Accountant Best Practices: Client Communication Strategy

Posted on: September 6, 2017 by Huntersure

Communication for Accountants > Client Communication

In this series of articles, we’ve explored the importance of client communications when it comes to accounting practices. The first step is to gauge the effectiveness of the existing strategy, and make adjustments as needed. In this final installment, we’ll discuss how to implement a client communication strategy. Share this information with your wealth management clients and secure their operation with a comprehensive Accountant Professional Liability policy.

Map out customer interaction.

Finding holes in the client relation strategy is easy to do when the firm goes through each touch point as if they were the customer. From initiation and welcome packages, to business related emails and phone calls to following up with them after the job has been completed, where does the firm need the most improvements?

Go through the motions.

According to Bluegreen Learning, once you have a map of the customer’s journey, consider each interaction, whether email, phone, letter, website or social media and make sure that:

• Communication (whether verbal or written) is friendly, accessible, and clear.
• The impression you give lives up to your “brand values” – for instance, if one of these is “reliability”, then that has a bearing on how quickly your staff respond to queries, what they do about constructive criticism, promises vs delivery, and so on.
• You have the customer’s interests and viewpoint at heart: is that interaction helpful, interesting, and as good as it can be, and does it does what the customer wants it to do?

Make improvements.

Depending on what issues arise during the walkthrough, accounting firms can benefit from making some of the following common improvements:

• A review and confirmation of preferred contact information, key people, phone numbers and addresses of clients.
• A documented confirmation that contact was initiated each week.
• Renewal notices or contract updates sent way in advance.

About Huntersure

Huntersure LLC is a full-service Managing General Agency that has provided insurance program administration for professional liability products to our partners across the United States since 2007. We aim to provide exceptional, creative, and personalized insurance solutions to all members of the business world. Whether you need Accountant Professional Liability Insurance or any other professional coverage, give us a call at (646) 751-3030 to learn more about the professional liability products and protection we offer.

Posted in: Accounting blog

Tagged: Accountant Professional Liability accountant professional liability insurance client communication communication strategies improving client communication