It's about how much they trust you, value the work you do, how you make them feel and the relationship you have as client and accountant.
This is down to you.
In the blogs below you will see common themes crop up on how to make the experience your client has with your firm magical, they are:
The success of your accountancy firm depends on your clients, without them you would not have a firm. The future of your firm depends on keeping these clients and winning new ones.To do this you need to get absolute clarity on the value of your firm and of your products and services to your existing
Read MoreLoyal clients help grow your firm; loyal clients come when they have a winning client experience with your firm. It sounds simple but in this highly competitive, social media saturated business world its hard to stand out from your competition, to be the firm that your client chooses, again and again. To ensure you deliver a great
Read MoreHow do you improve the reputation of your firmYour clients determine the future of your firm.Make a mistake, fail to treat a client well, miss a delivery or deadline or deal with a problem badly, and your firm is at risk.In our social media world, clients are quick to let everyone know how badly you
Read MoreWe all know that asking the right questions is key to success, that asking the wrong questions can have the opposite effect and that this applies, not just in business, but to life in general. You’ll know this is true if you have teenagers in your household. Treading carefully is an art form when it comes
Read MoreWhen it comes to growing your firm, it’s clear that you must take your client service seriously. How you handle your clients and how you treat them when something goes wrong will determine the success of your firm. How many clients have you lost due to poor service? Or, asked in another way – how many clients have
Read MoreThere is no doubt that a compelling guarantee will give your firm a competitive advantage. Think of it like this: Two identical products, two identical services, two online book stores, two hotels. One of these businesses in each sector has a guarantee in place, one doesn’t. Which one do you choose? One of the reasons Amazon is so
Read MoreAsking the right questions transforms the conversations you have with your clients. Asking the right questions builds better relationships with your clients. Asking the right questions turns prospects into clients. Start with a ‘yes-tag’ question – yes-tag questions are simply those to which the only logical answer is ‘yes’… The point of asking a yes-tag question is to start
Read MoreYour firm is successful because you have won business and convinced clients to buy from you, and some have bought again and again. The current success of your firm is down to your hard work to win and keep these clients, but the future of your firm also depends on winning new clients and growing your
Read MoreWhen it comes to securing existing or future business with your clients, the questions you ask are fundamental to your success. When you use a proven framework and ask your clients ‘happy’ and ‘sad’ questions, you sell more and and build value for your accountancy firm. Both types are needed, and you can learn how to
Read MoreIt’s so easy to get bogged down with the day to day business of just getting the job done. In fact, like most business owners you probably spend most of your day locked in meetings, on the phone, answering emails, dealing with issues from your team or clients. This probably leaves very little time for you to
Read MoreAsking your clients open questions in a timely manner will give you the information that you need to help and advise your clients. And this level of client care builds great relationships with your clients AND leads to winning more clients and therefore securing the future of your firm. So, what’s stopping you? Most of us don’t have
Read MoreWhen was the last time you reviewed your client list? The full list… When you look closely at it, you’ll see an imbalance The chances are that 20% of your profits will be generated by 80% of your clients… It might be slightly less, it might be slightly more – but the imbalance will be there… Look at how
Read MoreMost of us like variety much more than predictability. Even something as simple as a voucher from a supermarket is more appealing when there are different options, we like them to be different. Variable rewards beat predictable rewards every time… and it’s the same in business, it’s the same in your accountancy firm. When it comes to
Read MoreWhether you sell complex solutions or simple products and services, one thing is clear, buyers are more informed than ever before. With the information they can gather online, including all the good, the bad and the ugly from social media, most buyers can determine what they want and who they want to buy from, sometimes without
Read MoreClients will only stay loyal to your firm if they have a good reason to. As a result, you have to work even harder to keep your clients and build their trust in you and your team. By providing the best client care, you will increase trust, and that could mean the difference between client loyalty
Read MoreMost people don’t like ‘salespeople’… If you ask your team to describe a typical salesperson, they may use words like ‘pushy’ or ‘aggressive’. They may describe the car salesman in a shiny suit trying too hard to sell them a car they are not sure they want, at a price they’re not comfortable with… This version, with
