Emails have started going out to individuals previously nominated for this year's "Top 100." The email provides a link to the Formal Application Portal containing both the regular long application, or the shorter version I mentioned previously). Those people who participated in either the 2015 or 2016 Top 100 are eligible to answer 'yes' to that question which then re-directs them to the shorter 'update' application.
I want to make you aware of the importance of the ‘formal application’ process and very ‘long, tedious, and inquisitive’ application form seriously. It contains a lot of detailed questions that are critical to our ‘classification’ of your own ProAdvisor practice (that’s practice with a little P), and issuing the appropriate rankings based upon the various criteria we use.
I also want to make certain that you realize that when we ask questions, we are talking about YOU as an individual. This award is NOT about your Firm or your Practice, it is about YOU. We want to know how many of a particular type of client YOU work with (not your firm), when we ask you about 3rd party products you support, we mean products your personally support (not your firm).
Questions asking for number of clients. This should be completed as it regards your ACTIVE clients. Now the question is 'what is ACTIVE', well if I were going to come around and ask you to show me the 700 QB clients I would be looking to see that you worked with them sometime during the the past year. We know that some of you might have dealt with 4000 clients over the last 20 years total, but remember you are in the running for ProAdvisor of the Year and Top 100 for 2017 so we believe your evaluation should be based upon 'current' measures.
To be even more specific in this area of questioning, if you ran an Income by Customer Accountant and sorted it by Customers you (not your firm) had billed within the last 2-years, then that would be your ‘Active Clients’ (as far as I am concerned.)
You will be asked to give us basic percentages of different ‘accounting/bookkeeping’ and QuickBooks-related functions YOU perform. Some of you may not perform any ‘accounting or bookkeeping’ tasks, while others may have a practice that is rich in these functions. Others may perform mostly QuickBooks related functions (installations, file-clean-up, 3rd party integrations, etc.). These help us refine who you are as a ProAdvisor, and when coupled with the questions we ask about how you describe your ProAdvisor practice (again little P, not Practice) like ‘Desktop Generalist’ or ‘Niche Practice’ you can start to see how these factors impact outcome.
There are 100’s of 3rd-party products that work with both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online, we want to know what if any relationship you have with these products. Do you personally use them, or do you ‘sell’ them, or perhaps you are certified in a specific product, or you are recognized by the developer as an expert or installer for their product.
We configured our 'vendor alliance' definitions in order of complexity (in our opinion) from left to right. Some people may actually fall into multiple categories, but you must select the category you feel best defines your role with the software. Having a referral arrangement is meaningful but relative minimal involvement, you could fill out referral agreements with all 300+ on the list in a matter of hours (well maybe days). We believe that becoming a true 'reseller' of the product is a more significant commitment that being just a referral partner. Owning and using the software obviously represents both an economic and a 'time' commitment (to learn how to use it). An Implementation Partner has generally been recognized by the Product Manufacturer as someone who is qualified to install their software, and has in fact 'installed' the product. Certified in the Product means "just that" you hold some 'formal certification' and are listed as being certified by the manufacturer.
Then of course there is our section that ‘confirms’ your certification status, each year you have been certified and in each product you earned certification. You want to be very careful in this section, not only is it worth a substantial point total, but every entry must be confirmable via the ProAdvisor office.
And that brings up another question that people are always making inquiries about, how all of this scored. Well obviously I am not going to give you the ‘scoring formula’ but let me just say that there are objective measures and standards that apply for each of the categories we tabulate. Obviously the Top 10 ‘categories’ should give you a hint about tabulation theory, especially when you couple it with the next little ‘reveal’.
I always tell people who ask me, "this process is a lot like a ‘dog show’, you know like the Westminster Dog Show." Hundreds of breeds (Schnauzers, Wirehaired Dachshund, Irish Water Spaniels, etc.) are judged upon various criteria for best in Breed. Then the best dog of the various Breeds are judged as part of their recognized ‘Group’ (like the ‘working group’ or ‘hounds’, ‘sporting, toy, etc.) and one dog will be selected as best of Group. Finally, the winning-dog from each ‘Group’ goes into the arena to be judged toward ‘Best in Show’. Any AKC (American Kennel Club) official at one of these shows will tell you that ‘the dogs are not being judged against each other, they are always being judged against the standard for their breed’; the best in show is the one dog that most closely is the ‘mirror image’ of the standard for that specific breed.
When our 10 Categorical winners are standing on the stage together, each of them may be drastically different from any of the others (just as a Irish Wolfhound is different from a Pekingese), yet each of them represents the best of their category for that year. And one of them, "well they are our Best in Show – the ProAdvisor of the Year."
The email you receive contains the details about how to access the formal on-line application, and the ‘due date’. Make absolutely certain to take your time, answer every question on every page and that you complete the application in one sitting, so be sure to give yourself time to do so. Most importantly, don’t let the ‘due date’ get by you, we will not be extending the due date. This is important, after all, you can’t possibly win if you don’t complete the application.
Those of you eligible to complete the 'short application' because you have participated in either the 2016 or 2015 process have it 'made in the shade', with only a hand full of 'update' questions to answer. But if you think you want to complete the entire 'full application' because you might not have done your best in past years, then feel free to answer 'no' to the prior year question on page 1 and fill out the full 13 pages.
Thanks again for participating, and best of luck to you all.