Have you felt like the recent economy has impacted the account of clients you’ve taken on for your accounting practice? Maybe you feel like you’ve been stuck in the same routine, and now it’s time for a change? Well, we’re about to share with you the top 10 ways that you could be attracting accounting clients into your practice.
Know your clients
If you want to attract more clients, you first have to understand them. Who are they and what do they want? Think about what services you can provide them with that will be beneficial for them. Put yourself in their position and think about all the ways you could reach them- if you’re targeting younger audiences, platforms such as Instagram might work well for you. If your target audience is local small businesses, it might be worth placing an ad in your local village directory.
A great way to find out more about your target audience is to create a case study of 2-3 customers. Make profiles, giving them names, ages, backgrounds, business titles and their biggest struggles/achievements. This will help you enter the mindset of these people and understand what they want and need in order to attract them.
Contacting your target market
There are many ways that you can get in touch with your target audience, and it’s good to try them all! You will have to find the balance between building a relationship with them and pitching them a sale. Initial contact should be about you getting to know them, and them getting to know more about you. Keep this in mind when you create the first message. Each message to them should be personal, so that they know it hasn’t been copied and pasted. Do your research and think about details that you can add that will relate to them alone. Consider developing a messaging stream so that you and your team know what the appropriate response would be for each client.
Show your value
Don’t be afraid to show what you can offer clients- use case studies and testimonials when discussing what you can do for them. Adding those personal touches can make the world of difference. Remember to speak with these potential clients openly and honestly. It’s always better to under promise and over deliver. But keep in mind it’s also important to recognise your strengths.
Partner with another company
A great way to spread the word about your accounting practice is to partner with another company. If you’re currently working with a business that you have a great relationship with, then it might be worth suggesting to them if they’d like to partner up and you can refer each other’s services in the process of onboarding. This would work well for businesses that your clients could use, and vice versa.
Use review platforms
The first thing anyone does before investing in a service these days is googling it first! It’s the way the world now works- everyone wants to know what to expect or what they’ll get. Make sure that your accounting practice is easy to find- set up a google business or create an account on another platform such as Trustpilot.
Put your face out there
People want a face that they can trust- make sure that you’re giving them one. Don’t be afraid to post social media content that has your face included- people are much more likely to interact with you if they’ve seen you. It gives people the confidence that you’re proud of your business and what you do. Another great way to do this is offer a free Q&A session online. Allow clients and potential clients the opportunity to ask you questions that they wouldn’t normally get the chance to ask accountants. Another way to do this is to hold an open day in your office. Gather a few businesses (extra bonus points if they’re clients) and hold an open evening for potential customers to come and learn about your businesses as well as others.
Keep in touch with all potentials
Whether they’re old clients, new, potentials, or even people who said they’d get back to you, make sure that you reach out to them. It would be a great idea to create an email list with all this information, and their contact details in. A nice way to reach out to people on this list is to send monthly newsletters consisting of information that’s important to you- business successes, staff achievements, client wins, and all the other vital information that made your business successful that month. Don’t forget to follow GDPR guidance and ask all people if they’re happy to be added to your mailing list.
Network
Networking is a great way to meet new people, and potential clients. Again, people prefer that personalised touch. Ask yourself this- if you had one person sending you an email about their service, and the other person you meet face-to-face with, what business owner would you choose to buy from? Keep an eye out for business networking events that are taking place locally to you that your target audience might be attending. If you’re looking to freshen up on your networking skills, you can read more about networking tips for accountants here.
Offer an initial meeting
If people are interested in using your accounting service, they might first want to set up an initial meeting with you to see if you’d be a good fit working together. Offering a free introductory call can help persuade customers to learn more about you. If you want to ace the first call with your client, you can find tips in our blog here.
Be yourself
The main thing to remember through all this is to be yourself. There’s no point in trying to gain customers over that aren’t convinced- remember this is a two-way street and you have to be just as happy to work with them. The right client will be easy to get along with, and not need convincing of what you can offer. Just be yourself and the rest will follow!
