Clients - Love 'em?

In speaking with my network of accountants and bookkeepers about their pain points, the conversation inevitably addresses clients.

Virtually 100% of these professionals love helping their clients stay compliant with tax and industry reporting requirements, reducing stress for their clients and giving them some advice along the way. They thrive in the technical work and are pretty good at building relationships with their clients. Client retention is generally not an issue that we need to solve in our work together.

Just as many find clients a huge source of firm frustration - for the firm partners as well as their team. In these conversations, we often discover the underlying source of this frustration comes from:

1. Poor client onboarding - not putting clients through an onboarding process to clarify and align expectations and to educate clients on "how to be good clients".
2. Poor client selection - from a scarcity mindset, taking on clients that are not a good fit - either from a values perspective or from a "good client checklist" perspective.

It's amazing how many firms retain toxic clients - those who consume resources to the point of creating an unprofitable client. Compounding the situation is often the problem collecting payment from these clients.

The solutions to better client management can be simple or complex depending on the firm's current situation. Firms that want to get a better handle on client management so they are better able to attract and retain AAA clients can do so with some intentionality.

Interested in taking stock?  Book your strategy call with ProVision Business Advisors today.

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About Laura Bechard

Laura's passion is providing founders of owner-managed companies and family enterprises with strategic advice to help "their baby" become a fully independent adult. From the pregnancy (start up) birth (revenue generating) throughout the terrible 2's (growing pains), rebellious teens (gaining leverage) and young adult stages (semi-independent) of business maturity, Laura educates and supports the development of businesses as well as their leaders. Ultimately, working with Laura puts on a solid path to successfully exit your business (someday). No stranger to business succession, Laura is co-owner of a 115 year old family business. The business is in process of succeeding to her son.

As an award winning CPA & MBA, Laura combines a strong financial skillset with the human side. As a business educator, Value Builder Advisor, exit planner, learning & performance specialist with change management certification, getting the impact from the changes hoped for, wished for or prayed for is her secret sauce. ROI! Return on Intention. Speak with Laura