Learn the mechanics behind building a client base you'll love working with As an accountant or bookkeeper, you want to work with the best clients, those that value your work and expertise. But, it can be hard to wade through the challenging clients to find the gems. This webinar features advice from accountants and bookkeepers who've worked with challenging clients, created and tested successful discovery processes and are nailing client management.

1. World-Class Strategies
for Picking the Right Clients

2. Follow along on Twitter
#IdealClients
Yoseph West

3. Choosing clients is personal.
Yoseph West
#IdealClients

4. Why Pick Clients?
Yoseph West
#IdealClients

5. The best clients require the least
attention, and pay the most.
Yoseph West
#IdealClients

6. Standardize tools and focus on a
niche that fits you.
Yoseph West
#IdealClients

7. Build a practice you’re proud of
and work with great people.
Yoseph West
#IdealClients

8. Defining the Criteria
Tom Maxwell
Tom Maxwell (@ignition_tom)
Head of Customer Success
Practice Ignition
#IdealClients

9. This is a structure to help you
decide what’s important.
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

10. Tom Maxwell
Three categories for identifying ideal clients:
#IdealClients

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#IdealClients

12. Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

13. Tom Maxwell
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14. Tom Maxwell
Most professional service providers
settle for one category
#IdealClients

15. Tom Maxwell
Strive for clients that fit at least 2 categories
#IdealClients

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If you find all three that’s your unicorn!
#IdealClients

17. Where you are in the business life-
cycle might impact your decision.
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

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19. Now we have a structure, we need to
determine a process for choosing
ideal clients.
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

20. Section 3: How to determine if
someone is an ideal client.
Tom Maxwell
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21. Step 1: Determine your priorities.
Step 2: Identify the key indicators.
Step 3: Build a discovery process.
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

22. Step 1: Determine your priorities.
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

23. Step 1: Determine your priorities.
1. Rank the three ideal client categories in terms of importance to you.
2. What do you want to get out of this business?
3. Who are your favourite clients and why?
4. What stage in the business life cycle are you in?
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

24. Step 2: Identify the key indicators.
Tom Maxwell
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25. Step 2: Identify the key indicators.
How do you know if a client is a high margin client?
Questions to ask the client:
• Do they have a business/strategic plan?/What are their goals?
• do they really know what they need?
• Are they aware of their business pains?
• Is their cash-flow impacted by seasonality?
• Are they open to fixed fee billing?
• Are they willing to pay upfront?
• what does their revenue look like?
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

26. Step 2: Identify the key indicators.
How do you know if a client is a high margin client?
Questions to ask yourself:
• How much work is there for you to do?
• For repeatable work, can you automate it?
• Will there be significant COGs to complete this work?
• Can you see the potential for future up-sells?
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

27. Step 2: Identify the Key Indicators.
The Work Itself:
• What industry are they in? Do they fit in your niche?
• What work needs to be performed?
• Have you standardized/categorized your services?
• Do you actually like doing this work?
• Can you be proud of the work you are doing?
• Do you have staff members that like doing this work?
• Is this service/work sustainable on a short term basis? (i.e. for a particular client)
• Is this service/work sustainable on a long-term basis? (i.e. will it become obsolete?)
Tom Maxwell

28. Step 2: Identify the key indicators.
Interpersonal:
• how quickly do they reply to communication?
- send a survey, what is their response time?
- how quick are they to respond to requests for documents?
• Are they open to non-traditional communication methods?
- (i.e. video calls if they are not local)
• What is their current tech stack?
• Are they comfortable with tech?
• What is their Personality/behavioural type? (hint: research the DISC profile)
• Are they comfortable making tough and/or fast decisions?
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

29. Step 3: Build a Discovery Process.
Tom Maxwell
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30. 5 stages to building a discovery process.
Tom Maxwell
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31. Stage 1: Document your process internally.
Tom Maxwell
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32. Stage 2: Use it the same way every time.
Tom Maxwell
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33. Stage 3: Review your process. Test. Iterate. Repeat.
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

34. Stage 4: Have separate questions/scripts
for each scenario in your sales cycle
and customer lifecycle.
A. Initial call - High level identifiers
B. First sales meeting - Deep dive into each category
C. First customer review meeting - Did you get it right? If no, fix it!
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

35. Stage 5: Have somewhere central to document results
(CRM). Set a pass grade for your clients.
RESULT = Does your client satisfy at least
2 of the 3 categories?
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

36. BONUS TIP:
Annual customer reviews with your clients is your
opportunity to completely re-assess your priorities and:
• introduce additional services to your ideal clients.
• get rid of the clients you no longer want to work with.
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

37. To Recap
Step 1: Determine your priorities.
Step 2: Identify the key indicators.
Step 3: Build a discovery process.
Tom Maxwell
#IdealClients

38. Creating a Foundation
for Client Success
Yoseph West
#IdealClients

39. Set expectations and set clients’
up for success.
Yoseph West
#IdealClients

40. Train them on technology
and process.
Yoseph West
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41. Clearly define your relationships
from the start.
Yoseph West
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42. Remove friction throughout the
client experience.
Yoseph West
#IdealClients

43. Vip Account for You
One free Hubdoc account for Accountants &
Bookkeepers
Simply sign up at
HTTPS://APP.HUBDOC.COM/SIGNUP
Once you love Hubdoc, begin adding your
clients
Supercharge your practice!
Yoseph West

44. Let’s talk!
@Hubdoc Booknow.so/Hubdoc 1-800-577-2842

45. Join us for Practice Ignition 101
Sign up for our weekly webinars here:
www.practiceignition.com/events
or
Click here to book a one on one session.
Tom Maxwell
Max Walsh - Territory Manager
Practice Ignition

46. Thank You
Tom MaxwellYoseph West
#IdealClients