Time is in short supply, and with so many things vying for our attention, it’s important that we learn to communicate quickly and efficiently, especially when it comes to one’s business. If you don’t learn to tell contacts what you do in less time than it takes them to ride to the top floor in an elevator (also called an Elevator Speech), you’re likely to lose their interest and their prospective business.
In a recent article posted to Entrepreneur.com, author and communications coach Carmine Gallo explains “How to Tell Your Business Story in 60 Seconds or Less.” She explains, “Unfortunately, many small-business owners don’t think enough about their company’s story and how it comes across.” That’s why she’s developed four questions designed to enable business owners to develop an effective 60-second sales pitch.
- What do you do?
- What problems do you solve?
- How is your product or service different?
- Why should I care?
Your answers should be quick and to-the-point. The following is an industry-specific example:
My name’s Sharon West and I enjoy doing what most people don’t: I file taxes, helping individuals and small business owners maximize their returns. I’m a professional tax preparer [what your business does and what problems it solves]. You see, many paid tax preparers haven’t received any formal training in filing taxes and working with individuals on their tax planning. That’s what I do and I’ve been trained to do it [how it’s different]. And if business owners are concerned that my fees will eat up their profits, I can guarantee that what I charge will come back to them at least 100% in tax savings. Now how many tax professionals do you know of that come with that kind of guarantee? [why you should care]. Here’s my business card. If you know of individuals or small business owners who could use a trusted tax professional, please refer them to me.
Practice your delivery so that it doesn’t sound canned or monotonous. It should be exciting and engaging, communicating your passion for what you do and how well you do it. And it’s important that you not drone on and on; that’s why it should be no longer than 60 seconds. In fact, you may consider having two versions of your 60-second sales pitch: the 30-second version and the one minute version.
Ultimately, the 60-second sales pitch is designed for any networking situation where you can introduce yourself and your business to potential clients. This may be at a convention, a conference, the grocery store, or the dentist’s office. Remember that anyone can be a potential client or can refer you to a potential client. And with your 60-second sales pitch on the tip of your tongue, you’re ready to sell yourself in any given situation with comfort and ease.
What’s your 60-second sales pitch?
If you’re interested in learning more about securing and retaining new clients, watch our free video on marketing. It will forever change your business approach!
Resource
Gallo, Carmine. “How to Tell Your Business Story in 60 Seconds or Less.” 19 December 2011 Entrepreneur.com
At a time when many consumers turn to the Internet to find products and services, it’s vital to have a presence on the Web. Otherwise, many potential customers may overlook you, simply because they can’t find you. Through the Internet, you can attract future clients in your area and communicate with your current clients. Here are five simple tactics to market your tax preparation service on the Web:
1) Create a functional website
According to the Yahoo Small Business survey, 70% of small businesses had a website by the end of 2004; we can only assume current numbers are even higher. Building a website is the first step in developing an online presence. There are books written on building websites and firms that can help you design and optimize your site.
Your site should reflect your practice. It should be clean, professional and informative; and make sure your contact information is apparent.
2) Register with online directories
If you go to the Google search engine and enter “Kaysville Utah Tax Preparation,” the first thing that appears in the results is the local business results for tax preparation near Kaysville,UT. This is Google’s online directory of businesses. Registration in this directory is free. Following the Google directory is a number of other online directories that list tax preparation firms. Conduct a similar search for your area and see which directories come up. Then go through the steps to register with these directories.
3) Create an email marketing campaign
An email marketing campaign will mainly target your current clients. This may be something you can implement in the future if you don’t have a list of your clients’ email addresses. Through an email campaign, you can inform your clients of special offers, promote your website or blog, and/or send a semiannual newsletter with tax tips and information. A newsletter is an excellent way to stay in touch with clients throughout the year and encourage them to come back the following tax season.
4) Build a purposeful blog
A web log, or blog for short, is one of the newest forms of communicating online. Blogs began as online journals where people could share their ideas, thoughts, stories, photos and videos. Only recently have corporations recognized the value of a blog to connect with their customers.
