how covid is creating a new channel to reach out and serve clients and prospects.
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
newsletters aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. sure, they’re a nice way to touch base with clients, but what do they really accomplish?
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maybe it’s time to rethink the newsletter. the covid-19 crisis may be catalyzing a new way to
- show clients you care
- establish your expertise
- give clients individualized information they really want
- create the gestalt of a networked client community with your cpa firm at the center
time to rethink the newsletter
by definition, newsletters are generic.
- they’re aimed at everyone. which really means they’re aimed at no one.
- do clients really read them? probably not. they may appreciate the gesture of support, but if the items in the newsletter aren’t immediately useful, they get skimmed over and forgotten – or even totally ignored.
- newsletters are minimal communication – not just in minimal usefulness but as a message between one cpa practice and one given client. there is no communication among clients.
- the new newsletter can be a periodic online coffee break involving a manageable group of clients.
instead of the old-school newsletter, maybe it’s time to consider a regular video conference. zoom.us has become the tool of choice. but, of course, there are others, including on24, gotomeeting, skype, google, and the upstart bluejeans.
so think about getting clients together, starting with clients with shared interests, at a time when they aren’t likely to be busy with meetings or projects. this probably means early morning. maybe even very early. maybe evenings or weekends. or maybe you can offer two or three different times for as many groups.
make it a ritual – the monday morning meeting, say, or a friday happy hour.
this is going to be different from a newsletter. you aren’t going to deliver a lecture on a topic or two. you’re going to moderate a multifaceted conversation while offering counsel and expertise.
here are your goals:
- tell them (again) why they are there: to ask questions, to share experiences and opinions, to learn something, to hear news they can use.
- get them talking with each other. nurture a community. let them network. give them a few seconds to announce something – a new service, a need to hire, their goal of the day, births, deaths, whatever.
- tell them something they don’t know and that they can probably use. a new tax rule, for example, or the latest coronavirus-related business news. ask them if anyone is interested. if so, explain it. if not, move on. have a few topics ready to go.
- ask them how they are solving a particular problem – using quickbooks, offering curbside delivery, finding face masks, organizing documents, preparing information for taxes, using zoom. let them tell you what their problems are.
- let them ask you questions – whatever’s on their mind in the broad area of finance, accounting, bookkeeping, taxes, government programs and whatever services you offer.
- let them react to each other’s questions, sharing experiences, offering solutions, reporting frustrations.
- keep things moving. do not let it get boring, slow, unproductive or dragged out. business people like information and ideas, but they do not have time to waste.
- keep it short. have a definite start and stop time. the time it takes to drink a mug of coffee might be just about right.
- take notes on comments and concerns so you can follow up individually or at the next meeting.
an online coffee break is a newsletter that expands exponentially. it may not reach as many people at one time, but it touches each person individually. it provides relevant information. it creates a community at a time when people are isolated. it combines several one-on-one meetings into a single meeting. it establishes your expertise, and it makes you, the accountant, the center of something good.