XYZ Talk - Global Business Credential Open Forum

www.XYZtalk.com notes on AICPA role in CPA brand

Undoubtedly there are CPAs who see themselves narrowly, but I think, certainly based on most of the ones I have met, there are far more who see themselves as being able to go wherever their ambitions and practices take them. I see CPAs adding new skills and services all the time.

As to individual CPAs reshaping our brand, I see plenty of that going on too. I think marketing begins at home, so it is part of the job each of us has to perform, even though we are not natural salespeople or we would all have insurance licenses. Still, I have seen many CPAs do more than just an adequate job of selling themselves.

As to the AICPAs role in this matter, we have a right to expect something more than just an insurance cooperative. For an organization that purports to represent us and takes a very healthy slice of bread away from our table, we are owed significant brand identity leadership and we have not been getting it.

After paying some spin doctor to coin the phrase "Never Underestimate The Value", CPAs were essentially abandoned by the Institute. The AICPA said "we are done now and oh, by the way, even we do not believe in that phrase". Much of this debate has been us beseeching our own organization to stop limiting the members with the type of defeatist attitude that is embodied in the notion that is XYZ.

Just look at the lists of reasons we suddenly need XYZ. The AICPA's view of its own members and its brand are right there for all to see.

In a word Susan "NO", I do not expect the AICPA to do all the heavy lifting, but at the very least, as our spotter, the AICPA should be helping us keep the weight aloft, as well as developing our strength, rather then sitting on our chests and telling us to open our club to strangers.

Conspiracy theory - NO, Giving up on the CPA brand - YES

Mr. Williamson, I don't think the AICPA is "conspiring" against me. I do feel that the AICPA is giving up on us Accountants. We have 100 years of a "brand" name and now we are being told that we are out of date, cannot be marketed, cannot stretch our name, cannot do a thing with our "brand" and that we will be a white elephant and unneeded in just a few years.

While I agree that adding to our skills is imperative, always having as our foundation our accounting credential is critical. We need a Global credential more than ever. A global ACCOUNTING credential!

In my humble opinion, the "XYZ" credential cannot overcome the "MBA" brand.

I have always thought there are two problems....one is that the AICPA is not listening to the ENTIRE membership, the second is that WE are not talking to the AICPA.

If the XYZ passes, I have personally heard discussions by local CPAs in my community that are considering dropping their AICPA membership. They are questioning what benefits they receive from an organization that they perceive as "giving up" on them.

I don't agree with these guys

It was great to hear from Mr. Wheeler, the greatest thing to ever hit the CPA profession. All his clients think he is a God and God certainly doesn't need any professional designation other than a CPA. I don't think that this group have CPAs placed right in the advisor universe. People do look at you "funny" when you tell them you are a CPA. They think tax, audit, and bookkeeper. What do you know about business they ask? Yes, some of us through sheer force of personality and will have overcome this view with some clients. But, the image remains with everyone else. Kathryn Eddy has it exactly right when she describes the current market perception of CPA skills in another area of the Accounting Web site. The bean counter image reigns supreme and many practitioners face it everyday as they try to migrate their practices into higher skill areas. Do these people think the AICPA is conspiring against them?