A major advantage to a blog is you can find free software and services that will host the blog. A CPA or tax preparer could use a blog to share insights and opinions on tax law or other tax related topics. I found one CPA’s blog where he shares jokes and comics about taxes and tax preparation. Though blogs are casual in feel, remember you are still representing your practice, so it should be done tastefully.
5) Use paid listings through search engines when cost effective
MSN, Google, Yahoo and other search engines offer paid listings as a form of advertising. Paid listings, also known as sponsored links, usually appear at the top and at the right of search results. Companies pay to have their links appear on the search results page in these areas. This type of Internet marketing can be effective, especially when you are first creating your online presence. I recommend you hire an Internet marketing firm to manage and track your paid listings account. Your ads should focus on the demographic in your area to avoid spending a lot of money on ineffective advertising.
If done correctly, online marketing is a fruitful strategy to increase your client base and well worth the time and money spent.
Visit http://www.1040works.com/ for more marketing tips and tax law information.
We welcome your feedback in our comments section.
If you prepare taxes on the side, tax season is a profitable time for you. And depending on your goals, your little tax business could become even more profitable if you took some of the following steps to increase your clientele and your bottom line.
1. Consider Full-Time Self Employment
Don’t quit your day job just yet. However, we would encourage you to consider whether or not you’re genuinely interested in launching your own full-time tax practice. If so, it’s important for you and your family to know that this transition won’t put you out on the street. And while it will require sacrifice, take the time necessary to ensure that you have work enough to sustain you when your business goes from being a part-time endeavor to a full-time one.
Consider how long it might take you to grow your business to the point where you’d feel comfortable quitting your job. 3 months? 6 months? One year? And don’t work blindly towards that deadline. Determine “readiness indicators,” or symptoms that your business is healthy enough to go full-time. Will you need at least 10 year-round clients? 15? 20? Look at your current client base and calculate how much money each brings in. How many more would you need in order to compensate for your current full-time income? And don’t rush yourself. Give yourself the necessary time to prepare for this most important career shift.
2. Add Tax Planning Services.
There is a notable difference between tax planning and tax preparation: THE DATE. Tax planning must occur before the year ends, and tax preparation begins after January 1st. Tax planning is an important step in reducing taxes. Throughout the year, tax professionals can discuss with clients various tax strategies that could potentially save them thousands of dollars. This also enables them to make any needed adjustments before the end of the year to effectively lower their tax liability. Universal’s Professional Tax Preparer Program will help you accomplish this.
3. Offer more services.
Last week we discussed the importance of expanding your offerings. This is sound advice because the more services you offer, the more valuable you become to current clients and potentials clients. Consider adding accounting services to your menu in order to increase your value and become that one-stop financial shop. You’ll find that people may need an accountant more than they need a tax professional, and visa versa. Only when you’re prepared to do both are you able to secure both types of clients. And for the clients who need both accounting and tax services, you’re able to increase your billable hours, and thus increase your income.
4. Fine-Tune Your Marketing Approach.
It’s difficult to grow a business no one really knows about. With just a handful of proven and effective marketing techniques, you could increase your clientele significantly. Universal Practice Builder Program, otherwise known as Marketing on Steroids, will teach you how increase your billable hours and earn the monies you deserve by leveraging your time with techniques proven to get clients. Your practice can become the premier service in your area for tax planning and preparation. Your ability to market your business and network with key community players will promote your business to those who need and appreciate it most.
If you get started now, you may find 2012 better than you could have ever imagined! But first, call Universal Accounting at 1-877-833-7909 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-877-833-7909 end_of_the_skype_highlighting to see which of our programs could help you best prepare for a more profitable future!
Have you been thinking about launching your part-time tax practice into a full-time venture? Don’t let the recession intimidate you. For many, this economic downturn presents the perfect opportunity to inject their businesses into a depressed market and experience a strong showing as a result.
While startup mistakes are common, and expected, you can take measures to avoid the greatest pitfalls by avoiding the most common mishaps. In this article we share 4 of 9 mistakes you can avoid in order to enjoy greater success more quickly.
