Telephone/online sign ups

Trending?

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Increasingly we are getting more and more telephone sign ups. I have not had a chance to review % of clients through the phone/website sign ups.I am reasonably certain it is over 50% clients. Though more local clients ask for a meeting. 

The vast majority, of telephone sign ups, being limited company clients. They do pay our fees. In general, they are not a headache and as in when needed they ask for a telephone meeting. This is far more time effective than a face to face meeting. Time pressure, particularly in London means clients do not have the time to come over.

What is trending for you, telephone/online signups? Do you insist on a meeting?

 

 

 

 

Replies (27)

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RLI
By lionofludesch
30th Mar 2017 11:22

I've got one payroll client I've never met. They have one employee.

I'm not normally comfortable with dealing with clients I never meet.

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By User deleted
30th Mar 2017 12:20

I was commended, earlier in the week, during an HMRC MLR compliance visit. Apparently; for, having an excellent knowledge of (all) my client's and, for meeting them regularly.

The very idea of not being able to put a face to a name, leaves me cold. Surely, part of our interaction with client's is being able to look into their eyes?
My referrals come from my personality and ability to provide a personal service and, being sensibly priced.

Churning numbers has never been my aim, or desire.

As for "trending" - sounds like that prat Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2, in the afternoon.

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By MissAccounting
30th Mar 2017 12:08

I meet all of my clients, not interested in the sausage factory approach you've gone for.

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RLI
By lionofludesch
30th Mar 2017 12:13

London, eh ?

Traffic still travelling across the city at the same speed as in the horse and cart days.

That's progress for you.

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By pauld
30th Mar 2017 12:19

Do you rank high on Google or/and use Google ads? in order to get lots of t/phone calls.

My website seems to struggle to get on page 1 of Google and trying to understand SEO or engage a firm to help with SEO is a bit of a minefield.

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Replying to pauld:
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By legerman
30th Mar 2017 12:35

pauld wrote:

Do you rank high on Google or/and use Google ads? in order to get lots of t/phone calls.

My website seems to struggle to get on page 1 of Google and trying to understand SEO or engage a firm to help with SEO is a bit of a minefield.

Some suggestions Paul. Include your town and county in the page heading, also include it in the main blurb, and best of all use Google Local so it appears on the first page in the local section. Google likes content, so if you are able, also set up a blog.

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By free-rider
30th Mar 2017 12:29

Running practice PT alongside the FT job and meet f2f no more than 6-8 clients a year (and even then it`s mostly on Skype) as everything is done via phone, email, post etc. Currently all new clients come from referrals many of whom I have never met in person.

Can`t be happier with my set up as don`t need to pay for office space, adverts etc. Client retention rate is no more than 5% per year so this clearly works.

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Replying to free-rider:
RLI
By lionofludesch
30th Mar 2017 13:22

Jaysus - you retain less than 5% of your clients ??

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Replying to lionofludesch:
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By free-rider
30th Mar 2017 13:41

lionofludesch wrote:

Jaysus - you retain less than 5% of your clients ??

Was rushing to lunch thus a mistake.

Client retention is no less than 95%.

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Replying to free-rider:
RLI
By lionofludesch
30th Mar 2017 13:54

It's still not for me.

If that appears to make me appear old-fashioned - good.

"New-fashioned" appears to involve dumping all the standards previously thought to be de rigeur.

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Replying to lionofludesch:
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By free-rider
30th Mar 2017 14:45

[quote=lionofludesch]

It's still not for me.

This approach won`t work for everyone.
When I worked for a small high street practice I was a keen believer in meeting clients f2f and building a relationship, but now I can see that it is possible to build a practice relying purely on phone and email communication.
Out of curiosity, Lion, are all your clients local to you or how do you meet the ones who live say 100-200 miles away?

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Replying to free-rider:
RLI
By lionofludesch
30th Mar 2017 15:02

Got one living in Sydney. I've met him. I'm thinking of getting rid of him though. Circs have changed and, imho, he'd be better just dealing with his UK customers through his Australian company.

One in the London area is the one I've not met. I only do payroll for them, which is about as low risk as you can get. I picked that job up through an acquaintance to dig them out of a hole. Fees are low - if they left, it wouldn't worry me.

Apart from those, the furthest away are three jobs out in the Peak District. Forty miles or so and I visit them. I see it as a day out.

Why do I need clients 100 miles away ? Wouldn't they be better served by someone more local ? It's not like I'm offering a hugely specialist service that no-one else can provide.

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Replying to lionofludesch:
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By free-rider
30th Mar 2017 15:56

I`d paraphrased a question – why not to want clients 100 miles away? If they are low maintenance, pay fees on time and there is no need to meet with them.

It is easier to cherry-pick the clients and build a portfolio of A clients you want if you are not set on a specific location.

