Higher quality clients have the potential to lift your accounting practice to a new level. Attracting upscale clients with the ability to pay top prices for a job well done and cultivating long-term business relationships with them requires careful attention to your firm's marketing strategy, image and customer service style. Here are five areas of focus to increase your number of upscale clients and grow your business to new heights.
Watch Where You Advertise
Draw higher quality clients to your accounting practice by advertising in places upscale clients frequent. Start with in-person events. Charity functions often have a place for advertising in their programs, and actually attending events yourself provides direct networking opportunities. Business conferences are another great networking opportunity. For even more exposure, offer a workshop sharing applicable tax information at a conference. Other upscale advertising options include targeted Internet advertising at upscale sites, paid-search advertisements through search engines and sending press releases about your business to local upscale publications.
Evaluate Your Image
Upscale clients do business with upscale firms. Make sure your rates are high enough to represent the value you offer. Keep your office decor clean and modern. Dress for success, and require your staff to do the same. Extend your upscale image to your web presence. Have your website professionally designed, and regularly review it to keep it up-to-date. Keep any social media presence 100-percent professional, and never advertise on sites with questionable content.
Embrace Technology
Use modern technology to improve client relationships and keep your accounting practice running smoothly. Offer meetings though video chat to minimize the amount of time busy clients need to spend traveling to your office. Choose accounting software for functionality and ease-of-use. Smoothly running programs decrease the amount of time your high-end clients spend waiting for information. Consult with a technology professional to keep your equipment and programs up-to-date to meet the expectations of higher quality clients.
Aim for Superior Customer Service
Upscale clients expect top-notch customer service. Aim to minimize waiting periods. Whenever possible, provide clients and potential clients with real-time replies to email inquiries and phone calls. Give upscale clients your direct contact information instead of communicating through an assistant, and schedule extra time for meetings to avoid rushing. Most importantly, pay attention to your new higher quality clients. Notice what they like. Stock your coffee area with that special tea they mentioned. Offer client perks directed towards their interests. Attention to detail expresses your concern for their needs and highlights the quality of your accounting practice.
Focus on Your Reputation
Do a good job, and when you make a mistake, apologize and fix it. Honesty and business transparency go a long way towards building trust. One satisfied high-quality client has the potential to grow your accounting practice by providing you with introductions and referrals to potential clients in his circle. Keep your reputation clean, and provide a quality service, and better clients will follow.
Acquire and retain high-end clients for your accounting practice by growing a great reputation, networking and keeping your customer service standards high. Regard each new upscale client as a success, and focus on networking to increase your client base one contact at a time. A little extra effort goes a long way towards building an upscale firm.
Photo courtesy of patrisyu at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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