1. Not researching the market before entry
Not even your enthusiasm can make up for a lack of research regarding your prospective practice and its intended market. Before launching your business full-time, do a little research to ensure your intended niche can sustain your practice. If you plan to service small businesses, your “research” can include a drive down your main street, or you can thumb through the yellow pages of your local phone book. How many small, local businesses can you find? Consider that these don’t even include the countless entrepreneurs working from their homes. This potential client base is huge and continues to grow every year.
2. Focusing on a narrow niche
It’s always good to specialize-be it restaurants, construction companies, retailers, etc.; it can help your business to have an industry-specific focus. However, if you narrow your focus too much, you may eliminate many prospective clients. We suggest you focus on small business and then, perhaps select a specialty within that venue. That should keep your niche wide enough to attract the clients you need sustain your business.
3. Launching too slowly
There’s a risk in launching too quickly (for example, without having done the necessary research), but the risk for launching too slowly is even more common. Once you’ve done the necessary research, have developed your vision and business goals and have determined the best time to enter the market, you should move forward with your undivided attention and energy. Doing so will ensure your business the greatest likelihood of success.
4. Forgetting about branding, marketing, and sales
Stuart H. Britt said, “For a business not to advertise is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you’re doing but no one else does.” As a tax professional, you may think that focusing on your craft is the most important strategy in launching your full-time business. While that is important, your expertise will get you nowhere if you don’t have any clients. You must dedicate some of your time and energy to promoting your services.
As you pursue your dream of owning and operating your own full-time tax practice, you can avoid failure by avoiding common startup mistakes.
Return next week when we’ll be sharing the final 5 startup mistakes:
5. Being short on passion
6. Spending too much money
7. Bringing in unnecessary partners
8. Lacking clarity in long-term business goals
9. Refusing to receive further training
Attracting Even More Clients
One thing to consider when marketing your business is how to leverage all your skills in order to attract as many potential clients as possible. You may not realize just how much business you could get when properly promoting your QuickBooks expertise. From setup to consultations to help services, you could increase your offerings with no effort at all. It just depends on how you promote it.
Increase your clientele using a skill you already have. To learn how to promote your QuickBooks expertise in order to gain more clients, order QuickBooks Made Profitable today.
5 Big Mistakes to Avoid
The recession is making everyone nervous, especially small business owners. And as a result, many are taking a cautionary approach to business management, which, in the end, will threaten their ability to outlast the recession. If you’re interested in gaining momentum in these difficult times, you’ll be sure to avoid the following 5 big mistakes:
1. Stop Marketing
While you may need to reevaluate your marketing approach, you should definitely continue to market your services. Determine which tactics have worked well in the past and repurpose them for the current economic climate. Too many small businesses are decreasing their efforts to promote their businesses which will only enable their competition to eclipse them in the long run. Now is the perfect time to heighten your efforts to market your business and gain more familiarity with prospective clients.
2. Mind Your Own Business
One of the worst things you could do is ignore your competition and their response to the recession. You’ll gain a competitive advantage by monitoring their efforts in marketing, networking, retention, and service offerings. Only when you’ve research the competition can you be strategic in your attempt to outlast them.
3. Wait to Self-Assess
Now is a good time to assess your efforts, determining both your strengths and your weaknesses in order to improve your business. Prospective clients are tightening their purse strings and will be even more deliberate and thoughtful when selecting a tax professional that best suits their needs. Your willingness to advance your business despite the recession will demonstrate your professional dedication.
4. Minimize Networking
While networking may take time, it doesn’t require a lot of money. You would make a big mistake in minimizing your networking efforts during a recession. You can learn a lot from other professionals weathering the economic storm, and as you continue to network, you’ll be exposed to good advice, helpful tips, and potential referrals.
5. Sit Tight
Now is the time to make all necessary efforts to improve your appeal to prospective clients. When you sit tight, you surrender the advantage to your competition and lose precious ground. Look for ways to enhance your service offerings and marketing advantage. When you do, your business will quickly become the premier financial provider in your area.
