GIVING YOUR BEST CLIENTS THE BEST SERVICE PRESENTED BY SAM M. ALLRED, DIRECTOR AT UPSTREAM ACADEMY

Our Focus for 60 Minutes What are you willing to do for your best clients that you wouldn’t do for all the rest?  Getting past parity is hard, but maintaining it ties the firm’s hands, making it nearly impossible to give A-level clients the A-level service they deserve.  Today we’ll discuss key principles and I’ll provide solid recommendations on how you can start giving the best service to your best clients. 

Session Map Observations about your best clients Turning your best clients into raving fans Questions and answers Email questions to sama@upstreamacademy.com

 Observations About Your Best Clients

Observation #1 Firms across our profession serve four categories of clients: A-D level clients. Firms that divide their clients into these four ratings will find that it produces an almost perfect bell curve with the majority of clients falling into the B & C categories.

Observation #2 You derive a significant amount of profit, satisfaction, and reputation from your A-level clients.

Observation #3 Serving A-level clients improves your quality of life substantially because these clients are better able to help you perform successful engagements.

Observation #4 Your A-level clients are thoroughly enjoyable to work with, seldom put a pit in your stomach, provide great growth opportunities for your best people, and play a bigger role in staff retention than you probably give them credit for. You probably learn as much or more from your best clients as you teach them.

Observation #5 Most firms in our profession claim to give great client service. Firm leaders often believe their service is what sets them apart from competitors. A regular flow of referrals from satisfied clients is the only reliable indicator of exceptional client service.

Observation #6 The only clients for whom you can establish a reputation for exceptional service are your A-level clients.

Observation #7 Delivering exceptional service leads to increased client loyalty, which leads to increased profitability. Client loyalty is becoming increasingly important during this era of retirements.

Observation #8 Many within our profession call themselves trusted advisors. In reality, too many are record-keeping historians and not forward-thinking trusted advisors.

Which Role Do You Play? Historian Trusted Advisor Mostly reactive Time spent with the client is mostly consumed by looking at the past 12 months Acts as sounding board only when asked Performs the same services year after year with little variation Not willing to be vulnerable Mostly proactive Majority of the time with the client is spent looking forward not backward Regularly offers fresh ideas Consistently recommends innovative solutions Willing to brainstorm with the client for solutions

Which Role Do You Play? Historian Trusted Advisor The meter runs with almost every client interaction Compliance focused Works below pay grade Holds a mistaken belief that compliance work is a client’s top drawer issue Tries to keep the historical team in place to use as little time as possible Regularly invests time to understand each client’s unique needs Consulting focused Works at pay grade Makes a consistent effort to inquire about, learn about, and focus on the top issues Has a desire to bring in new team members to benefit the client

Observation #9 You are not likely to move from trusted historian to trusted advisor unless you’re willing to spend time with your best clients – without the meter running.

Observation #10 The challenge for many in making the move to trusted advisor is that a partner in our profession can have a successful career serving as a client’s trusted historian.

Observation #11 It’s a safe assumption that the majority of A and B level clients would prefer a trusted advisor relationship over a trusted historian relationship.

Observation #12 One of your primary goals in serving our A-level clients should be to turn them into raving fans. We want all the referrals we can get from our best clients.

Observation #13 One of the safest and fastest ways to drive profitable organic growth is to generate a significant amount of new work each year from your very best clients.

“Invest heavily in your existing clients by demonstrating an interest in their affairs. Don’t invest anything at all in winning new clients until you’re sure you’ve captured all the best opportunities in your existing client base!” David H. Maister

Observation #14 Your number one referral source should be your very best clients. They should be the ones who are ecstatic about your level of service. What are the stories your best clients are telling about you to everyone they come in contact with?

 Turning Your Best Clients Into Raving Fans

The raving fans strategy is really very simple – treat your very best clients in a way that causes them to become raving fans, actively sharing with others the benefits they receive as clients of your firm. In order to do this, you must treat them differently than other clients.

Here’s The Question To Brainstorm What could you do to treat your A-clients differently than all other clients and turn them into Raving Fans? The following slides contain thoughts and ideas for serving your best clients differently.

Assign Your Best Service Teams Assign your best service teams to your very best clients Use these teams to bring a constant stream of new and creative ideas to your best clients

Be Very Proactive With Them Hold regular brainstorming meetings to learn about and help address many of the top issues these clients are facing Make simple telephone calls just to check up on them Calendar planning meetings with these clients throughout the year

Provide Specialized Training Proactively meet with your best clients to help them understand and implement necessary changes for new standards and laws Host CPE events for client accounting professionals Provide seminars for these clients either at their site or in smaller groups in your firm

Invest Time To Learn Their Business Attend industry conferences with them Participate in an annual walk-through of their business Subscribe to their industry publications Attend client meetings at no charge

Invest Time To Learn Their Business Help them address key initiatives/challenges in their industry by helping them find new solutions Use 50% of your BD time helping your best clients Connect at deeper levels within the client organization

Establish Standards Of Service Establish service standards for your best clients (appropriate response time, setting meetings, brainstorming sessions, assignment of your best people, providing cell numbers, etc.) Create a written service plan for your best clients Know the names of key individuals working for your A-level clients

Give Preferential Treatment Provide more top firm leadership presence with these clients (outside traditional client work) Take key clients to top events in your community Develop a plan for annual contact with the client’s other trusted advisors

Give Preferential Treatment Find a way to support the top causes of your best clients Encourage team members to purchase from your very best clients Review the client website on a regular basis to both evaluate the site and to understand what they have going on

Turn Them Into Raving Fans Take time during the engagement planning sessions to identify how you will WOW the client “this year”

Questions and Answers Email questions to sama@upstreamacademy.com

Upcoming Events Management Presentations Emerging Leaders Academy Giving Your Best Clients the Best Service: December 4 and 17, 2014 If You Build It, They Will Come (and Stay): January 21 and 29, 2015 Emerging Leaders Academy ELA Informational Call: January 20, 2015, 1pm Eastern Registration Deadline: May 15, 2015 HeadWaters Leadership Conference Park City, Utah July 9-10, 2015

Thank You! sama@upstreamacademy.com