Pointers for Accounting Practices- Retain Your Clientele

For retail shops, loyal patrons are earned by selling superior products for attractive prices - but accounting firms and other service professionals must employ different methods to ensure continued client relationships. Cultivating a highly professional image with CPA websites and making sure their work is always impeccable are a couple ways to impress clients - but can finance professionals really stop there? CPAs often realize they have to pick up the pace to ensure their clients don't migrate to competing practices. Otherwise, they'll keep losing clients and will forever be recruiting new ones.

Check out the following pointers for how to better retain accounting clients.

Connect with Clients Through CPA Websites and Other Tricks

When the job is all about numbers, a personal feel is sometimes difficult to establish. Try the following actions to give your firm more of a human face:

- Establish an online presence. Successful CPA websites provide helpful tax tips and financial information for clients, as well as time-saving features like a client portal or a credit card processing service.

- Utilize social media and answer easy accounting questions on your Facebook page or blog.

- Use the good old-fashioned phone to check up on clients, making sure they don't have any lingering questions after tax day.

- Maintain notes on your clients' personal details. Ask about their children, their career, or their success in school next time you see them; it may seem gimmicky, but this one really does help make your more likable and approachable. People are more comfortable trusting financial issues to those with whom they have personal relationships.

Be Realistic, But Deliver Superior Service

Be very careful not to promise the world to your clients. For instance, they should know that if they turn in their tax materials within a week of tax day, you likely won't be able to complete their return on time.

That being said, you should always work to deliver more than you've promised. And if a client does turn in her documents on the 13th and you ARE able to get her return done on time, make sure she understands you've gone above and beyond for her.

CPA websites can help here, too. Having a fully loaded website with online payroll services, QuickBooks training and support, and a client portal is definitely a huge advantage to your clients. They may not be expecting such such convenient, time-saving tools, so this is a great way to impress them.

Clients Stick with Trustworthy Accountants

Let's face it: finance professionals don't always have a reputation for honesty and high ethical standards, especially these days. Since the deck may already be stacked against you, you must work that much harder to provide honest services.

So you must be vigilant: never lie, and always be as upfront as possible with unpleasant news, rather than beating around the bush.

It also helps to express your trustworthiness in other ways. Being courteous, considerate, and always following through on your promises are other ways you can convey your honesty. The little things really do add up.

Never Ignore Your Clients

Hard-to-reach businesses lose customers. When clients are worried about money, waiting hours or days for a return phone call provides ample time for increased fears.

Make it a priority to get back to clients, no matter how seemingly insignificant their question. Follow up by phone or email as soon as you can, even if it's just to report that you'll be in touch with more information later.

Don't Be Afraid to Be Yourself

Believe it or not, accountants can have personalities, too; in fact, it's encouraged! If you're funny, be funny. If you're shy, don't pretend to be gregarious. Not every client will see your personality as a fit for theirs, but that's okay. Conforming to the desires of every customer means you are not a match for any.

Learning how to retain clients is important for anyone in the service industry, and CPAs are no exception. CPA websites, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, and plain old politeness are truly critical when trying to retain clients. If you work hardest on catering to the clientele that pump in the best money, then you should be able to put the brakes on drumming up new clients, or even say good-bye to it once and for all.