UAC’s Training Programs Will Catapult You Ahead of the Competition
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that by expanding your service offerings you can quickly expand your client base and, consequently, your bottom line. As a tax preparer, adding accounting and QuickBooks services to your menu will not only attract more clients, but it will enable you to easily expand your seasonal business to a year-round venture.
Universal’s Professional Bookkeeper Program and Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide to QuickBooks are perfect recession-proofing training programs. They will bolster your business with valuable services that every small business owner needs.
For more information on these two programs and their ability to strengthen your business and help you outlast the recession, visit Universal Accounting Center today!
Josh Gordon, president of Selling 2.0, recently released survey findings that indicate how to best approach marketing during a recession. If you’ve encountered less business as a result of the economic downturn, the following 5 tips may help find more success promoting your services.
1. Target a different market or demographic.
Many businesses are finding greater success in marketing to new categories of customers and clients. While you should never abandon your current clients, you may find that new and improved marketing materials are best directed at a different target market. In fact, because they are proven to better rebound from a recession, consider smaller businesses, or even individuals. Regardless, remember to contact past clients as well, as they are generally more comfortable returning to a tax preparer that is familiar with their situation.
2. Work more closely with your marketing department.
You probably don’t have a marketing department, but this concept of having the business manager (or accountant) work more closely with the marketing director, is key in seeing true business success. In fact, it’s a concept on which Allen Bostrom focuses in his book In the Black: Nine Principles to Make Your Business Profitable. When you examine which marketing efforts are bringing in the most clients you’re able to better define a marketing strategy that works for your practice.
3. Enhance customer contact and improve customer service.
This is an age-old principle in securing and retaining clients. In order for them to feel truly valued, you must contact them regularly and ensure they each receive stellar customer service. And now is the time of year when you must inform past clients that tax season is upon them. The correspondence will remind them that your service is the most convenient and appealing option they have when it comes to filing a fair and accurate return that limits their liability as much as is legally possible.
4. Recognize that current and prospective clients may take longer to commit.
The recession has made many fearful, especially when it comes to spending money. Don’t be offended when you see current and prospective clients tentative when it comes to retaining your services. This is where you will need to tactfully remind them that your fee more than pays for itself in what you save them in taxes. When you are able to demonstrate how your services align with their financial objectives, you will enjoy more success.
5. Build your social networks.
This is not the time to stop networking. Building your social networks will enable you to make more connections, finding potential clients where you might least expect them. And as you associate with colleagues, you’ll better understand the current economic climate of your region as well as more effective marketing strategies and target markets.
One way to ensure your practice’s longevity is to continue marketing your services regardless of the recession. As Roosevelt said in his inaugural address to a depressed nation, “…let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself-nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
The last thing your practice should do now is retreat. Attending to your marketing efforts is the best way to advance your business during a recession. Take some time to further study how you can apply effective marketing strategies. UAC’s Universal Practice Builder Program is one resource that could help you accomplish that. Visit our website to listen to what our graduates are saying about how this marketing program has changed their businesses for the better.
Resources
Gordon, Josh. “What is Your Recession Strategy?” 12 December 2008 thecustomercollective.com
February 11th, 2009 in
Marketing |
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Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value. – Jim RohnPeople who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents. – Andrew CarnegieBe miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice. – Wayne Dyer.Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything. – Napoleon Hill
They say tough times bring out the best in people. We’re guessing our current economic slump qualifies as a tough time, especially for small business owners like you. Is it bringing out your best?
A recession will test your character, and your response will determine what you’re made of. Will you advance or retreat? Whatever your response, it will be determined from by your internal motivation. Steven Covey once said, “Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.”
The last thing you should do is allow the recession to dictate how successful your business is. Rather than hunker down to wait out these tough times, you can take initiative and empower your business with a competitive edge, making it the premier financial provider in your area. But that choice is yours. Will you make it?
