As some of you undoubtedly read in my last post, I am sharing the changes I've seen since I began using Liscio in my practice. Sometimes an app's usefulness can sneak up on you. That’s what I have found with Liscio.
So, I thought it might be valuable for my colleagues to have a peek at what may be happening under their noses when they first start using it. By sharing my experience, I hope some of you may begin to consider Liscio as more than relevant to our work as bookkeepers.
The significant change this time around? By far the best thing that's happened since my last update on my Liscio experience:
Clients are Communicating with Liscio.
Let me be clear. I don't mean they are using Liscio to communicate with me. I've already covered what a game-changer that was at the 90-day mark. This is new, something even better—they are using Liscio as a resource to get what they need. In other words, before they ask me, they are starting to look for things in the app. They are beginning to ask Liscio.
Of course, this isn't the kind of thing you would generally call "communicating with." I know, but I stand by it. I said what I said. My clients are taking something they would typically ask me and finding the answer or the file they need by themselves. They are starting to understand what all is on the platform and what Liscio has especially for their use.
Don't get me wrong, I know this is not a groundbreaking goal. I have tried to achieve something approaching this before. I had an app stack that allowed me to communicate directly with clients, give them docs on a secure platform, and have them leave questions for me whenever they would like.
The problem is, it was an app stack. I am used to apps, but for clients? Having to choose which place of three or four places they should visit to do this or that? It is no wonder they didn't initiate matters very often. They often did not try at all until urgency forced them to.
Even for me, it’s been better. I mean, yes, I am used to app stacks. But I have to admit; it is nice not to have to choose where to put things or which method to use when getting and giving clients information.
Once again, communication is not just about being in the right place; it also is about being in the right headspace. And there are few headspaces worse than feeling both confused and incompetent at the same time. Who wants to feel like they fail to communicate, especially with their bookkeeper? No one, of course.
Why Things Began to Change
At first, I could not figure out what was so different. Why did Liscio break through? Why not any of the other communication app stacks I'd tried. I mean, aside from it being "one place" to go? Could it be that simple?
The answer is yes, And no.
Yes, because to initiate a conversation with you about financial stuff, your client needs to know where they should begin. Great. One place. We have simplified that for them.
But beyond that, they also need to know how to begin. And this is where it is not just about Liscio being the one place, or even about it being on their phone (although that certainly is incredibly helpful). It's also about them feeling comfortable inside the app.
Like they belong there.
This is not a small challenge. If it were, I would have found my solution long ago. But, Liscio accomplishes this just like they are accomplishing the other improvements I discussed last time—with a steady layering of unobtrusive learning, encouragement, and change. And it is absolutely at your own pace.
Here's how Liscio gets clients feeling good about using the app for more than just answering you and your questions.
Friendly
Liscio is usable at a base level by your clients right out of the gate. It is easy for them to find the questions you have sent them and respond. It sets your clients up with an easy win. But it does not feel childish or patronizing just because it's "easy." It's a streamlined and professional experience without being opaque or feeling overly stuffy.
Self-Guided
As my clients find things I've sent them, they slowly learn where things live on the platform in general. Maybe they notice that last month's profit and loss is in the same place I asked them to find something last week. Or perhaps it's that I've asked them to mark a particular message as "important" so they can easily find it on Liscio for next time.
Whatever the specific path my clients end up taking, the result is the same; instead of me having to download a bunch of user information into their brains and extensively train them on using the app, they learn to use Liscio by actually using Liscio. So they are always learning at their own pace.
Safe
By engaging with the platform in this way, it becomes a place where my clients get more comfortable, and even begin to explore. They might revisit things I have shown them in the past. Or maybe even try to find something I have not pointed out yet. Either way, my clients begin to see Liscio as relevant and useful to them, not just me.
The Big Pivot
Then my client asks me something about their financials, and if it relates to another document posted on Liscio. And that's it. That's the moment. That's when you know you haven't just created a portal for you and your clients to share documents or information. You have established a financial home.
The difference is, instead of the space being just a tool, it is a place that creates a certain mindset. It puts everyone in that financial collaboration headspace.
This is where the rubber meets the road. As each client feels more at home on Liscio, they are more likely to use Liscio to answer their own questions and investigate their own ideas. It becomes less like a financial "testing center" where they feel quizzed on how much they know about their business.
Instead, it is like a financial library, where they can explore their data and financial ideas. No wonder they're using the platform now. And there is something else.
The Hidden Client Message You Send When You Use Liscio
Business is complicated, especially on the heels of the couple of years we have all had. These days it can be easy to feel discouraged, to suspect that you do not know what you are doing, that you might be messing everything up. This goes double for money-related matters.
I guess it should not be surprising that an app that is not easy for clients to use might be way too intimidating for clients to try out! Sometimes it is easier not to try than to risk messing something up. By creating an environment that helps clients be successful without taking them through 1,000 rules first, there is an underlying message you are sending to your clients: I am not afraid that you will mess something up here. You are not clueless. I have confidence in you.
The bonus is that it is true. It is difficult for clients to "mess things up" in Liscio, so I do not worry about inviting them in.
Everything about the platform contributes to this message. I have got documents in folders clients can understand (by month) instead of by type of financial association. There is a special place in Liscio where my clients can keep their logins and passwords for crucial tools, financial or otherwise.
Once again, communication is not just about being in the right place; it also is about being in the right headspace. And there are few headspaces worse than feeling both confused and incompetent at the same time.
And Liscio is in the cloud so that information can be accessed from anywhere, while still remaining completely secure. It often is one of the few places my clients can keep things that checks both of these boxes. I have even marked a special message in Liscio for each of my clients—one that contains links to all of their financial tools. I can update this whenever I want. I can even share it across multiple clients.
By building in features that are oriented toward the needs of my clients, Liscio helps me send the message that I want them to engage and explore and do so confidently. And these days, I'm starting to see the effects. My clients are beginning to use Liscio as their own "one place" for financial stuff. This means everything is more organized and self-serve for both of us—which also means my work is more lucrative. It truly is becoming our financial space instead of just mine.
Mix a creative mind with a number-cruncher, then throw in a dash of New York City attitude and what do you get? Kelly Gonsalves—a true entrepreneur that is all in, all the time. Her first endeavor began in 2015 when she founded Totally Booked™. The purpose: to assist every small business in becoming more profitable by utilizing efficient accounting processes. Kelly is a QuickBooks Advanced Certified ProAdvisor™, a member of the Intuit Trainer Writer Network, a HubDoc Top 50 Cloud Accountant, on Avalara's Social Media Top 100, an Insightful Accountant "Top 10 ProAdvisor," as well as the host of Insightful Accountant's QB Talks: App Neighborhood Watch.
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