Delivering exceptional service to your individual clients is difficult because they tend to pass through but once a year… However, exceptional service is the foundation for long-term growth and profitability for accounting firms so we all need to get better or risk losing more and more clients to the ATO’s MyTax.
The main problem is that individuals and property investors have lacked the level of service business clients are afforded simply because the right software hasn’t been available. But with software’s like TaxTank the technology landscape is changing in a big and exciting way!
Here are some simple ways to attract enthusiastic new clients, while keeping your existing clients happy and tax confident.
Prioritise open, honest and clear communication
First thing’s first: you need to be available. The last thing you want is for your clients to feel forgotten, so it’s time to switch over from confusing email ping-pong to instant messaging. Why? Well, have you ever overlooked important information and documents amidst the clutter of your email inbox, or even worse, multiple accountant inboxes? Instant messaging is a much easier way to stay in touch and collaborate with clients, as well as the rest of your team.
Secondly, always be upfront about what you’re charging. Springing hidden costs upon clients is a surefire way to stress them out and lose their trust forever.
Do what your competitors won’t
The best way to stand out from other accountants is to do things differently. While some accountants choose to perpetuate tax anxiety because they think it’s better for business, make it your mission to get rid of tax anxiety once and for all.
Tax shouldn’t be a stressful once-a-year event, so add real value by monitoring your clients’ tax all year round. This way you can easily step in to give expert advice whenever you see a problem or an opportunity, which will empower your clients to feel confident about their finances. Are you ready to break the mould and shake up the industry?
But… don’t make promises you can’t keep
Help your clients find every opportunity to pay less tax, but never give them any unrealistic expectations. Simply keep them up-to-date with their expected tax position by providing them with accurate and automated data, coupled with real time advice. This way, your clients can make smart decisions throughout the year to minimise their payments and feel in control of their finances.
But… don’t make promises you can’t keep
A free consultation makes a great first impression, and is fast way for clients to realise your firm has an interest in people not just profit. Likewise, if you’re offering cloud-based software solutions free trials are especially important as most people don’t want to spend money to test something completely new to them.
Free trials work really well when you are confident about the quality of your products and services, and they leave your clients feeling assured that you don’t see them as walking ATMs.
Genuinely strive to make their lives easier
Everyone has enough challenges to face in life without their tax adding unnecessary stress. Ensuring your workflow and processes are seamless shows that you respect your clients’ time and but truly care about the value you add.
Most clients dread tax time and all they really want is to pay the least tax possible and avoid the end of financial year stress. If you’re able to provide your clients with a safe and centralised place to store all their receipts and other important information, this service alone is a massive help.
Keep your on-boarding processes super simple, stick to providing relevant information only, and equip your clients with smart tax tools like live bank feeds and automatic forecasting.
Ask for feedback
Not only does asking your clients for feedback let them know you value their opinions, it also helps you identify and fix problem areas you’d otherwise remain oblivious to. When approaching your clients for feedback, make sure to ask questions that encourage an elaborate, detailed response rather than a yes/no answer, or a numerical rating. This is also a great way to collect glowing reviews for your website and social media posts!
Streamline your business
This are the critical elements to building a customer-centric culture that strives to provide the best possible experience for prospects and customers alike. With TaxTank in your tool-belt, it’s super easy to provide all this and more for your individual clients and property investors.
Are you ready to provide superior service all year round with an intelligent system your clients will love? Join TaxTank for free today!