Increase Your Services
Increasing your service offerings makes your practice more appealing to prospective clients. Nothing will complement your tax practice more than Professional Bookkeeping services. By increasing the number of products you offer, you’ll not only be able to provide your clients with a complete financial service package, but you will also be able to generate a better income for you and your family as well.
You already know that the income from a tax preparation business peaks during the first four months of the year. Many professional tax preparers bill at rates of $100 per hour or more, enabling them to work 4 to 6 months per year and semi-retire the rest of the year. But in these financially troubling times, that might not be enough to support you and your family. By adding bookkeeping and accounting services to your menu, you’ll create a stable income stream for your business that will be consistent year-round.
When you enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program you have access to the following:
- A self-paced program you can complete in as little as 60 hours
- Practical, hands-on training that will prepare you for typical day-to-day small business accounting functions
- The ability to earn the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) designation
- 6 months of follow-up support with our trained professionals
- 12 valuable instructional DVD’s and manuals designed to help you continually review and master concepts
- The confidence to become the premier full-service financial provider in your area
- An iron-clad guarantee that makes the PB Program a risk-free professional investment
Implement Effective Marketing Strategies
When you employ proven marketing techniques in order to promote your practice, you gain a competitive edge that enables you to grow your business and your bottom line. The Universal Practice Builder Program was designed to train you how to put your practice on top, attracting quality clients using cost- and time-effective techniques.
This program offers the following:
- $30,000 in new annualized billings in only 12 months
- Tactical goal planning and setting
- The ability to generate 15 to 25 qualified leads per month
- Phone marketing instruction and training
- Training in the benefits of newsletters and websites
- 12-proven marketing strategies
- Five business assessments
- A customized business website
Most of your competitors are just as shell-shocked by the recession as you are. Most of them are also lying low and hoping their businesses can weather the economic storm. You will gain an advantage by improving your business by becoming a full-service financial provider. The Professional Bookkeeper and Universal Practice Builder Programs will enable you to do that. By enhancing your services and implementing effective marketing strategies, your tax practice will quickly become the premier financial service provider in your area.
Don’t cower to the recession. Take action and advance your business now. Register today!
Last week we suggested you purchase a last-minute gift for yourself: the Universal Practice Builder program. For those of you too busy to take advantage of that offer, we extend it through today, reminding tax professionals that anything purchased for the betterment of your business will be tax deductible this year, as long as you enroll by December 31st.
Marketing on Steroids
We understand that tax professionals are generally not marketing gurus. Why would you be? Your job is to stay current in tax code and help clients reduce their liability as much as possible. But if you don’t market your services, you’re not likely to have a very solid client base, nor will you have the work required to make enough money to sustain your practice year-round.
The Universal Practice Builder (UPB) program will equip you with all the marketing tools necessary to build a thriving tax practice. In fact, following the completion of this course you can become the premier tax practice in your area.
To share this priceless information we developed the Universal Practice Builder Program, otherwise known as Marketing on Steroids. Here’s just a sampling of what you will gain from enrolling in this phenomenal program:
- A guarantee of $30,000 in new annualized billings in only 12 months
- The skills to become a Profit Expert for each of your clients
- 12 marketing strategies that you can implement immediately
- A process which can produce 15 to 25 qualified leads per month
- 3 months of coaching via telephone and Internet
- Training on a computerized database tracking program
- A presentation DVD to show potential clients
- Training to use QuickBooks to attract more clients
- Access to a plan proven to help retain clients
And if you enroll by the end of today, your fee will be tax deductible!
Attend a Special UPB Workshop
Not only that, but if you choose, you can also attend our special Universal Practice Builder Workshop in Salt Lake City, January 2009. There you can listen to the experts and ask questions that will enable them to personalize the training for you and your business.
