F.O.R.M.

F.O.R.M. — The Prospect Profiling System for Accountants

F.O.R.M. (Family, Occupation, Recreation, Money) is Chuck Bauer's prospect profiling framework for building genuine relationships before and during the sales process. By asking about these four domains — in that order — accounting firm owners can understand what drives a prospect personally, which informs how to position their services and how to close.

Framework Breakdown

The Four Domains

Family
Who are they responsible for? What's at stake personally? ("Do you have kids involved in the business?")
Occupation
What do they actually do day-to-day? What frustrates them professionally? ("What does your current close process look like?")
Recreation
What do they do outside work? This is where real rapport builds. ("Are you still doing the triathlons?")
Money
What are their financial goals — for the business and personally? What would "winning" look like? ("What does success look like for you in the next 3 years?")
In Practice

How accounting firms use this

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I use F.O.R.M. — before the call or on the call?
Both. Research F before the call (LinkedIn, referral intel). Cover O, R, M in the first 10 minutes of the call.
Isn't asking about Money on a first call too aggressive?
Chuck teaches that money questions in F.O.R.M. are about goals and vision, not net worth. "What does success look like for your business?" is a money question. It's not aggressive — it's purposeful.
How does F.O.R.M. connect to DSRT?
F.O.R.M. data tells you how to speak to someone's type. A Director's "money" answer will be fast and big-picture. A Thinker's will be detailed and risk-conscious.

Practice this framework with Chuck.

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