The 8 Easy Steps to Qualify a Prospective Client
When I started my firm, it seemed that for every one client I loved to work with, there were two that I absolutely dreaded. Each time I would see an email from them or hear the phone ring, I would cringe.
Being a firm believer that there is no such thing as coincidence, I knew on some level I was contributing, whether consciously or not, in bringing these clients into my life and that of my business. That is when I learned that I had the power to change these circumstances and work with only clients that I loved.
I embarked on a journey of self-discovery and created these 8 easy-to-use and easy-to-implement steps on how to qualify a prospect and work with only clients that you love. These very same steps can be used when hiring employees, subcontractors and vendors.
□ Step 1: Set-up a scheduled time to speak with your prospective client via telephone
□ Step 2: Send an email reminder with call instructions
□ Step 3: Create a “New Lead” form for the call to capture important details and delegate tasks
□ Step 4: Making the Call/Receiving the Call
□ Step 5: Open your conversation with the “Pre-Call”
□ Step 6: Ask your qualifying questions
□ Step 7: Provide prospect with information about your company
□ Step 8: Close your call by moving the prospect to the next step
Use these steps to qualify whether or not a prospect is a fit for you and your firm.
Want to know more? Click here to learn more about my 8-step easy-to-use and easy-to-implement process on How to Qualify a Prospect & Work With Clients You Love!
Weekly Prosperity Quote
Trust yourself, you know more than you think.
~Dr. Spock~
6 Secrets to Creating Long-Term Client Relationship
One of the things that has always been important to me, is creating long-term relationships with our clients and whenever, I meet with a prospective client, that is exactly what I tell them. I make my intentions known upfront by saying, “My firm and I are looking to enter into a working relationship with you that benefits both of us for the long-term.” This simple statement really sets the tone for our forthcoming working relationship.
Here are the 6 secrets I use in my own firm to create great long-term client relationships.
1. Be a good listener. By taking the time to identify the needs of your client by asking them questions and concentrating on what they are really saying gives you knowledge. Knowledge is power.
Listen to their words, tone of voice, body language, and most importantly, how they feel. Be careful to not make assumptions. Thinking you intuitively know what your client wants can get you into trouble. Do you know what three outcomes/deliverables that are most important to your client?
2. Identify and anticipate needs. Your clients are not buying your services – they are buying solutions to a problem they are experiencing. When we begin working with a new client, we review all of the requirements/deadlines they may experience throughout the year. This enables us to be proactive and anticipate upcoming needs well in advance.
3. Make your clients feel important and appreciated. In my firm we have created a client appreciation system where we are in contact with our clients throughout the year, letting them know how much we appreciate their business and care about what is going on with them. So when one of our clients obtained their 20th client, which is a very big deal for them, we automatically sent them a celebration cookie bouquet to share in their triumph.
People value sincerity – it creates good will and feelings of trust. Clients are very intelligent and will know whether or not you really care about them.
4. Help your clients to understand your process. You may have the very best process for getting things done and if your clients don’t understand what that is, they will get confused, impatient and angry. Take the time to explain how your process works, not the nitty gritty details, a broad overview so that they can visualize the way the work is being completed.
5. Get regular feedback. Encourage and welcome suggestions about how you can improve your services. This does not mean that you have to incorporate into your process what they are saying but it does give you good insight into what they are thinking. Find a simple way in which your clients can give you feedback. My computer host company actually sends me a short survey to complete each time a work order is completed.
6. Treat your staff well. Employees and subcontractors are your internal clients and deserve to be treated well. Thank them and find ways to let them know that they are important. Remember without them, you would be doing all of the work yourself!
Why It’s Important to Know Who Your Ideal Client Is
The first step to identifying your ideal client is to become crystal clear about whom it is, you are meant to serve. When I first started my freelance practice, one of our services was after-the-fact bookkeeping. I offered this service because I knew I and my staff were more than capable of providing this service. But just because we were more than capable does not mean we should have been providing it.
You see, for my company, this service was a problem every way you looked at it – from clients not paying on time to not paying at all; work being submitted late, work not being submitted at all; clients not responding to our questions – you name it, it happened. I was unhappy, my staff was unhappy and most importantly the write-up clients were not happy. The point is just because you have the skill to provide a certain type of service does not necessarily mean you should offer that service.
Once I became clear that we should not be offering this service and who my ideal client was, I was able to communicate that in my marketing materials, 30-second speeches at networking events, and, on my website. My ideal clients were able to see and identify themselves in my marketing message and how we could help them. In essence, we became magnetic.