Read MoreStep into your clients’ shoes for a moment and ask yourself these questions… If I were a client using my accountancy firm would I be happy with being simply satisfied? Would satisfaction mean that I would come back again and again? And would I refer my accountancy firm to other people because I’m simply satisfied with them? If the
Read MoreAsking the best questions, in the best way and at the best time has huge potential for changing the results you achieve for your accountancy firm. Rudyard Kipling is probably best known for writing the Jungle Book, however his understanding of the English Language is never better demonstrated than in his little-known poem ‘The Elephant’s Child’. This
Read MoreAs a partner or senior manager of your accountancy firm, you already know client care is a crucial element of your firm’s success. Every contact your clients have with your firm is an opportunity for you to improve your reputation with them and increase the likelihood of bringing repeat business and further cross-sales. From your first welcome
Read MoreWhat sort of guarantees are enough to compel prospective clients to buy from you and not your competition? If your guarantee does not tap into the most pressing concerns of your clients, then it isn’t worth using. Listening to their customers’ most pressing needs gave Premier Inn success in a highly competitive market. The budget hotel market
Read MoreHere’s a great story about change involving a man called Jerry Sternin, the principles of which can be applied to your accountancy firm… Jerry arrived in Vietnam in 1991 with his young family. His remit from ‘Save the Children Fund’ was to transform the lives of millions of severely malnourished children living there. Jerry had very little
Read MoreLearning and using a 4-phase habit-forming process can improve the sales and repeat sales of your accountancy firm’s products and services It can help you build a network of clients, build profits and build capital value into your firm. On the other hand, allow your competition to get ahead of you with the science of habit-forming products
Read MoreHow many times in your accountancy firm have you spent time and money on the wrong things?For example, how much time and money has been spent on marketing your firm’s products and services without focusing on aligning your products and services with your clients’ needs and desires?It’s so easy to focus on the ‘sizzle’ when
Read MoreThe world of sales – love it or hate it, we are all involved in it. Most of us either sell something or are sold something every day, probably without even realising it… On your way to work today, the person on the radio will have sold you the idea of staying tuned in to their channel
Read MoreWhen you started your Accountancy firm you had a business plan and goals in place to make your firm successful… …and probably the most important one was to attract and win lots of valuable clients. Indeed, without your clients you wouldn’t have a firm at all! However, if you ask your clients are they satisfied with your Accountancy
Read MoreWouldn’t it be great if more buyers said yes more often to your proposal, your offer and your products? It’s disheartening and disappointing when you have a warm prospect that you are sure will become a client and they don’t end up buying from you. It’s even harder to swallow when you know that your product is
Read MoreA successful negotiation means that all parties reach a compromise or agreement while avoiding argument and dispute. Contrary to what many believe, negotiation skills are not about beating the opposition. The best negotiations are ones where all parties win, resulting in everyone walking away from the negotiating table thinking that the deal they have is a
Read MoreTo truly hook your firm’s clients, you must manage their ability to act and motivate them into action. Your aim is to make their action easier than thinking. For example, anyone would be put off by a lengthy registration page, especially if you have to scroll down, leave the page or fill in lots of information. Compare this
Read MoreAs the saying goes “practice makes perfect”. You already know in this fast-moving business world that you need to improve just to stand still. You also know that doing the same old, same old will mean that your firm will probably eventually fail. Practicing something once just isn’t enough…by helping your people (and yourself) improve skills and expertise
Read MoreYour clients are at the heart of your success, and their experience of working with your firm should be the focus of your attention. Client care ought to be a top priority for all accountancy firms. It’s surprising, however, how many firms take their clients for granted, focusing on simply doing the technical work and forgetting
Read MoreNegotiation is a part of everyday life, whether it’s deliberating on who drives on a night out, what time your children go to bed or which location to choose for a holiday. So how are your negotiating skills? When you’re preparing for a negotiation, how do you feel? Nervous? Excited? Ready for a fight? Your ability to negotiate
Read MoreThe power of proof is as relevant to accountants as it is to their business owner clients. In short… If prospective clients doubt your firm and your abilities, they are unlikely to use you as their accountant. Perhaps surprisingly, this is a good thing for your business! It’s good because the same ‘doubting Thomas’ approach applies to your competition
Read More