they’ll tell you what they want if you just listen.
by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms
i feel extremely fortunate to have such a wonderful set of clients that i have learned much from the last few years.
more: boost your cross-selling in two easy steps | why your social media is a flop | the biggest seo secret of all: google business listings | beyond bookkeeping: five value-add service areas | beyond quickbooks: wowing your clients
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here is a list of lessons learned that i hope will inspire you to work with your clients in new ways.
lesson 1: help clients with what they dislike
although not all clients dislike writing, i’ve found that the majority of professionals in financial fields appreciate getting help with their writing. what took me a while to learn was the degree to which many wanted help, and what worked the best is to provide sample letters, emails, and marketing materials that was as close to their situation and as complete as possible.
what skill do you have that your clients dislike doing, takes them longer, or want to be done for them?
lesson 2: mindset is huge and it’s also almost always unspoken
both you and i have businesses where we often ask people to make changes. i can’t think of anything scarier to change than financial systems (or anything to do with them). while we’re good with the numbers, our clients are not. that’s why we get hired. clients may never tell you, but they may be insecure about making those changes.
when we can stop worrying about our own insecurities about whether we’re going to get the job, we can get into our client’s shoes and really connect with how to help them.
lesson 3: most clients are on your side
i think that some entrepreneurs are a little bit afraid of some of their clients. why else wouldn’t we reach out to them more often? why else would we delay calling them when they don’t pay on time? why else do we run the other way if there is a negative comment or they don’t answer our email?
the truth is most clients want to be validated themselves that they hired the right person – you. they want you to succeed. they want to be contacted. they want it to work. they are on your side.
where in your business is your behavior incongruent with letting clients be on your side?
lesson 4: honor the silent types
many of you are introverted and very reserved. and no matter what personality type you have, you don’t want to be embarrassed. what i learned was, to one person, being embarrassed means one thing, and to another, it means something completely different.
on the webinars, this means i don’t call on you until you give me permission. that will help to keep the shy people “safe” and invisible, while helping the people willing to speak out and share. the shy people actually benefit from the people who speak out, so it all works out in the long run.
who do you have in your client base who needs to be honored as a silent type?
lesson 5: make a list
accountants love checklists. when you can put your information into a format that your client naturally loves, then you’ll be ahead of the game.
what format do your clients love?
thanks goes to all my clients for all the wonderful things i’ve learned about how to serve you better.