set expectations early.
by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms
how you welcome your new client can set the tone for a relationship that could last for years or in the worst of cases, just days. start out on the right foot by looking super-organized (because that’s part of why we get hired anyway) and making it super-easy for a client to get on board with you.
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the best vehicle for this is a welcome kit. here are eight things that should be in your kit at a minimum:
1. welcome letter
a welcome letter that shows gratitude and describes what else is in the welcome kit will give you a good start to your welcome kit. keep it short and simple.
2. contact information
include your support email address and phone number and the hours you can be reached. you might also want to mention how quickly you will return calls when your client gets your voice mail and you are unable to answer the call immediately.
3. team names and backgrounds
introduce your team on paper by providing the role they will be performing for the client and a short bio that includes hobbies and other fun facts like their favorite movie or tv series. that will help to break the ice and will promote affinity as well as give ideas for small talk.
4. client intake
if you need additional information from the client that was not gathered at sales time, you can design a form to capture that information easily. but remember to keep it short and pre-filled as much as possible because the person who just hired you expects to cut down on their paperwork load, not add to it!
5. access information
you may have portals or account information you need to share with your client:
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- accounting system logins
- payroll portals
- document sharing portals
- cloud accounting portals
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provide urls, user ids and passwords on a separate sheet of paper or a card and be sure to headline this paper with a title like “important information: please keep in a safe, secure place.”
6. privacy policy
anyone who handles a client’s sensitive financial information is required to provide the client with a written privacy policy, so this is a good time to include this.
7. document retention policy
if you’re going to be storing a client’s original documents at your location or if you have any responsibilities related to their paperwork, it’s a good idea to include a document retention policy so the client knows what to do and what to expect in this area.
8. payment options
it sure doesn’t hurt to remind a client how they can pay you. this brief section could list the credit cards you take, a paypal option, where to send checks or how to pay online. if you offer a pay-in-advance option, this is a great place to explain how this works.
you might also want to include a copy of the signed engagement letter if the client does not already have a copy.