Tax season is an excellent time to show clients your skills and talents. And, since you probably have the most contact with a client during this period, it’s easier to demonstrate that you’re thinking of them. You’re there to help them with their challenges and problems. But, what about the rest of the year? This can actually be a risky time. A lot of service providers tend to spend the off-season trying to get new clients. And, often, those clients might be yours! So, manage your risk in this area by letting clients know you’re thinking of them all year long. Clients are a lot harder to lose when they feel appreciated.
1. Consider a CRM System
One way to help you regularly stay in touch with your clients is with a client relationship management (CRM) system. A CRM system can help you keep track of your contact with clients throughout the year. It can also help you automate certain marketing functions, so your firm has customer contact on a regular basis. It doesn’t replace the human touch, but it can help you to know when and how you’ve been reaching out. And, you don’t have to spend a ton of money on a CRM system, either (unless you want to). These days, you can find a one that does all the basics for a reasonable cost. It’s worth looking into. CRM systems generally payoff quickly by helping you get a better handle on client interactions and the return you are getting from them.
2. Give Clients Things to Consider
When you’re working on a client’s tax return, you might notice some things that you could help them with later. Note those items. Then, after tax season is over follow-up with the client. This can do two things. It can show clients that you’re thinking of them. And, it might lead to new work, especially if it’s something with which they feel they need help.
3. Offer Discounts for Off-Season Work
We all know that tax services can be expensive. So, a way to show clients that you’re thinking of their needs is to offer discounted services in the off-season. Clients always enjoy getting your great work and even more when it’s at a markdown. It doesn’t have to be a big discount, just a meaningful one. Plus, it’s a way to help even-out your work after tax season. Wouldn’t it be great to lessen the load a bit during tax season by pushing work to the summer? This is a way to do it. And, when you consider the better timing, the small decrease in fees seems like a great trade-off.
4. Talk to Clients About Their Service Experience
Getting feedback about your services is essential. And, asking clients to tell you about how they think you performed is another way to show that you care about what they believe. Especially if there was a snag in the service this year, this could be a great way to smooth things over. Talking to a client about what you’re planning to do next time to ensure that things work better can go a long way to getting back in good graces.
5. Consider Sending Birthday or Anniversary Cards
Another way to stay in touch is to send birthday or anniversary cards. Depending on the type of clients you have, this might be an excellent way to let them know you’re thinking of them. Especially if your practice is made up of individuals and small businesses, sending out cards for special days helps you stay in touch all year long.
6. Hold a Client Appreciation Event
You don’t have to do it every year. In fact, you might want to make it more unique by not holding it every year. But, a great way to show clients that you care is to hold a client appreciation event. There’s no one type of event that works best for every firm. Every firm’s clientele looks different. But, take a look at the mix of clients that you have and figure out a fun experience to show them you care. Make it a big deal. Have it be as fine as you can for the budget you have. Then, take the time to invite as many people as you can personally. Then, at the event, talk to your clients. Don’t devote a ton of energy to any one group. Spread yourself around. You can have an excellent affair and create a significant amount of goodwill.
7. Hold an Educational Event
One great (well, maybe not great) thing about the tax laws is that they’re always changing. This can give you an opportunity to hold an education event for your clients. If it’s about new changes, you can schedule it toward the end of each year and invite customers to hear about those changes. You can also fill them in on best practices to minimize their tax bills. Or, if there are new regulations that potentially impact every business (think tangible property regulations that came out a few years ago), you can hold an event focused solely on one topic. Either way, this is a chance to reach out to clients and demonstrate your expertise. That way, clients can feel confident in their tax service provider and get educated at the same time.
8. Let Clients Know What You’re Doing for Next Year
Do you have a significant change coming that’ll improve the way that you perform certain work? Be sure to let your clients know. It’ll help them to realize how much you care about them. Striving to increase service levels is essential to many clients. So, letting them know what you’re doing can give them extra confidence in the work that you do for them.
A big part of keeping your clients happy is helping them to know that you care about them. And, showing you care all year long is a big deal. Get this right, and you’ll have a growing list of happy clients. And that probably means an ever-increasing bottom line that’ll surely make you happy as well.