Accounting client relationships require consistent interaction
If you water a plant with a little water consistency, it will grow and thrive long term. If you just dump a large amount of water on it every now and then and take long random breaks in between these watering sessions – the roots rot or become brittle and the plant most likely won’t survive.
Client relationships are built with a little consistency over time, too!
When clients start to expect your firm’s newsletter each month or a Weekly Tax Tip each week, your expertise and insights become a valued part of their routine, and they lean in to hear what you have to say. If you can stay consistent with your communication and create an anticipated routine, your firm stays top of mind all year long without feeling intrusive. Your clients stay with you longer year over year, because the value you provide is greater than the annual tax return.
Consistency tells your clients that your firm is proactive and that you have their best interest in mind. People tend to view consistency as professionalism. Instead of wondering when they’ll hear from you next, clients come to expect these “aha” moments and timely updates from your firm regularly as a part of your service.
Even better, when news breaks or changes happen that could impact them, your “proactive” communication is well received and acted upon without them bugging you and needlessly taking your time.
Practice Panda helps you stay consistent all year long and build this trust with your clients – even during your busiest seasons. You will become part of their routine, and routines are very powerful.
Recommended Communication Schedule with Practice Panda Subscriber Tips
Monthly Newsletters
Monthly newsletters provide a great foundation of consistent communication with your clients. It’s our most powerful marketing tool because it contains content that is interesting to a broad audience that will certainly include the decision maker. And the diversity of content (tax, financial, planning, small business and special interest) improve the possibility of added readership and pass along value.
The key “aha” moment: The client that you see may not be the decision maker who retains your services. And the client you don’t see, certainly has influence. So why not provide content that connects with everyone in your client household or business?
Practice Panda Subscriber TIP: You can automate your newsletters by enabling auto-send for the first Wednesday of each month. To maximize engagement, segment your audience so clients receive content that fits their needs best. We recommend that general taxpayers receive the Client Update Newsletter, business owners receive the Tax and Business Newsletter, and high-income or high-asset clients receive the Tax Planning Insights Newsletter.
Weekly Tax Tips
We get it, Weekly Tax Tips are a great way to keep your clients up to date with the latest in tax news. It’s important to keep these consistent touch points short and to-the-point to keep your clients engaged and looking forward to hearing from you.
Practice Panda Subscriber Tip: Enable auto-send to have your Weekly Tax Tips automatically post to your social media platforms each week and emailed to your client list.
Quarterly Personalized Video Messages
While consistent small bites of general tax tips for all help keep you top of mind, a personal message to your most valued clients can significantly strengthen that client relationship and increase client retention. Consider what your top clients need to know for tax planning purposes each quarter, and personally share a video from the Practice Panda video library on the topic with a quick personal message.
Practice Panda Subscriber Tip: Our video library is always growing. Between tax seasons, focus your videos on tax planning or financial tips specific to your client – retirement, college savings, business, or even specific life changes like marriage, divorce, or a new child.
Five more easy ideas to help stay connected with your tax and accounting clients throughout the year.
Consistency is key, but to stay consistent be sure to choose a cadence that is doable for your firm. Here are five more ideas to help you stay connected with your clients. Choose one or two that fit your firm’s capabilities to stay consistent. And remember Practice Panda can also help automate a lot of these communication points!
1. Client check-in calls
Once or twice a year reach out to your clients to check in and see how things are going and find out if there are any changes that could impact their tax strategies. These quick calls could save you and your client a lot of time during the busy tax filing months if addressed beforehand.
2. Celebrate milestones
Adding a personal touch helps clients feel valued beyond the transactional feel of tax season. A birthday or holiday message shows them that you are there all year long. Practice Panda has a library stocked full of ready-to-customize cards that you can easily schedule ahead of time.
3. Host quarterly seminars to educate your clients
Focus on your area of expertise whether it’s business planning, retirement planning, or high income tax strategies, and offer a short 20 minute seminar virtually or in person to educate your clients as a perk to using your firm for tax planning and filing. Invite all of your clients easily by emailing your client or prospective client list organized inside your Practice Panda portal.
4. Schedule reminders regularly
Schedule reminders for your clients to help them stay organized before major tax deadlines, estimated payment due dates, and year-end planning sessions. This communication not only helps your clients be prepared, but it helps your firm significantly during tax season.
5. Share client-specific messages
Whenever you see an article, tax update, or planning strategy that applies to a particular client, send it with a brief personal note. The Practice Panda newsletters, tips, and videos cover a wide range of topics ensuring that everyone in the household or business will have something to support them. These are also great tools to use when answering client questions and save you a ton of time!
Consistency over time builds trust and client retention
If you want clients to keep coming back year after year, and refer you often, consistent communication will help you make it happen. Client relationships that last grow with consistent “watering” of “aha moments” and touch points shared consistently all year long. Use Practice Panda’s vast library of resources to automate your communication plan and be the firm that people can rely on.
FAQ – Accounting Client Retention Tips
How does consistent communication improve accounting client retention?
Regular communication keeps your firm top of mind and strengthens client relationships throughout the year.
Going back to early television and radio, studies were performed to understand how many times to place an advertisement (frequency). From these studies the term “effective reach” was created. If you wish someone to take action, one message was not enough and too much did not work well either. They discovered that ongoing communication was the most effective means to garner repeat business and loyal buyers.
The same holds true for you. If you only connect during tax season, all those related communication opportunities are given to your competition or some generic media monolith. The result of effective communication (reach) will always be better retention.
Why do accounting clients stay with firms that communicate consistently?
Consistent outreach builds trust, demonstrates proactive service, and reminds clients of the value your firm provides. Think of the Ghostbuster phrase: “Who you gonna call?” Consistent communication keeps you top of mind, refreshes the notion on who has the answers, and will generate the connection you want to nurture.
What is the best way to retain tax clients after tax season?
Use a variety of means to stay connected as everyone is different. Some clients will appreciate a short weekly tax tip that has real “aha” value. Others look forward to a monthly firm newsletter that has a variety of content. Still others prefer media that is engaging like TaxVids that are short, to the point and engaging. The key is to move from a transaction (you do my taxes.) to a relationship (you help me manage my tax obligation and avoid making any tax punitive moves.)
Can automating my accounting client communication help increase retention?
Yes, automation makes it easier to maintain consistent client touchpoints that encourage long-term loyalty.
What kinds of communication help retain accounting clients the most?
A combination of educational content, timely reminders, and personalized outreach helps clients feel valued and engaged year-round.
