new accountant is equally left-brained, then I’m back where I started.

I know that writers tend to be creative, qualitative people who live and breathe in a right-brained world. Yet while I’m creative, I also run a business and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Obviously, I’m using both sides of my brain. There must be financial professionals who do the same.

Furthermore, the brain’s right side views things holistically, quickly seeing how all the pieces of a puzzle fit together. Right-brained thinkers tend to be more intuitive and creative. Qualitative rather than quantitative, they are big-picture thinkers, and this is precisely what I’m looking for in a financial partner who can help me paint my vision of a secure future.

From my seat, dollars and cents are just some of the puzzle pieces for smart money management. It’s just a matter of finding the right person to collaborate with. I’m convinced they’re out there somewhere.

As for you, regardless of what you sell, good communication with your customers is critical. You’ll indeed make significantly more money from existing clientele because you don’t need to market to them as much, but you CAN’T take them for granted! You must call, text, and occasionally invite them out for coffee.

If you don’t, customers will tire of waiting for you and be driven to find someone more responsive to their needs. After all, nobody likes being ignored.

Here’s the bottom line: Never assume folks will wait endlessly for you to contact them. As my ex-accountant just learned, if you do, the only loser will be you.

With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.

Better communications means client longevity. www.askmrmarketing.com.