I’m sure that most in the accounting world, like me, are regular visitors to Accounting Web to read up on the latest news and insights (and occasional gossip) within the world of accountancy. I’m also an avid listener of the Accounting Web weekly podcast “No Accounting for Taste” which, for those of us either don’t have time to read or learn more from listening, is a great way to catch up when we’re on the move.
Episode 18 (27th July 2018) covered the topic of Client Service In The Digital Age and included contributions from Simon Kallu of Grow Factor, Nikki Adams of Ad Valorem and Mike Phillips of Receipt Bank
We’ve all heard the terms ‘trusted advisor’ and ‘advisory practice’, I’m sure that many of you are already using or are moving towards this approach to supporting your clients.
As Nikki Adams says: “I think in the digital age, client service has to be more human. Every touch point with them has to be personal, they have to feel that you care about them and that you’re considering their needs.”
This also applies just as much to how your clients run their businesses. Simon Kallu points out “If you go to a restaurant and the service is amazing, why was it amazing? What was the touch? What made it different than going to a standard restaurant? What was the value?”
If your clients are selling products or services that aren’t basic commodity items where the value or use is instantly obvious, then the same concept applies…. It’s all about the value.
If your client can demonstrate the real value of their product, there are two likely outcomes:
- Price discussions become less important because (assuming the pricing model is solid) the value delivered far outweighs the cost of acquisition.
- Customers are far more likely to provide referrals (free sales leads) or be prepared to provide case studies (free marketing) to help with future sales.
Identifying, quantifying and communicating the value of a product is a challenge that many small business struggle with. Get it right and impressive results can follow.
Do you or your clients struggle with communicating the real value of the products or services. Maybe we can help.
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