Finding Clients For Bookkeepers

What do you think about a letter box drop to find bookkeeping clients?

Peter writes:
“I am looking to start-up a small bookkeeping business, with the objective of occupying me for say 3 days pw. My reason in writing to you is to obtain your opinion as to whether you think I am on the right track with regard to
my marketing strategy (just developed). I want to avoid any unnecessary wheel spinning.

My intention is to develop a one page letter, which I will use as a letter box drop in the local area. I have already approached the Accountants in my area and received some polite and positive comments, but I am not holding my breath! I believe a direct approach to end-users is more likely to be productive, rather than going through a third party. “

If you’ve read our book *Secrets to Finding Bookkeeping Clients* you’ll realise that we don’t really promote “cold calling”.

Have you thought about who your target market is? When I go down to the local hardware store to buy a drill, it’s not because I want to buy a drill – It’s because I need to hang a picture up on the wall, and need to put a hook in the wall, and need a drill to make the hole!

Business owners don’t want to pay for a bookkeeper – they just want their paperwork sorted out!

We’ve worked with accountants that have a tendancy to get caught up in the use of “jargin” when their clients are only interested in knowing if they’ve got enough cash left at the end of the week to buy a carton of coldies!!

You’re surrounded by potential clients – and end of financial year is a good time to source those clients – finding them is really quite simple with the right strategies

If you’d like some help then take advantage of our one-on-one coaching sessions

If you’re like most bookkeepers, you really don’t want to go out and meet new people. You’re like a rabbit frozen by the car headlights – and any type of business breakfast / networking function is the last place you’d want to be

When you arrive there, you may be totally ignored, or introduced to someone who’s whole purpose is to smother you with information about their business. They’ve found a new “victim”

Our approach is completely different, whether its at a Chamber event, Rotary Club meeting, and networking function or whatever the situation may be.

Because if you want to successfully market your business through networking, then do what everyone else is NOT doing!

The Greatest Networking Strategy

Our goal is to find 3 people at every networking function. We want to help them, not by selling our bookkeeping services, but by giving them business leads. At least by having an understanding of their business and the type of clients they seek, we an begin to consider our existing database of friends and business associates that may benefit from these new contacts.

By taking an interest in their business, guess what happens? They actually take an interest , a genuine interest in yours, and start asking more about how you can benefit them.

Here’s a few simple tips to maximise the opportunities available at networking functions:

• Arrive early – at least 10 minutes early.
• Bring your business cards if you have them
  Have a think about what most people do when they are given a business card. They lose them. So our goal is not so much to give them out, but to collect other people’s business cards

• Dress for the occasion
  You can only make a first impression once. What impression / statement do you want to make by the way you are dressed?

• Use people’s names. After they introduce themselves, try to use their name at least three times in the next few minutes – that way you’ll have a better chance of remembering it.
• Have your “elevator speech” prepared – you need to be able to explain what you do in less than two minutes

  “I’m a bookkeeper” may be the correct statement, but it will not help the conversation without embelishment

• Have a clear idea of your typical bookkeeping client, so that other people may quickly get an understanding of your target market

As a freelance bookkeeper, remember that where ever you go, it’s like a networking event. School sports days, the loacl supermarket etc – you never know where you may meet your next bookkeeping client