Want to know more? Click here to learn more about my 8-step easy-to-use and easy-to-implement process on How to Qualify a Prospect & Work With Clients You Love!
Why Did I Agree to Work with this Client?
Has that thought ever crossed your mind?
Did you ignore that feeling in your gut?
The one that said, “Don’t do it, you’ll regret it.”
Often the feeling is more subtle. Something’s off, but you can’t tell what. You need the client fees, but don’t see the train-wreck coming until after you work together.
For me, that thought happened one time too many. It seemed for every one new client that I absolutely loved working with there were two that I absolutely dreaded.
There is no such thing as coincidence. I came to realize on some level that I was contributing, whether consciously or not, in bringing these clients into my life and my business. That’s when I learned that I had the power to change these circumstances and to work with only those clients that I loved.
Ask yourself…
□ Who is my ideal client?
□ What do they look like and what types of characteristics do they possess?
□ What four or five things they must have in order to work with me and my firm?
By defining the answers to these simple questions you will be well on your way to establishing the criteria against which you will measure a prospective client.
Want to know more? Click here to learn more about my 8-step easy-to-use and easy-to-implement process on How to Qualify a Prospect & Work With Clients You Love!
Weekly Prosperity Quote
When you hear something, you forget it. When you see something, you remember it. But, not until you do something, will you understand it.
~Chinese Proverb~
Weekly Prosperity Quote
Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.
~Dr. Wayne Dyer~
How to Successfully Work Remotely With Your Clients
When I started my freelance accounting practice over ten years ago working virtually was not as widely accepted as it is today. At that time my client base was split evenly down the middle – providing services 50% onsite at the client location and 50% offsite at my office. Over the years I was able to migrate my onsite clients into becoming virtual clients by showing them how working remotely was really no different than working onsite and eliminating their fears.
A client will usually object to working remotely because they don’t understand or cannot visualize how working remotely works. Their fears take over and believe me they can imagine all kinds of problems that will keep you working onsite at their location! It is your job to show them just how easy working remotely can be BUT you must remember two things:
□ People don’t like change, and;
□ You must have a process on how you will work remotely with your clients.
So the first step to successfully working remotely with your clients involves you answering these four very important questions:
□ How will your client(s) get their accounting information to you?
□ How will you return original documents to your client?
□ Where will the accounting file (data) reside?
□ How will the accounting file be protected?
It is up to you to define the structure of how you and your company will work remotely with clients. Here are some things for you to think about as your answer those questions from above and define your remote working structure.
□ Structure, Structure, Structure – whether you work remotely or at the client location, creating a consistent structure of when and how work is to be completed are essential. For example:
o You work on the client account the same day of the week, every week
o You provide your client with a list of information that is needed on a regular basis and also a list of items that are missing.
o You take the responsibility to follow up on those missing items.
The less your client has to think about and the more consistency you can provide to them more likely your client will be to cooperate.
□ Having the Right Tools – if you want to work remotely then you need to use the tools that will make working remotely easy. This includes using a remote hosting service that allows you and your client access to their accounting file from where ever they are. Remote hosting services also offer a daily offsite back-up of all data files. This feature becomes a benefit to your client whose current back-up routine may not be as good as it should be.
Another tool you will want to consider is a scanner. As I moved to being a 100% virtual office, I incorporated the cost of a scanner into my client’s set-up fee. This way, my clients can easily scan their documents and email or fax them to my office without incurring the cost of a delivery service.
□ Keeping the Lines of Communication Open – when you work remotely it is very important to be in contact with your clients on a regular basis. The worst thing you could do is disappear into your remote office and forget about the personal aspect of your client relationship.
In my office, we have created a process that is followed to ensure that we speak with our clients at least once a week. Our communication process also includes the scheduling of several face-to-face meetings throughout the year.
Another tool you may want to consider is Grasshopper. In my office, we use this service because it provides my company with one phone number for the client to call. They simply enter the extension of the person they are trying to reach and they are then forwarded directly to their cell phone. If the staff person cannot answer, Grasshopper takes a message and emails it to you.
It does take a little trial and error to work out all of the kinks and once your clients have begun to work remotely with you, they will begin to wonder who else they can work with remotely!
Weekly Prosperity Quote
Creation is always happening. Every time an individual has a thought, or a prolonged, chronic way of thinking, they’re in the creation process. Something is going to manifest out of those thoughts
~Reverend Dr Michael Beckwith~
Weekly Prosperity Quote
Happiness is the natural state of our being.
~Reverend Dr Michael Beckwith~
It has been a real pleasure working with Linda. She has helped me to see what area of my business is really my passion and focus my attention on that area.