So, you want to start gaining clients for your accounting firm. You know that the best way to do that is by making a good impression on your prospects, and it’s not enough to just send out a generic email and hope for the best.
You need to know how to gain clients for your accounting firm with just one call. But how can you do that?
Get to know them
First of all, you need to get to know them as well as their business—and that means more than just asking them questions about their financial situation or what they do in their spare time. You need to ask questions like What makes you tick? What drives you crazy? What excites you? Why do you think this will work out well for both of us?
Then take notes while they’re answering those questions—but don’t interrupt them while they’re speaking! If anything comes up during the conversation that would be useful in future client interactions (for example, the type of communication style the person your speaking to has), make a note of it so that the next time you meet with them or someone from their team, you already understand the best way to communicate effectively with them. When listening during these initial calls, reflect on what they say by repeating back what they said in your own words, so they know that you understand them. This is also helpful for making sure that there aren’t any misunderstandings between the two of you about anything discussed during this initial conversation.
Know your USPs (Unique Selling Proposition)
Ask yourself: what makes you stand out from other accountants? What makes you unique? This can be anything from how much experience you have, to how quickly or cheaply you can provide services. Whatever it is, it should be something that makes clients want to work with YOU specifically—not just any accountant they can find online. It should be something that will make them say, “I want this person on my team!”
Evaluate if you’ll be a good fit for each other
Once you’ve determined what makes YOU stand out from the crowd, figure out if that same thing is attractive to potential clients. If not, try another way! There are many different ways to market yourself and many different ways to attract clients; you just have to find what works best for you. It’s important to realise you’re evaluating if you want to work with each client, just as they are deciding if they want to hire you as an accountant. Think about the value you’ll be able to offer each other, and if you will both benefit from working with each other. Don’t be afraid to say no if you don’t think it’ll work out.
Next, find out about their competitors
It doesn’t hurt to know what other firms are doing to stay ahead of the game and make sure that when someone hires one accountant instead of another, they know why they chose that one over someone else. If you take the time to look at potential clients’ competitors, you’ll be able to determine what their struggles are and relate to them more. This will go in your favour when they’re weighing up the options of going with you or another accounting firm.
Ask about their expectations
At this point in your conversation with them, if they still haven’t said anything about why they want to hire an accountant or what problems they’re facing right now—you should ask them directly! This shows that not only are you interested in solving their problem but also that they matter enough to try and get them on board with hiring someone like yourself! Understanding their issues will help you to build a positive relationship and realise what goals will need to be achieved if you’re going to work together. Think about positioning your accounting firm as becoming an extension of their business, rather than a service that they’ll be outsourcing. This way you’ll be able to form a better connection. It’s always better to keep your client’s experience more personalised.
Don’t over-promise
It’s important to keep in mind when calling potential clients that it’s better to under-promise and over-deliver than vice versa. If you make promises that are too grandiose or don’t follow through on them, it’s going to be harder for people to trust you in the future—and they could even be wary of signing up with someone who seems too good to be true. So, when talking with potential clients, try not to overstate how much work your firm can handle or how quickly it will get done.
Share your achievements
When making calls, it’s also important not only to share some of your achievements but also to ask about theirs! Asking questions such as “What has been challenging about running this business?” or “What are some ways we could help improve [company name]?” will give them an idea about how much you care about their company, and how dedicated you are to help them to progress. It might be worth creating some reports based on current and previous clients for them to understand how much value you can provide. Have you won any awards or progressed in certain areas? Make sure you can provide evidence of this and mention it on the call that you have with them. Remember that they want to learn as much as they can about you, and you want to learn about them so find that balance of sharing information and asking them questions.
Finally, make sure that you follow up with them
Everyone forgets or becomes busy, a little check-in a few days after you’ve had the initial call with a client will make them realise how dedicated you are as an accounting professional. Find some tips here about organising the perfect follow-up call. If the outcome isn’t as you hoped, don’t panic- make sure you leave it amicable so that they are able to return to you in the future should they wish.
