consider partnering with others.
by sandi leyva
hosting an open house is an extremely successful way to attract new clients and provide education and perks to existing clients.
more small firm growth strategies: make the most of trade shows | speaking: how, where and getting leads from it | the a-b-c’s of getting started with advisory services | 3 more kinds of referrals | turn to the abcs for client feedback | use client ‘touch plans’ to stay in touch
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an open house is a great option for accountants who have a large number of clients who are located in the same geographic area. if you have a small number of clients, then you can partner with other noncompeting professionals to increase your turnout.
if you are working out of your home office, you can rent a space and hold an open house for clients.
getting ready
the steps to follow to hold an open house include:
1. decide who, if anyone, you will do your open house with. i recommend partnering with other referral sources, such as it professionals, hr consultants, attorneys, bankers, financial planners, tax professionals if you do not do taxes, a bookkeeper if you do not do bookkeeping, a payroll professional if you do not do payroll, a quickbooks consultant if you do not do quickbooks, or insurance professionals.
a few years ago, i held an event called “mind, body, & style.” the ideal client was high-net worth women interested in personal or business growth, health and beauty. i was offering coaching and i partnered with a nutritionist and a wardrobe stylist. we split the costs three ways, so it was about $600 each to rent the hotel room and food. we held it at a 4-star hotel across from the stanford university campus in palo alto, ca.
each of us did a 20-minute presentation and pitched from the platform. we each had an exhibit table. we had local businesses donate coupons, gift certificates and prizes. we held drawings and gave away hundreds of dollars of goodies. each participant got a gift bag of donated items. we had about 100 people there and it was a success. we got our name out and we each closed a bit of business on the spot from it. it was a lot of work, but the topics were also “soft,” which is always a much tougher sale than what we are selling in accounting.
ba jones, cpa, of medford, nj, holds an open house called “cake day” in early february, strategically placed to get clients to bring her their stuff for tax season. she orders several cakes from local bakeries to have on hand for the visitors. it’s effectively a party that she holds in her office, and her clients not only look forward to attending, but they discuss the cakes, which ones they liked the best, what bakeries they were from, and so forth and so on.
2. decide where you will hold the event. if you have a conference room in your office, then it’s a logical first choice. other choices include a room at regus or another place that rents offices, a hotel or a restaurant.
places i have tried that do not work include the local library – ours takes nonprofits only, yours could have different rules. avoid places that are difficult to find, with no parking or are otherwise a hassle for people to get to.
3. decide on the date and time. you may want to hold it right before your busy season. you might be tempted to hold it during your slowest time, but it will have a better turnout when your clients are thinking about accounting, which is during the tax season.
for highest attendance, i recommend a tuesday or thursday evening at about 6:30 or 7 p.m. start time.
4. arrange refreshments. the more food, the higher the turnout.
5. decide on your agenda. i recommend time for networking and eating but also a short program during which you can give some advice and demonstrate your expertise.
a typical agenda could go like this:
- 6:30 – 7:00 arrive and network
- 7:00 – 7:20 first speaker
- 7:20 – 7:45 second speaker
- 7:45 – 8:00 q&a
- 8:00 – 8:30 networking and food
- 8:30 – 9:00 guests depart
6. create your guest list and mail invitations.
i encourage you to ask clients to bring their friends. this is how referrals multiply, and most people do not like to attend an event without a friend.
7. create your presentations, handouts and any gift bags you’ll be giving away.
consider asking local restaurants and retail stores (even your current clients) to donate items for a “goodie bag” for each of the participants. spas have been very generous with me in the past. you might be able to partner with a local spa to get a discount for your clients for a massage after they have completed their tax return. it can be called your “what a relief” package.
for your speech, i recommend you demonstrate your expertise but do not give away your methods – the “what,” but not the “how.” if you are not a speaker, you can hire one. i have actually been hired in the past to present at open houses for other cpa firms.
8. market your event.
you may need to market your open house aggressively the first year or if no one knows you very well. each year, it will get easier. it is also easier with partners who are also aggressively marketing to their contacts.
9. have fun. on the day of the event, make sure you have plenty of help to greet each attendee. make them feel like a million, and they will be back to find out more about what you have to offer.
the investment you make in your event, how well organized it is, how well it goes, is a direct reflection on your business. you have an excellent chance to get to know people, to find out more about them, to demonstrate your expertise and to explain how you can help them.