How to attract and keep new tax clients
It’s that time of year already – most accountants are now hard at work getting their clients’ tax returns done for the January self-assessment deadline.
With the right systems, tax work can be a steady and consistent stream of income, with repeatable, easily automated processes.
But if you’re looking for more tax clients, how can you go about attracting and keeping them?
Understand your target client’s needs
To find customers for any kind of service, you need to be able to anticipate the challenges that person is facing, and show how you can help solve their problems.
This might sound obvious when it comes to tax compliance – your potential clients need to stay within the law, and they want to reduce their tax bill while doing so.
But more specifically, why do they need you to carry out that work for them, compared to another accountant or a piece of software?
Are they filing their own tax returns at the moment but getting confused by the questions they need to answer? Are they frustrated by a lack of communication from their current client? Do they simply feel they don’t have time to think about changes in tax legislation?
If you can make it clear that your service addresses those problems, you’ll have a better chance of appealing to new clients.
Specialise and differentiate
Building on that last point, what’s special about your firm that would lead someone to choose it over another?
To make it easier to differentiate your accountancy firm, it’s often a good idea to find a niche. This might be a particular sector or a stage in your clients’ growth – are they a tech startup or a family-run agriculture business? – but it could also be a broader sense of their values and attitudes.
Besides making it much easier for you to tailor your branding and marketing materials to that particular client, this should also make your tax work more rewarding for your firm. You’ll be working with more of the clients you want to work with, giving them advice that’s relevant to them.
Build your online presence
Once you know your clients and how you’re going to appeal to them, the next step is getting that message across on your website and social media channels.
Your website should clearly show your firm’s point of difference, and it should be easy to navigate with clear information on the services you offer.
Your messaging should also be consistent on social media, with a tone that matches the rest of your communications. Rather than simply promoting your firm, aim to give useful advice and insights to the people following you.
That way, they’re more likely to think of you when they decide to look for a new accountant.
Streamline your tax services
Now that more and more compliance work can be done using software, it’s harder to stand out for your tax services.
To really appeal to clients, you need to be as quick, efficient and accurate as possible – making them feel their tax return is in safe hands.
Making the most of technology will allow you to do this with minimal effort. Using accounting software to carry out tax work, alongside practice management software to ensure a timely and consistent service, should help to turn your firm into a well-oiled machine.
Even better, integrate your systems so you have full visibility on all your data, at all times.
Offer more value
Finally, to retain your clients, think about what further value they might want from your firm. Is there anything you’re not doing right now that might draw them away to another accountant?
Some firms are able to keep a steady base of tax clients by offering a reliable and consistent service. But many need to go beyond that, providing services outside of tax compliance and taking on more of a business advisory role.
If you’re struggling to find time to add those services, you might benefit from reviewing your firm’s internal systems, looking at where you can make things more efficient and save some time.
AIRPA integrates and automates accounting systems, giving you more time to offer a tailored service.
Get a demo or free trial of AIRPA today and find out for yourself how it could maximise your firm’s potential.