new clients Archives - Page 3 of 12

What I’ve Learned from My Clients

August 3, 2013

By Sandi Smith Leyva
Accountant’s Accelerator

I feel extremely fortunate to have such a wonderful set of clients that I have learned much from the last few years.

More for soloists and small firms: Take Six Big Steps to Go Beyond Compliance Services | When Your Business Needs to Be Rebooted | Two Steps to Easy Cross-sells | The Hot New Tech Product for Automated Data Entry | Five Value-Add Service Areas to Take You Beyond Bookkeeping | Six Money-Making Strategies to Take You Beyond QuickBooks | Proactive Ways to Get More Referrals | The Three Biggest Money Leaks in Your Practice | New Client Opportunities with Mobile Apps | Six Questions to Launch Your Summer Strategy Sessions | What Most Accountants Miss in the Five Simple Steps to Get More Clients | Accountants, Do You Know Your Opportunity Number? | Five Ideas to Reduce Client Price-Sensitivity | Rise to the Top with a Fresh Elevator Speech | Four Ways to Practice Entrepreneurial Perseverance | 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Seeking New Clients | The Top 12 Business Card Blunders Accountants Make | Seven Tips to Keep the Clients You Have | How to Attract Clients Like a Magnet | Eleven Easy Ways to Deliver More Value to Clients

Here is a list of lessons learned that I hope will inspire you to work with your clients in new ways.

READ MORE →

Two Steps to Easy Cross-sells

July 13, 2013

By Sandi Smith Leyva

Start with a spreadsheet.

By Sandi Smith, CPA
Accountant’s Accelerator

Here’s a great spreadsheet exercise you can do to identify what I call “low-hanging fruit,” which means added revenue that will not take too much time or money to go after.

Open Excel, and start a worksheet from the sales numbers in your accounting system.

More at CPA Trendlines for soloists and small firms: The Hot New Tech Product for Automated Data Entry | Five Value-Add Service Areas to Take You Beyond Bookkeeping | Six Money-Making Strategies to Take You Beyond QuickBooks | 10 Ways to Add a “Money Maker” Hour to Your Day | 11 Sources of Wealth We Can Celebrate | Nine Value-Adds to Command a Higher Fee | How to Design Your Business Around Your Strengths

Proactive Ways to Get More Referrals

June 15, 2013

By Sandi Smith Leyva

By Sandi Smith Leyva, CPA
Accountant’s Accelerator

There are many great things about getting referrals. First, referrals have a built-in trust that helps you move through the sales process faster. Second, there’s almost no marketing cost involved. Third, they tend to make a better long-term client.

Unfortunately, many business owners take a reactive approach to referrals, waiting until they come to them, rather than a more profitable approach, which is to proactively maximize referrals. Here are five proactive ways to boost referrals: READ MORE →

What Partners Don’t Tell Staffers about Clients

June 4, 2013

By Jean Marie Caragher

By Jean Caragher

Since strong client relationships contribute to client satisfaction, longevity and lead generation, partners often encourage their managers and staff to build relationships with their clients. But these managers and staff look at the relationships their firm’s partners have built over time and think it’s impossible to replicate their results.

However, building relationships with clients can be done using the same behaviors that we use when building friendships and courting our spouse or significant other.

Consider these 12 tips to build client relationships: READ MORE →

Seven Ways to Wow Your Prospect

February 9, 2013

By Rick Telberg

And stand apart from the competition.

By Sandi Smith, CPA
Accountant’s Accelerator

As the competition for clients heats up, it’s time to pull out all the stops and make your prospect feel like you’ve rolled out the red carpet.

More for soloists and small firms: • Rev Up Your Revenue with These Two Daily Rituals • 10 Tips for Creating More Energy this Tax Season • Take a Cue from Venture Capitalists: Your Firm Needs a Brain Trust Trinity • Accountants, Do You Know Your Opportunity Number? • Five Ideas to Overcome Client Price-Sensitivity • 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Seeking New Clients • 3 Steps to Start Running on Millionaire Time • The Missing Ingredient in Your Marketing That Will Make All the Difference • On the Road to a Stress-Free Life: Identify Your Character Strengths •

How can you do that? Here are seven ways to wow your prospect and help them decide you’re the perfect vendor for them. READ MORE →

11 Ways to Make Sure Clients Know You Care During Tax Season

February 4, 2013

By Rick Telberg

Including six situations that demand you call the client immediately.

by Ed Mendlowitz
Tax Season Opportunity Guide

Occasionally accountants lose touch with their clients, especially during tax season. Part of this is because of the crush of work, which is compressed into a pretty short period.

We sometimes lose sight that we are working on something the clients consider one of the most important things in their lives at that moment. Clients are not numbers on a list that needs to be reduced – they are all individuals and consider themselves very important people and want professionals that treat them accordingly.

It is attitudinal, and accountants must adopt that mindset and transmit that through to their culture.

Following are a few things you can do, and should do. Not only does doing these things communicate your culture, but they are all good business: READ MORE →

Practice Doctor Q&A: How to Get Started in Family Office Services

January 24, 2013

By Edward Mendlowitz

Including a sample engagement letter.

Question: Some of my clients are getting older and are becoming unable to handle their own financial affairs and I have been asked if I could assist them. What is involved and how do I charge for it?

Ed Mendlowitz, VPA, PFS, ABV, responds: Many large firms provide “family office” services. This is a complete one stop financial service that helps clients manage their money, pay their bills, collect their dividends and interest, and make sure insurance isn’t cancelled, mortgage, car lease or condo fee payments aren’t skipped, and tax payments paid on time.

Following is a sample engagement letter that I use with clients needing such services. Also, this letter provides a detailed description of what the service involves. READ MORE →

Accountants, Do You Know Your Opportunity Number?

December 22, 2012

By Rick Telberg

The pragmatic six-step way to evaluate potential new clients.

By Sandi Smith, CPA
Accountant’s Accelerator

Every week, do you get wonderful, exciting calls from new clients who want to use your services? You might want to talk with every one of them to get the sale. The problem is, if you do, you’re likely to go bankrupt. Let me explain.

More for soloists and small firms from at CPA Trendlines: Five Ideas to Reduce Client Price-Sensitivity • Rise to the Top with a Fresh Elevator Speech • Four Ways to Practice Entrepreneurial Perseverance • 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Seeking New Clients • The Success Secrets Women Already Know • His and Her Brains at Work in Tax and Accounting • The Power of Deadlines in Closing a Deal • On the Road to a Stress-Free Life: Identify Your Character Strengths • The Missing Ingredient in Your Marketing That Will Make All the Difference •

Each of us has 24 hours in one day. Most of us have annual revenue goals. A few of us have monthly, weekly, daily, or even hourly revenue goals. Hopefully you know what your revenue goal is. (If not, you should!) If you don’t pull in that level of revenue for the week or month, then you’ve missed your plan.

Let’s say you want to generate $1 million in sales for the year. On average, you need to pull in $20,000a week. That’s $4,000 a day. READ MORE →