5 Tips for Accountants to Gain New Clients During the Self Assessment Tax Season

Nothing excites accounting firms as new clients and seeing their faces light up by finding solutions to their problems. Irrespective of the size of the company, every accountancy practice owner looks forward to growing and acquiring new clients, especially amidst the busy Self Assessment tax season. But one of their top mistakes is expecting businesses to come to them.

A proactive strategy is the best way to find new clients, as well as retain and engage existing ones. The rules of marketing are constantly changing and you can find your potential clients in more places than earlier. While improving the efficiency of your practice and focusing on marketing and client acquisition strategies go hand in hand, it is now very important to think carefully about the best approach and stay focused.

Statistics show that over 60% of consumers research online while finding an accounting service provider. As much as it is important to create an impactful online presence, it is also important to be proactive and do all that it takes to attract new clients.

So, let’s address one of the most common questions our experts often get asked: how do I get clients for my tax business?

Let’s explore each of these tips in detail.

Tip #1: Create a Niche and Understand Your Target Market

The first step is to get a good grasp of what niche of clients makes your target market. You must assess and arrive at attainable targets from business size to the nature of business, profitability, and other aspects. It is important to identify the class of clients who might need help with filing returns during the Self Assessment tax season.

You must overcome the “come one, come all” obstacle by creating content that attracts the specific clients in your niche. When you engage with your prospects, their competitors in the same niche will likely notice the information and more likely enquire about your services. Also, if your accountancy practice has a specialty, you can charge a premium fee, and finding clients in your niches becomes a natural and profitable path for your business.

Tip #2: Don’t Hesitate to Ask for A Referral

A substantial referral plan is one of the critical strategies of top accounting firms to attract new clients. Do not underestimate word-of-mouth referrals, and do not hesitate to get one from your current clients.

When your clients know they can trust you even before signing up for your services, there will be no second thoughts, especially when someone is looking for tax services. After all, a recommendation coming from someone they know is perfect.

But don’t assume that all your clients would happily recommend your services without any expectations. Have a referral plan or perhaps a referral program that compensates them for sending new clients your way. Incentivise all the referrals as they help grow your client base with offers like discounts, free additional services, or free resources.

MUST READ: The Ultimate Tax Preparation Outsourcing Handbook for Accountants

Tip #3: Upsell And Cross-Sell

Target your older clients who have signed up for other services like bookkeeping or audit. Show them you also have expertise in tax returns and offer to support them during the Self Assessment tax season. Since they have already been getting your services, nothing should stop them from signing up for your tax services. And with clients who have signed up for lesser value services, inform them about tax services that you offer and any available service packages.

Tip #4: Use Social Media Wisely

Apart from the conventional methods such as targeting them and retargeting them with ads and emails, there are other things that you can do with social media. Of course, your prospects want to be wooed and are likely being pursued by your competition. A visit to your website or an email blast isn’t enough to garner long-term commitments. You must engage them with quality content and develop a long-term relationship through various channels.

Think out of the box: Look for dissatisfied customers of your competitors who leave bad reviews about the CPA companies. Target these clients and businesses and tell them how your services are better. If you can persuade them to book a free trial for your services, they will likely become your clients soon.

Tip #5: Be A Trusted Advisor

Most accountancy practices offer only tax preparation. Even though that is important, you have other opportunities that you could explore. Alongside focusing on tax preparation, it could be worth including additional services to your repertoire to help your company maintain profitability throughout the year.

Per Accounting Today’s small business accounting insight survey, 78% of clients want their accountants also to be trusted advisors. Beyond just offering tax services, communicate well and solidify your role as a trusted advisor. The future of accounting and the path to gaining new clients lies in advisory services.

Add New Clients This Self Assessment Tax Season and into the Future

The busy season is fast approaching, and attracting new clients is now more critical than ever. Accountancy practices must be proactive to engage, retain and win new clients. Offering peace of mind with the best accounting technology and effective communication is mandatory to gain new and loyal clients, especially amidst the Self Assessment tax season.

But what happens when your practice does not have the capacity, resources, or infrastructure to offer tax preparation services? That’s when tax return outsourcing comes to the rescue.

Ready to get started or just curious about how it works? A quick no-commitment chat with our experts can clear the air for you. Call us at +44 208 146 0808 or fill the form below to reach out to our experts. You can also assess our services risk-free with a FREE TRIAL of up to 10 hours or 2 tax returns.

Summing Up

So, the next time you wonder how to get clients for your accounting and tax business, don’t fret. Following some simple steps can help you get in front of the right audience and grow your practice. If you are short of capacity to take up marketing initiatives, it makes sense to outsource tax return preparation services to a trusted partner like QXAS so you and your team can focus better on clients.

Remember, growing your firm, signing up new clients, and adding to your bottom line require proactive efforts, and outsourcing can be your ideal strategy to make these happen.