How to be effective in client meetings

This week I took a close look at client service and how accountancy firms can up their game. One of the most common reasons I hear from practitioners who are failing to deliver on client service is that simply do not have enough time. This needn't be the case if you learn how to make the most of every meeting you have with clients.

Do you always have written agendas for every client meeting? This is all part of delivering client service. Send a proposed agenda to a client a few days before the meeting and ask if they want to add anything. The client will feel you are being proactive and caring for them, whilst you are ensuring that all meetings are productive and run to time.

You also should use the agenda as an opportunity to note any new services you want to talk to a client about which may help them. Agendas also ensure you cover all you need to say. How many of us have gone to a meeting meaning to discuss fees or something we are a little uncomfortable with, only to find we conveniently bow out and avoid the 'confrontation' due to having run out of time or simply forgotten? An agenda means that both you and the client are prepared and you are forced to cover any issues. This will benefit both you and the client in the long run.

Client service is also about 'the feel' of your firm. When did you last walk in through your front door and put yourself in the shoes of a client? Are clients greeted warmly and called by their name on arrival so they feel special? Do your team always smile, ask how they are and offer them a drink? What does your reception area say about you? Your team should be trained to treat visitors as if they were friends visiting your home. Offer to take their mobile phones and answer calls during the meeting in order for them to be uninterrupted.

Do you keep clients waiting and take hours to return their calls? Good basic client service means that they feel important and respected at all times. If you are running late or can't return a call for a while then you must ensure the client is told in advance. It is the client who is doing you the favour of paying you for your services and not the other way around. It still amazes me to hear many clients, when I survey them for accountants, say how they are made to feel 'small' or stupid when they have dealings with their accountants.

Are you dependent on your team of staff delivering client service on your behalf? Many partners forget that the client actually has most ongoing contact with your team. If your team isn't happy and technically skilled then how can they deliver the client service that is expected of them? Client service training is key to getting your business to work in the way you want it to.