As you strive toward success as a public accountant, you should keep in mind that your client relations are one of the most important parts of what you do.
Building solid professional accounting relationships with the right clients is key to having a long and prosperous career.
Below, we’ve provided four useful tips for building thriving professional accounting relationships.
1. Meet in Person
As much as you can, schedule meetings in person. In today’s digital world, it’s not uncommon to speak only through a phone or computer screen.
While this may be convenient, it’s definitely impersonal. It does not help to nourish client relations.
Of course, be available over email and make use of the technology at hand. However, the more you can establish an in-person rapport, the more likely you are to feel familiar and trustworthy to your clients.
2. Hone Your Skills
It’s important to always keep learning and improving upon your basic accounting skills.
If your clients see that you work hard to stay up-to-date with current affairs in your field, they’ll come to see that you love what you do and always have their best interest in mind.
Are there further credentials you could be earning? Is there a certain training course that would fill you in on something new you do not know?
Sign up for a class! Being a lifetime learner who is eager to hone your skills makes you an attractive professional to have as an accountant.
Another great tip? Share what you’ve learned. Not only does it prove to your clients that you are educating yourself, they also may learn a thing or two that is helpful to them.
3. Keep in Touch
You may think that your clients only want to hear from you once a year, or whenever they need your services.
However, this is simply not true. If you have interesting or relevant information to share, or just feel thankful for their business, tell them!
Keeping in touch at regular intervals will keep you fresh in your clients’ minds. You earned your position as a public accountant, so take full advantage of it.
Wondering what to say? You can share with your clients new information you’ve learned, industry trends, your current accounting certifications or whatever you think they will find helpful.
You should be proud of what you know, so don’t be afraid to fill in your clients. Doing so will ensure that they respect your authority in the accounting world.
4. Most Important Tip for Strong Professional Accounting Relationships: Keep Your Word
Always, always, always keep your word. Do not over-promise. Instead, under-promise and over-deliver.
This impresses your clients and keeps them coming back year after year. You want them to be happy and excited when they get news from you — not disappointed.
They should not dread hearing from you. Instead, they should trust that any time they hear from you, it’s probably going to be with good news.
Keeping your word and earning your clients’ trust is the most vital step in establishing professional accounting relationships that are built to last.
Need more tips for public accountants? Spend more time on our tips page, or get in touch with us.
