standardization will make you more efficient, effective and profitable.
by jody padar
radical pricing – by the radical cpa
a client assessment is an onsite or virtual session where you observe the client’s accounting system on which you’ll be working. this is your opportunity to see how they run their business: their software, their processes and who does what. this is when tasks and responsibilities are clarified and assigned. both the client and your firm need to understand their responsibilities in this new partnership.
more: four steps to scoping for alignment … and the #1 rule to remember | getting aligned on scope helps your team and your clients | create more meaningful kpis | here’s how profit sharing improves your firm | five areas to ground new metrics other than time | five reasons to ditch timesheets for good | productize services for consistent client value | digitize clients for standardization | six steps to creating a standardized practice | four ways automation pushes the paradigm shift | are you the key signal caller for your clients?
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this assessment also allows you to fully understand the client’s service needs. it is a real-world assessment of services, budget and the work required to provide deliverables. it will also allow you to understand what it will take to onboard them. again, this assessment goes both ways. it’s worth assuming you have competition, so take advantage of this time to impress the client with some consultative advice demonstrating the value you bring to the table – this is especially true if you are charging for the assessment.
one of the key benefits is the ability to limit your risk and as you:
- get to know the client and figure out if they are the right fit for your firm,
- accurately scope and assess the work and determine if it’s right for you, and
- collect all the information you need to price the services accurately,
this information will give you a better sense of the client, the work, the deliverables and what it will take to achieve them.
conducting the client needs assessment
a good needs assessment is part consultation and part treasure hunt. you want to find those nuggets of information needed to help clients meet their financial goals. at the same time, you are gathering information to help establish what a client actually needs and to charm them with your ability to understand them and come up with good solutions.
you need to understand the client’s current situation and what deliverables you’ll be expected to create. be very clear about each deliverable, what it takes to make it happen and the end result.
for example, if you’re going to provide a tax return, what questions would you need to present to the client to get all the information needed to deliver that return? you might start by seeing if it’s a multi-state return and if the information is already allocated by state. if they have not already allocated their information, will you be responsible for this additional step? if it is a multi-state return, yet they have not separated the underlying data by state, you’ve uncovered some important clues about how they run their business. with one question about the underlying data of a return, the price and scope of the job have changed dramatically. you can build a scoping tool set by keeping a list of similar questions close at hand. it will also help you proactively sell new services the client might need.
cash flow statements are another popular deliverable with hidden hurdles and opportunities. if the client has someone else preparing the underlying profit and loss balance sheet, there could be complications with the data. if you do not have access to the client’s income statement and balance sheet, you may hit a roadblock caused by a third party’s oversight of the profit and loss balance sheet. you’ll want your scope to reflect those kinds of anticipated hiccups.
the client assessment is also your opportunity to dig into the nitty-gritty of what it will take to service the client. as a result, you’ll also be limiting your risk.
your profits rely on proper scoping and asking all the right questions. a successful client and firm relationship is all about alignment. communicating what you need from the client is an important step.
as you ask questions, think about the standardized way your firm gets things done and the pieces of information needed from the client to keep the system moving smoothly. knowing what you need and how you need it is the recipe for successful standardization. be prepared in the needs assessment to start collecting all the necessary data your standardized processes rely on.
if you don’t standardize what you need from the clients, you’ll take on clients who are too messy and time-consuming for your new model, which runs on efficiency and automation. if you aren’t clear about what you need and when you need it, it will turn your workflow into a mess. work won’t get done on time and won’t meet client expectations. this mess will affect other clients who rely on you, as well. it will also contribute to you missing key details like the data on a multi-state tax return. you’ll end up underpricing your engagement, losing money for the firm and unnecessarily overworking yourself and others.
with the right data input in a timely fashion, standardization will make you more efficient, more effective and more profitable while assessing clients and deliverables. don’t forget, if this is a large engagement, you can scope the assessment process and charge the client. just be sure to provide value in the process. some firms that charge for this process present the client with a report at the end of the assessment. consider it a deliverable.