5 ways to keep existing clients

2022 is well and truly well underway. It’s the season of resolutions, change, and fresh starts – but hopefully not for your clients!

Keeping your existing clients could be an area of focus for this year. What can you do to keep them satisfied and signed up for another year (and beyond)?

1. Figure out which ones you want to keep

It’s good practice to periodically evaluate client lists and determine which clients you’d like to keep and which you don’t. It might seem counter-intuitive, but it can actually help you to focus more on the clients you do want to work with and give you the time and resources to search for your more ideal clients.

Disengaging with a client doesn’t need to be tricky, either. Similar to a letter of engagement, write a letter of disengagement spelling out the terms. For example, you could position it as the relationship having come to a natural end and another firm being more suitable to their needs. Here are some tips from the ICAEW.

2. Stick to a communication schedule

This can help even if you’re not the most sociable of people. Accountancy is more than just a business transaction nowadays. We have so many touchpoints with clients – from marketing to phone calls and collaborative cloud software – that we can use to maximise our professional relationships.

But taking control and setting your own schedule can boost these opportunities even further. What this looks like is up to you. It could be a 15-minute check-in call every month or a more in-depth video or in-person meeting every quarter. Structure these chats and aim to provide insight into the client’s finances – any trends you’ve noticed, ideas for the period ahead, and questions about the client’s satisfaction level with your services.

Clients will appreciate the initiative and are can help them to not feel like just another number on your books.

3. Offer a credit advisory service

It’s hard to imagine a client being unhappy at being offered the chance for you to help them increase the money in their bank account and save them hours of stress and admin every month.

This is exactly what a successfully run credit advisory service could add to your clients’ lives.

We’ve written a whole playbook about how to offer a credit advisory service because it’s one of the things our software is great at helping with. By using Satago, you can aggregate client debtor data, automate invoice payment reminders and see live credit risk updates.

4. Be proactive and support clients

Being proactive and supporting clients affected by adverse global events – as even the smallest of businesses can be. We recently blogged about ways to support clients affected by Omicron, for example, but keeping on top of trends, regulations and the latest news will mean you stay on top of what’s affecting clients.

You can offer support by:

• Sharing helpful tips and information on your website and social accounts about the latest regulations ie doing an annual government budget analysis and picking out key areas that will affect your clients
• Keeping on top of adverse events such as new strains of Covid or flooding, government measures available and sharing this information with clients affected
• Use the communication schedule to discover and keep track of challenges facing particular clients – these can inform how you help them in future

5. Help them manage cashflow

Finding ways to help clients with cash flow can be one surefire way of keeping them. You’ll not only be acting as their accountant, but you’ll also be proving your role as a trusted advisor.

One way to do this could be through the use of invoice finance. Satago offers Single and Full invoice finance, so it’s something you can easily offer through the platform.

You’re the expert when it comes to managing finances, and a cashflow opportunity that’s easy for you to spot might not come naturally to a client. So take the initiative and suggest ways to enhance their cashflow – and they’ll thank you.

Conclusion

Keeping clients always starts with identifying the ones you do actually want to keep. Then, in putting that extra effort into your star client accounts to wow, woo, and win them over. Accountants are seen as more than just a once-a-year contact nowadays. Fulfill your role as a trusted advisor and keep those good clients on in 2022.

If you would like more information about how you can implement Satago for your practise, or would like a full demo of how Satago works book a demo today.