May 2003a- Each month this page will be updated with new tips and ideas and the previous content archived. As time goes by our archives will grow. These will always be accessible, and always without charge. Enjoy.

Welcome to the free tips page for May 2003

So, you got through another Tax Season...

...Time to spring clean the client base.

This is often a time for reflection for CAs and CPAs across North America, as the stressful tax season is officially over. But don't sit back and rest on your laurels for too long - it's time to do some spring cleaning.

Which clients drove you utterly crazy this season? Who took up more of your time on trivial little things that might have caused you to get behind schedule on some really important client matters? What did you feel you helped them accomplish?

Do you think that they really appreciated your input, or were they just the usual pain in the ass?

Will they pay for this time, or are they expecting this to be yet another freebie?

Let's face it, we all have (or had) clients like this at some point or another, and most of us wished that we didn't. Yet few of us have the strength to show them the door. After all, who turns away business? It just goes against the grain for most.

Based on my own experience in public practice, and confirmed by numerous clients I have worked with since, I believe that now is the best time to re-evaluate your client base and identify the two or three (hopefully you won't have many more than that) clients who, God bless them, you really don't want to deal with any more.

Some of these people will be perfectly obvious who they are, you probably wake in the morning thinking "Oh no, client 'X' is coming in today". In other cases a chat with your staff will be time well spent.

Look at your practice management reports. Look at the build up of WIP, your recovery rates on the last few months billings and also run through your receivables and pick out those who are unacceptably late in settling their fees.

The Usual Suspects

You probably won't be the least bit surprised at 99% of the names on the lists of problem cases, but aren't these the same clients that were problematic last year? And the year before?

So what are you going to do about it?

Carpe Diem

I'd like to suggest that you seize the day and take an unusual action this year that will be enormously enlightening and highly rewarding... fire them.

Yes that's right, you saw it correct the first time, fire them.

It can be done in a very humane and professional manner, but the result is always the same - you've got rid of a perennial problem that's just waiting to come back and haunt you next year.

Some of the benefits that you'll enjoy as a direct result are:

1.	No more "oh no, client 'X' is coming in today" anxiety
2.	The time that these people take up will now be available to spend on something far more productive and profitable
3.	You'll regain a sense of control over your professional life

So what is the best way to go about doing it?

By far, it's best to meet with them, at their premises if at all possible (so YOU control how long the meeting lasts as you just leave when you're done rather than trying to get them out of the door when you're ready for them to leave, but they're not!) and deliver the news face to face.

Start off by complimenting them in some way: "Jim, I think you're a wonderful person, I really do..." and then tell them what the problem is "...but my firm just isn't the right one for you any more."

At this juncture you have a choice.

You can either explain how your practice has grown/changed/whatever and that you are just not set up to service them properly ("I've noticed how frustrated you've been with us lately...") and suggest that they find another firm who are better suited to their needs (you can compare this to a car manufacturer... "Jim, when you first came here, in car terms we made mini-vans, and a mini-van was what you needed, but we've evolved and make the equivalent of an SUV now, but you still need a mini-van") or you can come to an arrangement with a smaller practitioner, to buy these clients from you.

If you can find a firm that these people would be attractive clients to, then why not profit form the letting-go?

In either event, you are not seen as the villain who just told the client to go away and don't come back - you should never burn any bridges if at all possible, because these people just might grow their business into a very attractive future client, and how you handle this situation might reflect on you later.

How you decide to handle this is, of course entirely up to you, but keep in mind the freedom, the additional time you can devote to your bigger clients, or to developing your practice development in areas that will attract the RIGHT type of client in the future.

Good luck, and if you need any help, please feel free to call me at 905-607-3673.

Towards Awesome Client Service - Module Two. The Success Story Continues...

After the success of Module One, we look forward to continuing the journey towards awesome client service with our subscribers, old and new, with the launch of Module two. It's packed full with new ideas and approaches to develop closer working relationships with your clients, and a better yield on your investment in your staff and yourself. The price is held at the introductory rate of $249.95 per module (US funds) so join us now, and if you haven't yet signed up for Module One, you can still do so at the introductory rate.

Module Three is released in June this year, more details will come in next months free tips page.

Find out more at: www.awesomeclientservice.com/details.htm

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So, that's all for now, if you need more, sign up for our free e-newsletter, LEDGER, on our newsletter sign-up page, or look at our best-selling manual LOW COST HIGH IMPACT WAYS TO WIN NEW CLIENTS.

Thanks for visiting.
Have a great month.
Until next time.

More free tips to come as we next update our site in June 2003.