CPA Practice Advisor - 31

BRIDGING THE GAP

Digital Client
Experience and the Revenue Will Follow
Focus on the

CLIENT ACQUISITION AND retention are two must-have goals for fueling growth in an
JIM BOOMER, CPA.CITP

CEO, Boomer Consulting, Inc.
Director, Boomer Technology Circle™
jim.boomer@cpapracticeadvisor.com

accounting firm. A lot of emphasis is placed on driving new business, but after you've won
the client, the real work begins. You can't overlook the value of maintaining and leveraging
your existing clients. To do that, you need to make sure your base is full of happy clients
who want to engage you for more services and refer your firm to friends and family.

Of course, quality work, timeliness and excellent overall service
go a long way towards high client
satisfaction. But so does the ease
with which clients can interact
with you. Here are some tips for
effectively leveraging technology to
provide your clients with a digital
client experience that makes it easy
to do business with your firm.

MAKE IT EASY TO WORK
WITH YOUR FIRM
Provide clients with the tools to
easily collaborate with your team
and complete the tasks you request
of them. Today, cloud-based applications and mobile devices give
your clients an enormous amount
of convenience when conducting
their day to day business. Banking,
communications, scheduling meetings and appointments, product
research, shopping and more can
be done any time, anywhere with
a mobile device. Why should your
firm be the outlier?
Too often, leaders focus on
technologies that make their firms
more operationally effective while
client experience takes a back
seat. If the firm doesn't experience
immediate time savings, they scrap
the initiative. This focus on operational efficiency is short-sighted and
overlooks the fact that providing
value from the client's perspective is
paramount.
We can no longer base all tech-

nology decisions on what works best
for operating the firm. Putting the
client first needs to be at the center
of your technology strategy.

WHAT THE DIGITAL CLIENT EXPERIENCE LOOKS
LIKE
A digital client experience can come
in all shapes and sizes. Ultimately,
the goal is to limit complexity and
miscommunication. Here are a few
examples:
■ Embed chatbots in your website to
allow clients and prospects to have
simple questions answered quickly
or easily reach a knowledgeable and
friendly member of your firm for
more complex inquiries.
■ Embed social media into your
marketing strateg y to position
your f ir m as an aut hor it y on
matters that are important to your
clients. Post content frequently and
interact regularly with followers.
Remember, social media is about
creating a dialog, not just pushing
out information.
■ Take advantage of technology that
replaces paper organizers and
allows clients to answer questions,
sign engagement letters, access PBC
lists, and securely send documents
using their mobile device.
■ Utilize software that automates
tax return assembly and delivery,
e-signing Form 8879, quarterly
estimated payment vouchers and
electronically delivery of K-1s

■ Update your fir m's website to
ensure the layout and content are
attractive and the design is mobile
friendly. Make sure the homepage
includes your contact information, a
simple summary of what your firm
is all about and a call to action that
tells potential clients what to do
next (e.g., schedule an appointment,
download a free resource, etc.)

STREAMLINE YOUR
BUSINESS PROCESS
MANAGEMENT
The processes you employ to do
business with your clients are
equally as important as the technology your team uses. Leading firms
leverage Lean Six Sigma principles
to streamline workflow not just for
compliance services like tax and
assurance, but for advisory services
and internal operations such as client onboarding and time and billing.
Again, it's not solely about making the accountants' job easier but
about making it effortless for clients
to do business with the firm. Simplify the data collection process and
provide an easy-to-use system for
delivering the final work product to
minimize any barriers clients face
when interacting with your firm.

MINDSET IS KEY
Have the mindset that improving
the client experience is a top priority, while making the firm more
operationally effective is secondary.

MAY 2019 ■

A combination of technology
and process can provide powerful
tools for your team and clients, but
the overall mindset within your
firm is also critical. Leaders must
prioritize making clients' lives
easier and focus on continuous
improvement. By recognizing and
rewarding team members who bring
ideas to the table in support of this
goal, this mindset will permeate all
levels of the firm.
By adopting the strategy of
always looking for innovative ways
to digitize the client experience,
you'll make it easier for clients to
work with you and improve client
satisfaction. In turn, they will
reward you by engaging your firm
for more services and refer you to
family and friends. In the end, you'll
realize the growth that everyone
seeks in today's competitive environment. ■

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CPA Practice Advisor