How To Get Bookkeeping Clients

Landing new clients is always a challenging task. Clients are the fuel to your business engine. Often, one finds themselves confused and agitated if they’ve just opened up shop or in the event where an existing business turns stale or stagnant.

The only way forward usually is to land new clients, and with the world being as competitive as it is, the challenge certainly seems daunting. It wouldn’t be the worst idea for one to go back to the old drawing board and devise a strategy that is centred around attracting new pieces of business.

Tips to Attract Bookkeeping Clients

The world of business is always tough. However, a well-formed plan usually makes life a little easier and peaceful.

Who is your target market?

The first step is to understand what niche of clients you’re targeting. Demographics such as size and nature of the business, profitability, working relationship etc. will have to be assessed so as to arrive at attainable targets. It is important to identify the class of clients that require regular maintenance of their books of accounts and approach them, thus providing them with quality assured services.

Businesses involved in manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, imports and exports, other service-oriented businesses of small and medium scale would normally consist of potential clients.

Referrals are based on the quality of work

One of the best marketing tools that’s freely available is word of mouth. If you provide the clients with high-quality work and services on a continued basis, more often than not, it will result in them doing your advertising for you of their own accord. Customer satisfaction goes a long way in gaining new business while strengthening the relations of the existing ones.

Always go the extra mile by playing the role of an advisor

While offering them your regular services and doing the needful, it is also essential to build a rapport with the client, and along with that rapport, a relationship of trust. Once the element of trust is created, you will find the client gradually asking you for some advice and guidance as well. It always helps to go that extra mile and act as a trusted advisor to the client, thus earning yourself a healthy reputation.

Partnership with professionals

Pooled resources are always an advantage. Firms of professionals normally take on numerous clients of large sizes and offer them an attractive package with various services bundled together. Most often, bookkeeping services form part of that package. Therefore, by partnering with these firms, you will be able to offer services within your area of expertise, thus drumming up more business and more clients.

Have an online presence

With the present world being driven by technology across all avenues, having an online presence helps boost your business. Maintaining your Google Business profile on a regular basis does have an upside to it. A website for your business also makes for a great impression on new prospective clients. Moreover, with websites such as freelancer.com, upwork.com, guru.com, outsourcely.com, you will find the entire world as one marketplace so as to help scale your bookkeeping business to new heights.

Must possess good networking skills

Communication skills play a huge role in networking effectively. The ability to strike up a conversation, to keep one engaged while you converse helps create a positive image of yours in the eyes of the recipient. Attending seminars and social events, engaging in conversation with people from various backgrounds is a good way to build awareness about your business and the associated services that you offer.

Social media marketing

The power of social media just cannot be underestimated. Arguably the most powerful marketing instrument in the modern business world, social media marketing is the most common tool that businesses use today. Most sites such as Facebook, Instagram and the like allow you to set up a business profile and then advertise, thus helping you reach an ocean of potential customers. They enable you to run ads on their websites as well, thus enabling you to influence the minds of the viewers.

Upselling and cross-selling

The concepts of cross-selling and upselling, when used together, can help boost the billables considerably. Cross-selling refers to when you try to convince the customers to buy complementary items, whereas upsell is where you try to convince them to go for a similar higher-end product.

Once a customer walks through the door and has told you his requirements, take some time to inform him/her about the other services that you offer, any service packages that are available so as to achieve two things. Firstly, to increase your per customer sale, and secondly, to ensure that they get more value for their money.

Timely follow-up and regular communication

While attracting new customers may be challenging, what’s even more complicated is retaining an existing customer. This can be achieved through regular and timely communication with the client, understanding their needs, taking feedback on services taken by them to ensure that their needs have been taken and a solid impression has been created in their eyes. This also boosts your chances of obtaining new potential clients through their references.

Understanding the client, their business and their needs play an important role in obtaining their business. If the client feels comfortable and satisfied with your services, your input and your work ethic, there is a good chance they will stick with you for a long, long time.