Getting new clients

Getting new clients

Didn't find your answer?

Has anybody used GRF Accountancy marketing Ltd? They organise appointments with prospective clients for you for around £120 to £180 per appointmnetthey organise?

I am having difficulty picking up new clients and would like to know if this method of obtaing clients works.

It seems a bit expensive to me but appreciate comments.
Roger

Replies (10)

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By User deleted
28th Oct 2005 18:49

Chris Pace
Can you prove that you are genuine and you have no association with GRF?

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By User deleted
31st Oct 2005 19:12

Buying lists
Followig on from the previous post.

I have come across companies selling lists of key information for new or relocated business in your area, change in ownership, telephone numbers, and other key information with full name of owners etc so that you can target specific companies.The idea being you mail shot these businesses and your success rate for conversion into new clients should be significantly up.

You can subscribe lists to your chosen area at prices dependent on area and average leads they provide. I have been quoted £400 for the year based on around 22 leads per month. It seems worth it.

Has any body any experience of this? as I am very tempted.

The next question is the mail shot? How do I do a good one? What to say what not to say??

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By User deleted
01st Nov 2005 08:59

I've tried these lists...
...of new and relocated businesses, and I can't say I've had much response from them. I've marketed to them for about 12 months now, and only had 2 responses.

Far more successful have been mailshots to existing businesses who already have accountants. It's amazing how many bad accountants there are out there who make it so easy for us to look really good.

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By User deleted
27th Oct 2005 13:27

Guarantee?
Do they guarantee a client at the end of this? If not I'll be happy to drag people off the street to see you for half the price!! I might be exceptionally cynical but the best clients will be the ones who come on their own (either from direct marketing or referrals from clients) - otherwise you might get someone from GRF who says they're happy to use you then disappear when you've forked out the £120s.

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By User deleted
26th Oct 2005 22:28

Havent used them....seem very expensive
I have heard of them, I believe I have seen adverts in Accountancy Age, but I havent used them myself or heard of anyone who has.

Presonally it seems a very expensive excercise to me.

I have been building up a small practice myself for the past few years and have found the best source of new clients is without doubt recommendations.

I got my intial clients from mailshots I did myself, and then at EVERY oppurtunity I ask people to refer me. I even offer a small fee discount for doing so. I get so many new clients in this way now. If you dont ask people to refer you they rarely will, but ask and you will be surprised!

I have also found referrals from bank managers and solicitors to be a super source of new business. Take a few managers out to lunch or ask to me them. They are often really pleased to have someone to refer customers to.

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By AnonymousUser
28th Oct 2005 09:03

Balancing the books
I think the question was “has anybody used them”…so far the responses are from people who haven’t. My post is to balance the books.

I am speaking to Accountants everyday about profit improvement and winning new clients. I can tell you from speaking to accountants that use GRF that they do deliver appointments and yes firms are signing up new clients. One firm that springs to mind has an average fee of £2,000 and is adding £100,000 a year.

By the way, telemarketing is NOT instead of referrals and other marketing strategies. It just super charges it and put you in control…like switching on and off a tap.

My advice if you are going to do it is to think about how good your sales skills are. Most accountants will probably let the telemarketer down not the other way around.

Maybe the existing clients of GRF are not posting replies because a) they don’t want you to know how good they are or b) they are too busy signing up new clients.

Steve…I think you put the “expensive” nonsense into perspective but unless you are creating a lifestyle job why stop advertising when you are busy? Employ someone!

Bob Harper
www.moresoftware.biz

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By AnonymousUser
27th Oct 2005 09:41

My approach
I have never heard of these people but I just don't see why someone looking for an accountant would subject themselves to a "lucky-dip" approach such as this. In my experience, 80% will go by referral and the other 20% will go through Thomson Local / Yellow pages until they find someone they like the look of. When I set up 5 years ago I invested about £4000 over two years with Thomsons. This meant I had an equal size advert to the bigger high street practices but I concentrated on looking friendlier to Jo Public. Most self-employed are scared witless by the thought of even phoning an accountant, so this bit is very important.

If £4000 seems expensive compared with £180 per meeting then keep in mind I probably took on 50 - 60 clients during this time. I have not advertised since and referrals have taken the list to 100+. The investment now seems quite small espiecially if you look at the cost of buying fees or sitting around not working.


Best of luck


Steve

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Dennis Howlett
By dahowlett
27th Oct 2005 04:49

Marketing sucks
Title says it all. For a very different look do see: http://bazzarz.typepad.com/accman/

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By User deleted
28th Oct 2005 13:58

Sorry but don't believe it!
The satisfied GRF accountant sounds remarkably like a phony, advertiser's "recommendation" to me, particularly since what appears to be the same answer has been posted to another question on how to get more fees! I could be wrong but a little too OTT for my liking. I would't touch an orgainsation like this with a bargepole.

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By david_terrar
01st Nov 2005 09:37

Lists and your own letter, but don't forget the key
Roger,
I'd agree with Roger and John here, and Dennis's comment is about being controversial to get noticed, which is one of the potential components of marketing anyway! What he really means is that some of conventional marketing sucks, because it is being taken over by the rise of new media, blogging, this very site, and the other good stuff he talks about in his blog.

GRF sounds a little expensive and you would do well to follow the advice of getting lists of new start ups, doing your own initial letter, and maybe hiring a contractor to do the telesales follow up so you can closely monitor what you are getting. Your time is expensive, and you want each of those appointments to be with a real client opportunity, not just a meeting.

But there is a crucial point you have to make sure of, and the first rule of marketing. I was talking to a practitioner yesterday who does exactly this to find his new clients, but made sure he tested the letter with two of his clients before he sent it. They both said, nice letter, but it would go in the bin. They made subtle suggestions, keeping 80% of the original text, but improving it so that it focused on what was different about his practice, and making him drop the obvious explanation of his services - everybody knows what an accountant does, so you don't need to explain it! They made him focus on things like the free telephone support he provides, or the fact that he is small business himself, so understands it from their point of view. You can read the fuller version of the story here:
http://biztwozero.com/btz/2005/10/31/intelligence-preparation-of-the-battlespace/

David Terrar
mailto: [email protected]
web: http://www.d2c.org.uk and Twinfield
blog: Business Two Zero

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