Communication

In an accountant-client relationship successful communication is crucial to getting things done. By agreeing how often you communicate with your client can help you build a long-lasting relationship and play a key role in the success of your firm.

Be sure to keep to an agreed timetable for communication, either by phone or online. Always show that you are proactive and eager to talk about your progress and any bumps coming down the road.

By showing your clients you’re forward thinking and always available, they’re more likely to stick with your firm and refer you to other businesses.

Research has found that finding a client costs five times more than to retain your current customer and makes it much easier to upsell a service to an existing client.

Quick Replies

When a client emails, it’s important to reply within 24 hours. Even better within the hour. It is much more effective to acknowledge the email, knowing you need more time to find the answer to the enquiry. A quick response shows your client you’re on top of your email.

When people are looking for a quick response, your website can be a powerful tool. Investing in a chatbot that can answer customer enquiries when landing on your website 24 hours a day, saving the company time and money.

Create Valuable Content

Create content to share your expertise with your clients. This could be by creating an eBook, newsletter, posting on social media or blogging on your website. Generating valuable content that can be shared with, and by your clients, will improve brand awareness.

Sharing your expert opinion to a wider audience can also improve your company's visibility. Being a source for a website like HARO (Help A Reporter Out) can help you find more clients. When you are mentioned as a source, a link back to your website will also help your company be discovered.

Hold an Event

A Content Marketing Institute survey said in-person events worked better than any other type of marketing. This is of course not possible at the moment due to lockdown; however, a webinar can be a powerful marketing tool.

Many of us are becoming comfortable using Zoom or Skype to communicate. This can present opportunities to speak with clients and get your message across in a less formal way.

Forward Thinking

Mistakes will always happen, so always be clear and transparent. Studies show that up to 70% of unhappy customers become loyal customers if a mistake is fixed and exceeds their expectations.

To avoid mistakes, it’s better at the start to be realistic with your client and under promise so you can over deliver.

Much of our success at Orchard Funding Ltd has been through client recommendations, which is a testament to our expertise in the professional fee funding market. Chris, our professional fee funding expert is always available to speak to clients and walk them through setting up an account.