Here’s what other attendees have said about the workshop:
Very impressed. I thought the seminar was very well done and the people from UAC seem to really care about your future success. I really enjoyed it! Once I got here I realized how worthwhile it was. If you’re not a marketing guru then I highly recommend it. – David A.Great ideas. Everyone works hard for good results. Great marketing & sales team. I wished I had these people on my team! Although I have an MBA, everything taught is right on target & very well presented. Thank you very much. – C.O. DavisWords simply cannot express how much I learned and how much I enjoyed the UPB workshop. I left SLC yesterday feeling an amazing empowerment, knowing that the process of building my accounting practice has only just begun and that the sky is the limit. With the excellent guidance, advice, and education I received this past weekend, I now feel ready to take on the task of building the best accounting practice that I possibly can (and as quickly as I can, too!). Meeting the other participants was also an inspiration. Thanks for an amazing experience and event that was definitely, without a doubt, the best use of my weekend. – Jessica R.S.Truly appreciated attending. It was immensely informative and first-class all the way! Thank you to all of the staff and thank you Allen!!! – Mary P.
Enroll Now!
When you enroll today, not only do you take advantage of another tax deduction for your business, but you also will receive our free gift, QuickBooks Made Profitable. This simple program will teach you how to develop a QuickBooks expertise that will enable you to increase your service offerings, attract new clients, and grow your business even more! Doing so will make your practice more valuable to current and prospective clients. There’s no time like the present, or December 31st, to take advantage of last-minute tax savings. Enroll in the Universal Practice Builder program today!
You know the feeling. You’re sitting at home on Christmas Eve, ready to enjoy the holiday, when you remember that you’ve forgotten a very important present for a very important person. It’s too late to order over the internet, and you can’t procrastinate any longer, so you brave the winter weather and join the throngs of other shoppers who have also been a tad forgetful.Our intention here isn’t to guilt you into driving to the mall today. In fact, we hope you’ll stay right where you are, comfortably reading this article. We also hope that you’ll think of that one person for which you haven’t yet purchased a present. That one person who deserves a gift so grand it will make 2009 more enjoyable, more exciting, and more lucrative than ever! Who are we talking about? You, of course!
The Gift of Profitability
It would be silly of us to ask if you would like your business to become more profitable. Of course you would! What business owners wouldn’t want to grow their practices using proven marketing techniques designed to help them secure high-quality clients? Crazy ones! You, on the other hand, are only crazy about your business, intent on seeing it become as successful as possible. That’s why you need to give yourself the gift of profitability this year.UAC’s Universal Practice Builder program is targeted for those business owners who want to hone their marketing practices and see genuine profitability as a result. You realize that you only have so much time, and any time you spend marketing must be effective. The strategies and techniques you use must bring new clients through your door. Otherwise you’re wasting valuable time you could instead use to bill clients for performing your valuable services.The Universal Practice Builder course will train you in 12 promotional techniques that will appeal to your target market! Not only that, but this training will enable you to produce 15 to 25 qualified leads per month. In no time at all, you’ll either need to hire employees to help with the work load, or you’ll have to turn potential clients away! With such an incredible demand for your services, you can charge even more money and maintain a client roster full of high-end clients.You’ll also learn valuable presentation skills you can use in client-generating seminars that will demonstrate your expertise while creating even more interest in your practice. Imagine becoming the premier tax preparer in your area! It can be done if you purchase this one present for yourself today.Enroll now and you can learn from the masters who will provide individual direction in how you can cater this program to your personal situation and personality.
One Astounding Guarantee and Our Free Gift for Enrolling
We guarantee that when you correctly apply the principles learned through the Universal Practice Builder program, you will earn an additional $30,000 in annualized billings in just 12 months! That’s 17 times the cost for this course. Talk about a healthy ROI! This isn’t just a present-it’s a serious increase in your salary.Also, when you enroll today, we’ll add QuickBooks Made Profitable, a program designed to show you how to use your QuickBooks expertise to bring in even more clients. Not only will you learn how to better market your skills, but you’ll increase your service offerings in order to attract more clients that can keep you busy year-round and not just during tax season.
