How to use every new channel to create a new touchpoint to serve a client or attract a prospect, hire the best people, find new markets. By Becky Livingston Social Media for Accountants In today’s world of CPA firms, marketing … Continued
The CPA Trendlines annual Busy Season Barometer is uncovering some frank and candid talk about clients. Yes, we love them. Couldn’t live without them. Most of the time. But, well, not always.
It’s not that they’re bad people. But let’s face it, they aren’t always sweating tax prep much in advance of April 1, they have no idea what new regulations are in effect this year and their advisories from their CPA are filed under “migraines that can wait.” Plus, they truly believe their CPA is exclusively dedicated to their company and doesn’t really have much else to do but wait around for their phone call.
“No matter how proactive you try to be at scheduling and planning ahead, clients still delay providing information for their taxes,” Bryan Lantz says. “Seems the IRS, Congress and the media are out to make our jobs even more compressed and stressful.” His solution: “Keep communicating with clients to ensure that we can do the best we can at equalizing workflow during busy season.”
From their remarks, CPA Trendlines draws at least nine lessons in smart client management.:
QUESTION: Occasionally I get a new client in an area I am unfamiliar with. How do I find out what I do not know?
RESPONSE: This happens to everyone and probably more often than we expect. Thankfully we will continue to get new business and getting clients in areas we are unfamiliar with enables us to grow.
51% plan new hiring now and into next year. For 2015, 81 percent percent of small businesses forecast a revenue increase, with 21 percent expecting to grow more than 100 percent, according to a new Xero survey. The study also shows that … Continued
QUESTION: How do you make a presentation to get a new client when you do not know everything you should about the client’s business?
RESPONSE: No one can know everything about everything. Smaller firms have a harder time but they can reach out to others in their firm, or even partners in similar firms who have the knowledge to assist in the proposal, or friends in larger firms.
Here are six simple steps to learn as much as you can about a prospect and their industry. READ MORE →
If getting new clients is a bit of a struggle for your business and you’re not reaching the revenue levels you desire due to too few clients, then the first step is to find out where the process is breaking down.
CPA Trendlines research has uncovered the startling fact of the wide disparity between how accounting firm management perceives their own performance and how their clients see their performance. (Join the survey; get the results.)
QUESTION: I have a client I really don’t like and want to drop, but I hesitate because of the long relationship I’ve had with her, and also I don’t want to lose the income. What should I do?
RESPONSE: I’ve addressed this before, but I am taking a different approach this time.
Dropping clients is never easy and I don’t think should be done lightly. However, there are some instances when it needs to be done. This particular client I was called about is extremely obnoxious. Not the normal grade of obnoxious, but far more so.
The four flavors of new clients. By Hitendra Patil Pransform Inc. Tax season is over and you made it through the home stretch, significantly tired but scraped through! Now is the time to rethink your business model on the new … Continued