As the competition for clients heats up this busy season, it’s time to pull out all the stops and make your prospect feel like you’ve rolled out the red carpet. How can you do that? Here are 7 ways to wow your prospect and help them decide that you have the perfect accounting and tax solution for them.
1. Put together a whiz-bang welcome package.
Remember the good old days when we used to bake a pie for the new neighbors who just moved in across the street? Neighbors used to one-up each other to win the unofficial title of who baked the yummiest dessert on the block. Meanwhile, new neighbors were swarmed with goodies to make them feel at home in their new house.
Use the same concept to wow your prospect. An unhealthy-by-today’s-standards sugar-filled pie is not necessarily what I mean, though. Instead, gather your best case studies, testimonials, copies of recommendation letters, sample products, cheat sheets, how-to tips and the like into a delightful basket of goodies that will impress your prospect. Whipped cream and cherries are optional.
2. Respond at the speed of light
Never brag about how good your service is. Instead, show it with your speedy and knowledgeable response to any prospect’s inquiry. Here are some best practices before your brain tricks you into thinking you already do this one.
- First impression. How cheerful are you when you answer the phone? Is your voice message full of energy or dull and coma-inducing? Is your voicemail even initialized? Can people call you from both cell phones and landlines (you might be surprised at this new problem)?
- Measure. Do you have a report that shows all prospect calls are answered in less than 2 hours?
- Accountability and training. What have you taught your staff about prospect inquiries and how to process them? Do they get logged anywhere, even if it is an inquiry from an existing client? Is there a script for every service inquiry?
- Follow up. Is there a follow-up system to measure closing success?
- How long does it take before a sales meeting is held or a packet is sent out?
Rating yourself on these items will give you a hint of how good or bad your service really is when it comes to serving prospects.
3. Connect with their problem.
How well do you understand your prospect’s problem before you provide a solution? If you have a needs assessment checklist that you talk each prospect through, give yourself a gold star. If not, here’s an opportunity to develop one.
4. Offer prospects a no-risk way to sample your services.
Think about the 30-day trial for software packages. How can you apply that to your company? It might simply be:
- 100% money-back guarantee on all services.
- A 30-day return policy with no questions asked.
- A free report, book, video, checklist or webinar.
- A free half-hour consultation.
- An open house.
- A free seminar.
People are more likely to be interested in trying your product if you give them a no-risk way to sample it first.
5. Shower them with proof.
Show your prospects that you have performed your services many times before for people just like them. If you are speaking with a contractor, provide testimonials and case studies from the contracting industry. Always tailor your testimonials, case studies and stories to the industry of the person you’re speaking with.
You can’t overdo this area, I promise. The more you “overdo,” the faster the prospect will be convinced you are the expert.
6. Do a personal favor.
There’s nothing more compelling than a person that helps you out of a personal bind or makes you feel special. There are some amazing customer service stories from social media: The woman who tweeted about getting stood up on a date and the unrelated-to-the-date company that sent her flowers or the personal apology video of two pizza place employees who screwed up on a late pizza order.
Watch and listen for your prospects’ personal needs, and wow them that way. But use good judgment on this one, and be careful not to get creepy.
7. Listen
Gosh, what happened to plain old-fashioned listening? Employ this one, and you won’t need to do the other six.
How do you like to wow your prospects? Send me your stories of how you wow your prospects and I’ll post them in a future newsletter.
Sandi Leyva
Author Bio: Sandi Leyva, CPA, CMA, MBA, and founder of Accountant’s Accelerator, has helped thousands of tax and accounting professionals earn more, work less, and serve their clients better through her innovative marketing, training, and coaching services. Author of 30 books and hundreds of CPE courses, Sandi has won 12 awards for her thought leadership. Visit her at accountantsaccelerator.com and acceleratorwebsites.com.