Testimonials of Others Who Treated Themselves to a More Profitable Practice
The following individuals are enjoying all the benefits this program offers. But don’t just take our word for it; read what they have to say:
Excellent company. The people really care about their students. I really feel they want to see their students succeed. It is a pleasure to do business with UAC. This was an excellent workshop. There was a lot of quality material presented by some excellent and sometimes even funny instructors. I walked in with no plans and walked out with a special plan of action to help market and grow my practice to the next level. - Pete M.I was very impressed and thankful I decided to attend. Lots of great information to take and implement in my practice. Watching the DVD’s was wonderful but attending the seminar was phenomenal. – Diane H.Universal Accounting is dedicated to my success and is evident by their dedication to teaching me the tools I must have to develop my business. The staff made sure when I left the seminar that I was prepared and comfortable with moving ahead with business development. – Gary R.F.UAC is the premier trainer of the accountants of the future. They truly understand how to differentiate their clients from the average accountants. To be honest, I don’t want anyone in my area to know about UAC. I think the information provided will truly separate my services from 95% of my competition. – Magnus E.
2009 is around the corner. Don’t you want it to be your most profitable year yet? When you enroll in the Universal Practice Builder program, you are taking all the steps necessary to grow your practice to become the premier tax firm in your area. Get yourself the gift that will keep on giving you and your family a more profitable future.
Happy Holidays, from Universal!
Step Two: Approaching Clients for Referrals
Only after your clients have experienced your stellar services can you approach them for referrals. Last week we talked about providing quality customer service to your clients in order for them to truly appreciate your business. Until you are certain clients are happy with your services, you should not approach them for referrals. You don’t want to compromise an already delicate relationship.Once you have a handful of pleased clients, select one of the following approaches in asking them for referrals:
1. Request feedback
One subtle method for requesting referrals can accompany your request for valuable client feedback. Give your clients a survey on which they can respond to the quality of your services, explaining what they appreciate and what they would like you to improve. If clients are especially satisfied with your work, this can be a good time to request, at the bottom of the survey, a list of individuals they know who might also benefit from your services.
2. Use a sales letter
If you distribute a newsletter for your business, this would be a great place to request referrals in a very casual way. If you don’t currently distribute a newsletter, you may consider sending all your current clients a sales letter where you detail your services and offer a seasonal offer or special deal. Again, at the bottom you can include a request for referrals.
3. Ask directly
Business lunches are a great way to show your clients appreciation. It’s also a good setting for requesting referrals. It’s important to remember that your approach should never be pushy or aggressive. Take the time to chat with your clients, showing genuine concern and interest as you talk casually. At some point the conversation should turn to business, and as the end of your meal nears you should make the request. Consider a casual request, such as, “Is there anyone you know of who might also benefit from my services?” If your client’s response is positive, ask if you could invite the client and his/her friend(s) to another lunch appointment where you could be introduced.
4. Offer incentives
Often the idea of discounted services is the best motivator. You may find your clients more willing to refer their family and friends to your tax practice when they realize that they will receive a complimentary service or some type of discount. Remind your clients of these incentives 3 to 4 times a year in order to encourage them to consider who they know that might benefit from your services.
5. Give gifts of appreciation
Regardless of whether or not your clients actually refer anyone to you, showing your appreciation for their business is always a good practice. Gift cards for restaurants, movie theaters, gas stations, book stores, etc. are all good examples of small gifts of appreciation that will go a long way in inspiring client loyalty.
Asking for referrals can be daunting. However, when you can ensure that your clients are first satisfied and then approach them with a low-pressure technique, you’re more likely to find success and a handful of prospective clients.Attend a Free SeminarWhether you have your own accounting practice or have been considering starting one in the future, you could benefit from a free seminar on Having Your Own Successful Accounting Practice. Universal Accounting Center is making the rounds these next few months, offering this free two-hour workshop designed to teach you how to save many wasted hours and thousands of dollars learning techniques that work. See if one of our free seminars will be coming near you.
Time is in short supply, and with so many things vying for our attention, it’s important that we learn to communicate quickly and efficiently, especially when it comes to one’s business. If you don’t learn to tell contacts what you do in less time than it takes them to ride to the top floor in an elevator (also called an Elevator Speech), you’re likely to lose their interest and their prospective business.
