In a recent press release from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) they highlighted that “close to half of small firms do not expect to grow over the coming year”. However, their latest Small Business Index (SBI) confidence reading does show some sectors feeling more optimistic than others. So how can accountants provide proactive client care in these uncertain times?
As many businesses are faced with rising costs, supply chain difficulties, labour shortages, import or export problems arising from Brexit, but also the situation in Ukraine, increasingly these businesses will be looking to their accountants for guidance and support.
The accountancy firms that will be most effective and successful during the following months (maybe years) will be those that have a strategy for implementing proactive client care activities.
What is proactive client care?
In a nutshell, proactive client care is providing help and support to your clients without them asking for your help. The type of help they require is probably something that you regularly provide, but are you taking pre-emptive steps to let your clients know that you can help them?
How can you improve your proactive client care?
The chances are you already very proactive with some of your clients. However, the most effective accountancy firms I have worked with are proactive with all their clients. They do this by communicating with them regularly and using different methods to inform their clients of how they can help them.
They also repeat the process. So if the client doesn’t take on board what help is available when it is first mentioned, they may do so in a few weeks or months’ time, when they read or hear about it again.
Ways to communicate how you can help clients
The key element which sets apart proactive accountants from non-proactive accountants is communication. Below are several methods which you should adopt to communicate to your clients how you are able to advise and support them during difficult times, or to help them maximise opportunities that may arise. These include:
- Meetings – ideally face to face, so that you get the full sense of how the client is feeling, not just the words they are saying. During the meeting, you are listening out for trigger points that would suggest they could benefit from some help or advice, even if they are not openly asking for it.
- Phone calls – the same as above, but calls can also be a good opportunity to make contact with clients who you haven’t spoken with for a while to simply ask, ‘How are things?’ and to then listen and spot any potential issues which you could help with.
- Emails – which highlight issues other businesses are experiencing and how you have been able to help, as well as generally keeping in regular contact with clients.
- Blogs – that highlight the different ways you can help clients or to act as a useful signpost to where they can find additional support.
- Social media posts – linking to the above blogs, but getting across the message, ‘We’re here to help’.
- Newsletters – identifying the different ways you are helping local businesses and the services you can provide (whether free or chargeable).
- Webinars/seminars – organising topical events which set out what help and advice is available to businesses, whether that’s from your practice, or other third parties, including government initiatives.
Spell it out – how are you able to help businesses?
Nothing I have outlined below should be new to you, the services and support listed should be activities that you carry out on a regular basis. But in order to provide proactive client care you need to tell people, i.e. spell out what you can do, such as:
- Business efficiency reviews including identifying cost savings
- Cashflow analysis and forecasts
- Business restructuring
- Tax planning activities including identifying whether any tax has previously been overpaid
- Setting up time to pay agreements with HMRC, suppliers, maybe your practice
- Identifying grants and funding and helping clients to access this funding
- Marketing advice
- Upgrading accounts and IT software systems
How can proactive client care help attract new clients?
Not only can your website and social media be used to inform existing clients of the ways you can help them, but these marketing tools will also extend your reach to potential new clients. Other marketing activities such as seminars, leaflets handed out at exhibitions, newsletters, mailings and so on, can also be used to communicate your business support and guidance offering to potential clients.
You’re already offering these services as a matter of routine. In order to provide proactive client care, you need to highlight and promote this help and support to a wider audience as possible. AND you need to use different marketing channels and keep reminding people of the different ways you can help.
How can I help?
If you need some help in communicating how your practice can help clients or potential clients over the coming months, I’d be happy to have a chat. Simply click here to complete the contact form, email me at vicki@momentumforprofessionals.co.uk or call 01822 833300.
