The Partner's Perspective

An interview with Alan Olsen, Managing Partner, Greenstein, Rogoff, Olsen & Co., LLP
By Sally Glick, Principal and Chief Growth Strategist, Sobel &  Co. LLC, Livingston, N.J.

Last year when Alan Olsen spoke to Michelle Golden, President and CEO of Golden Marketing Inc. and long-standing AAM member, it was his first opportunity to hear about the annual AAM Summit. The timing was perfect since he had just hired a marketing director for the firm. Since the event that year was conveniently located on the West Coast, he decided it would be a good idea to attend as well. He brought along not only his marketing director but a manager in the firm who was also interested in improving her personal marketing and business development skills. Although he had no idea what to expect, he was completely blown away by the enthusiasm, the energy and the creativity of the members — and the quality of the presenters. He was also impressed that so many firms, from sole practitioners to the Big 4, all attend and find something of value every year!

In order to get the most out of the Summit and its wide assortment of topics and tracks, they decided in advance to split up, with each attending a different session. They reconvened over breakfast the second day of the conference to collaborate and compare notes. “Our manager was brimming with excitement and new ideas,” commented Alan, “She literally could not wait to get back to the office and begin implementing some of the best practices she had already been exposed to.” The biggest problem they faced was how to absorb everything around them — from the content in the sessions, to the extraordinary display of talent that compromised the AAM Marketing Achievement Award nominations and the sharing of strategies and tactics that is common place at this annual event.

One of best parts of the Summit, though, was the time allotted to networking. Whether formally scheduled or through casual connections during the conference, the marketers all demonstrated a sincere willingness to help each other, share good ideas and warn about potential pitfalls. “The Summit is geared toward excellent networking and I really appreciated the way AAM balances the time spent in sessions, at well-planned evening events, meeting with the vendors and interacting among the participants,” Alan said.

While he had no preconceived notion about the Summit, it exceeded any expectation he might have had. When we spoke for this interview, Alan noted that there was something for everyone at the conference. Although it is a “marketing event” it spanned a breadth of topics and encompassed all the critical issues facing public accounting firms today, including human resource issues, technology and leadership. There were people attending from every level of their firm, each with diverse interests and perspectives, but all coming together for three days of learning, meeting with friends, and recharging their batteries. “Every room that I walked into was always abuzz with energy and passion. I could not have been more impressed with an extraordinary conference. Bottom line—marketers know how to have fun!”

This is high praise, indeed, as a quick visit to GROCO’s Web site (www.groco.com) will show you that Alan is someone who appreciates fun. From their use of video to their “Hall of Laughter,” (featuring “Steve, the GROCO Joketeller”), it’s evident that Alan’s “out of the box” attitude has been incorporated into the firm’s culture. The firm exudes a “serious about excellent service” attitude combined with a high dose of good humor. The result is that they have the loyalty and support of their employees and community recognition at the same time. Their unique formula for success has yielded several awards. In 2008 the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal named GROCO one of the Top 50 Fastest Growing Private Companies. The firm was also named one of the 25 Best Managed CPA Firms in the nation by Inside Public Accounting magazine’s 2008 “Best of the Best” awards, the second year in a row that they received that honor. And Alan himself was recognized by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) as recipient of the 2008 Best of Palo Alto Award in the Accountants category.

The firm’s outstanding marketing program and the growth that it facilitated was also acknowledged in an article written by Robert Sher, nationally acclaimed business writer. One need only read the summary paragraph of Sher’s October 18, 2008 article to understand the tremendous impact Alan’s marketing mindset and leadership has had on GROCO:

“Summary: After a new CEO arrives, a mild mannered accounting firm begins a lighthearted marketing campaign on cable, print and Web, which drives the top line to 400% within four years, and growth continues at 30% annually. Read about the benefits of standing out from the crowd.”

NOTE: You can read the article in its entirety by visiting GROCO's Web site or logging on to Sher's Web site at http://robertsher.typepad.com/ceo_to_ceo/2008/10/standing-out-from-thecrowd.html.

To view the original version of this article, click here.

MarkeTrends, Vol. 21, No. 3, May/June 2009