Think about your accounting firm versus other service businesses that are actively staying in touch with clients throughout the year. Your dentist texts you a reminder that it's time to schedule your cleaning. Your banker shares tips with you each quarter. Your local grocery store sends you recipes and special deals. Each time they share something useful with you, it makes you think of them. And so when you need their service, that business is already top of mind.
The same is true for your accounting firm. When you stay top of mind using newsletters, tax tips, and social media, your clients will think of your firm right away when a friend asks, "do you know a great CPA?" or when they are facing tax decisions throughout the year.
"Using the expertly written newsletters keeps my accounting practice in the minds of my clients all throughout the year, and not just at tax time." - John P., Accountant and Practice Panda Subscriber
Numbers may be the focus of your daily work, but strong client relationships are what keep your accounting firm growing. Without loyal clients, even the best accounting expertise can only take your business so far.
Every service business is in the relationship business first.
Happy clients are those that not only receive accurate and timely filing and support from you, but those who also feel valued as a client. Clients want to know that you have their best interest in mind. They want to know that you are their trusted source to answer their questions - before asking their AI - and sometimes even before they think to ask them.
Staying in touch with your clients all year long helps turn an annual transaction into a long term client relationship.
This is good news for your firm and for retention, because when a client stays with you, that usually means more income and referrals for you. Here are 7 impactful ways to stay in touch with your accounting clients all year long:
Establish communication protocols up front.
When you first meet with a client this is a great time to share how often and where you will be communicating and how you prefer to receive communication. Share with your clients what they can expect to see throughout the year and how you will be reaching out to prepare for tax seasons. Not only will this information help your clients feel taken care of, setting this expectation upfront also helps the tax season go smoother and reduces frustrations on both ends. Practice Panda helps keep your firm top of mind throughout the year with weekly tax tips and monthly client newsletters that also educate your client on how to best prepare for tax season ahead of time.
Anticipate what your client needs, and answer their questions before they ask.
Be proactive by updating your client with changes in tax law, upcoming deadlines, what documents you need, estimated payments, and when it's time to schedule a meeting to start planning. When you guide your client throughout the tax year - instead of waiting for him to ask - he takes notice! Practice Panda helps you stay ahead of client needs with up-to-date tax news in every newsletter and customized email templates to be used for deadline reminders, holiday greetings, and estimated tax reminders.
Simplify your insights and make taxes easy to understand.
When you are reviewing your clients' tax returns or providing guidance throughout the year, always include the reason behind the calculations - make sure your clients understand "the why". Using short videos or visual examples when explaining tax code and tax planning will impress your clients much more than using fancy accounting jargon. Practice Panda's videos are engaging and easy to follow. They can be a great follow up to your clients' questions or a bonus to send along with their return at the end of the season.
Make it personal.
Segmenting your newsletter communication based on your clients' needs not only helps them feel valued, but also makes your content easier to digest because it speaks directly to their interests.
Keep in touch all year long (not just tax season).
Clients can tell if you are only reaching out because you need something from them, and it makes a big impact when you reach out to give them something without asking for anything in return. Sharing helpful tax tips throughout the year is a perk that your firm can offer your clients, and a simple way to elevate your service.
Survey clients for feedback and use it to continue improving.
A simple survey sent out after the end of each tax season, tracking common questions, or asking for how you can improve keeps your firm growing in the right direction! The answers you will gain from asking for feedback is important to help you improve the client communication system within your firm as you grow.
Stay consistent and 'wow' your clients enough to stay with you long term.
There is a lot out of our control in this industry with tax code changes and waiting on clients to provide detailed documents. But client communication - how often you connect, what value you provide, and the consistency in how you show up for your clients - is something you can control, and it's something that directly impacts your retention and income.
Now that you have learned 7 impactful ways to stay in touch with your accounting clients all year long, you have made your first positive stride towards proven accounting client retention. Client relationships and retention are built over time with consistent, small connections. Thankfully, you can trust that Practice Panda is here to help, and filled with expert written content just like this - ready to automate and share with your clients all year long.