Majority of my clients are based either up North and around Midlands area – I do occasionally go and see few bigger ones in Birmingham but usually very little business is discussed during these meetings.

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Replying to free-rider:
RLI
By lionofludesch
30th Mar 2017 16:06

free-rider wrote:

I`d paraphrased a question – why not to want clients 100 miles away? If they are low maintenance, pay fees on time and there is no need to meet with them.

Each to his own. I like my own company too but to say that the fact that you don't have to meet people is a huge advantage is a little bit weird.

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Replying to free-rider:
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By Vaughan Blake1
30th Mar 2017 16:24

Don't forget to tie your children up when Skyping clients!

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Replying to Vaughan Blake1:
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By free-rider
30th Mar 2017 16:53

This reminded me of a video of what happens when you don`t lock the doors when go live.

Lion,

I meant no need to wear a smart shirt and tie as not meeting clients.

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Replying to free-rider:
RLI
By lionofludesch
30th Mar 2017 17:22

free-rider wrote:

Lion,

I meant no need to wear a smart shirt and tie as not meeting clients.

I have a black tie for funerals.

I find clients speak to me more easily if I dress casually. A suit intimidates them.

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By Manchester_man
30th Mar 2017 12:36

I would like to have more telephone sign-ups, but certainly not all, as I don't think these clients would be as permanent as clients who I meet with regularly.

Phone / online sign-ups are certainly more likely to happen now than in the past.

Meetings take up a lot of my time, but I do believe that it is time well spent. Telephone / online only sign-ups (in my opinion) would be more likely to "sign-down" / leave than the rest of my clients, I believe.

I have 1 client in Kuala Lumpur who I have never met and I picked up a couple of 'one-off' jobs from this site who I never met. I also have 1 payroll only client who I haven't met, but he was recommended.

I see my A clients at least once a quarter and B clients approximately 2 to 3 times a year.

I am finding my A clients to be far less work than C and D clients, strangely!

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PJ
By paulgrca.net
30th Mar 2017 12:54

Says a lot about the quality of these clients if they are prepared to sign up on the basis of a telephone conversation!

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FT
By FirstTab
30th Mar 2017 13:18

Thanks for the response.

I love the current trend of telephone signups. You can create a good business realtionship over the phone. I have, many times over.

I give clients a choice for coming over for a meeting or a telephone conversation lasting up to 45 mins. Majority opt for a telephone discussion.

Times have move on. Face to face meetings are so yesterday!

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Replying to FirstTab:
RLI
By lionofludesch
30th Mar 2017 13:35

Many drug dealers agree.

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Replying to FirstTab:
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By User deleted
30th Mar 2017 13:53

Face to face meetings are so yesterday - really?

So, you're reinventing the wheel? Good luck with that one.
Horses for courses.

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By CJaneH
30th Mar 2017 15:02

How do you do the 'money laundering proceeds of crime' check

Surely you need to see the person to check the Passport or other photo ID.

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Replying to CJaneH:
RLI
By lionofludesch
30th Mar 2017 15:07

No, you don't actually. You just need more pieces of corroborating evidence.

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By Vaughan Blake1
30th Mar 2017 16:38

I used to deal with a elderly widow with a large farm that she ran with a rod of iron. All of our staff who had only spoken to her on the phone were terrified of her. Those that had met her f2f realised she was an absolutely charming, bright, sweet old lady with an appalling phone manner. It was just that she was a bit deaf and hated using the phone.

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Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
30th Mar 2017 23:30

Having met FT I can see why he can sign up clients over the phone with his lightening wit and great banter.

Personally I use phone calls to weed out the tyre kickers looking for a cheap fee or free advice.

As an angler, I see it like this, my website casts the bait, the email or phone call is the bite and the meeting is the fish in the net. I probably get more sign ups where an email is the initial contact as opposed to a phone call. I suppose that's maybe as people who work during the day, browse at night when office is closed so email in.

I do have a few clients that are remote and not met before. I have a few clients in London, I maybe come down twice per year and tie a few meetings up together.

I like to think I can do the work quickly and efficiently so the fees can stand a meeting if need be. Once signed up everything is dealt with via, email, Skype or phone calls where possible.

Meeting different people is probably my favourite part of my work so would not want to drop them all together.

I would think that a client who would sign up off a phone call would also want a basic and cheap service which I am not really about. I would also suspect they would ring 3 or 4 and go with the cheapest.

I can see it working for CIS lads or taxi drivers, contractors etc but I think a decent trading business would not go for this and would want a better relationship beyond phone calls. My better clients certainly wouldn't go for this.

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Replying to Glennzy:
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By Manchester_man
31st Mar 2017 01:11

Word for word this is pretty much me also (except I haven't met FT yet)... I'm a fisherman myself, although only very occasionally these days!

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