7 Tips to Turn Prospective Clients into Current Clients
7 Tips to Turn Prospective Clients into Current ClientsBeing able to close a sale is an essential skill for contract accountants. Your practice will flounder if you’re not continually acquiring new clients, and you will be unable to acquire new clients if you’re unable to close a sale. Last week we talked about 4 key tips in turning prospective clients into current clients:
1. Avoid self-sabotage
2. Recognize your value
3. Be upfront
4. Read signs
This week we’ll discuss the final three:
5. Ask the right questions
Sometimes all it takes to close a sale is for you to ask the right questions, one of the most important being, “Are you interested in retaining my accounting services?” In his article on Entrepreneu.com entitled “Do You Wanna Buy? Closing a Sale Can Be as Simple as Learning a Few Closing Questions,” Don Morgan suggests inviting your prospective client to buy several times during the sales process. He describes most contacts as hesitant to commit without your initiative.
Crucial to these closing questions are those that give the customer options, something that’s very important to individuals who want to feel an element of control in the sales process. These questions could include, “What types of accounting services could your business most benefit from?” or “How involved do you want to be in the accounting process?”
Other questions Morgan suggests include the following:
- Do you feel this service would be beneficial to other small businesses?
- Do you think that this service would be beneficial to your business?
- Would you like to fill out the paperwork so you can begin enjoying these services?
6. Offer a free trial
Everyone appreciates a good deal. And when you offer a free trial, let’s say a month of your accounting services, you communicate confidence in your offerings and give the prospect an opportunity to enjoy, first-hand, the value of your services. As you demonstrate just how your services can contribute to a healthier, more lucrative business, your prospects will be more than willing to continually retain you as their accountant.
7. Define specific terms
If a prospect is hesitant to enlist your services, defining specific terms can create an agreement to which he/she is much more willing to commit. For example, after determining which services the prospective client is interesting in, you can say something to the effect of, “Would you be interested in an arrangement where I perform payroll and invoicing services, in addition to the traditional accounting services you need, for $250 per month, with the first month free?”
By implementing these 7 tips you could be well on your way to increasing your clientele.
Other Ways to Increase Your Profitability
There’s more than one way to grow a more profitable business. Consider how you might bring your business, and those of your clients, more lucrative by reading Allen Bostrom’s book, In the Black: 9 Principles to Make Your Business Profitable. Designed specifically for the small business, this book contains 9 practical principles that will enable you to improve your business’s profitability. And you don’t have to wait to complete the book before you can start applying these principles.
If you would like to run a more synchronized practice where all three business functions (accounting, marketing, and production) work together, this is the book for you. See why In the Black has enabled countless small business owners to gain control of their businesses while helping their clients do the same. Earn more money in the future by ordering your copy today!
Resources
Morgan, Don. “Do You Wanna Buy?” 4 September 2007. Entrpreneur.com
“Tips for Closing a Sale.” AllBusiness.com
