You know how tedious and time-consuming managing clients and paperwork can be. Between scheduling appointments, sending invoices, and trying to cross-sell services, you’re struggling to find enough hours in the day to get it all done while still maintaining a high level of client service.
What you need is an all-in-one CRM solution like vcita that’s built specifically for accountants. It handles the busy-work so you can focus on your clients. With an easy-to-use system that streamlines your scheduling, invoicing, and cross-selling, you’ll provide a better experience for your clients and gain back hours of your time each week. Keep reading to learn how to use a cloud CRM for accountants to revolutionize your firm’s productivity and boost your bottom line.
The benefits of using a CRM for accounting firms
Here are some of the major benefits that your firm will enjoy when you use an accounting CRM.
Save time and money
An accounting CRM helps streamline onboarding new clients and minimizes administrative load so you can focus on high-value work. Automate invoicing, billing, and payment collection and stop chasing clients for payments.
Improve organization
A CRM organizes all your clients’ information, communications, invoices, and payments in one place. No more sifting through emails to find client details or losing track of invoices; instead, see each client’s status and history at a glance.
Increase efficiency
CRM software helps you draft and send invoices directly to clients, keep tabs on invoices, and get notified when an invoice is viewed or paid. Manage schedules, book meetings, and share files from anywhere using the CRM’s mobile apps.
Provide great service
A client portal gives clients 24/7 access to their information, invoices, payments, and files. Clients can pay invoices, update details, and message you on their own schedule. Respond to clients faster with CRM alerts and reminders.
Cross-sell more services
Identify opportunities to provide additional services to existing clients based on their history and needs. A CRM for accountants helps you keep track of each client’s history, so you can see openings to cross-sell or upsell, reach out with relevant offers, and close more deals.
Streamline workflows with a cloud-based CRM for accountants
A cloud-based CRM like vcita can revolutionize how you manage your accounting practice. By streamlining key workflows, it frees up your time to focus on clients and growth. Here are some of the ways that vcita removes friction from your workday.
Automated appointment booking
vcita’s online booking system lets clients schedule appointments 24/7 through your booking widget, which you can embed on your website and email signature. They select a service, pick a date and time, and the appointment is automatically added to your calendar. No more playing phone tag or manually adding appointments on a paper calendar.
Seamless invoicing
Create professional invoices in seconds and send them directly to your clients. vcita pulls client and service details from scheduled appointments to auto-populate invoices, which helps reduce the risk of manual errors. It even sends automatic payment reminders so you get paid on time, every time. Clients can set up payment plans and pay online, and payments are deposited directly into your bank account. No more chasing down checks or tracking receipts.
Synchronized scheduling
A scheduling tool gives you an up-to-the-minute view of your calendar, so you can easily juggle meetings and deadlines. Get notifications the moment a new appointment is booked, avoid double-booking with the calendar sync feature, and see your availability for the week or month at a glance, so you can schedule in time for administrative work.
Improved client communication
vcita’s client portal gives your clients a centralized place to view invoices, pay bills, schedule appointments and message you. They can sign documents electronically and access tax information anytime, so you spend less time fielding calls and emails, and more time advising clients.
Leverage client portals and CRM data for cross-selling
The data in your CRM provides insights into your clients’ needs and habits. You’ll see things like the types of services they use most often, how frequently they schedule appointments, the average invoice amount, and so on. This information can reveal cross-selling and upselling opportunities to increase your revenue.
For example, if you notice a client only uses your tax preparation services, you could reach out to let them know about your bookkeeping and payroll offerings. Or, if a client has a high volume of appointments and invoices, suggest a retainer engagement to provide a “package” discount. Your CRM data gives you the full picture so you can make personalized recommendations for each client.
Email marketing tools empower you further to approach cross-selling in a systematic way. Create segmented lists in your CRM based on client attributes like industry, location or services used. Then, send targeted emails promoting relevant add-on services. For example, email clients in retail industries about your sales tax services, or nearby clients about your on-site consulting options.
A CRM is essential for managing client relationships, but it also enables smarter, data-driven selling. By keeping close tabs on your clients’ needs and behaviors, you’ll never miss an opportunity to provide more value. And when you provide more value to clients, your firm’s bottom line benefits.
Choosing the right accounting CRM software
Choosing an accounting CRM tailored to your firm’s needs is key. Not all CRMs are built for accountants, so find one with features that simplify your work and boost productivity. Look for a CRM that includes:
- An online booking system and scheduling software to streamline appointments. A booking widget on your website lets clients book directly into your calendar.
- Invoicing and billing software to create, send and track invoices. Automated reminders ensure on-time payments.
- A client portal where clients can view statements, pay invoices and upload documents. This reduces back and forth emails and calls.
- Cross-selling tools to identify opportunities with current clients. Track services used and suggest additional services. This grows your business from within.
- Integrations with the accounting software you already use, so you can sync contacts, invoices, payments and more between systems.
- Custom reporting that delivers insights into which services are most popular, who your top clients are, and more, so you can make better business decisions.
- An iOS and Android app so you can manage your accounting firm on the go when you’re out of the office.
vcita is an all-in-one CRM and business management software built for accountants and accounting firms. It includes online booking, scheduling, invoicing, billing, marketing, client portals, and more, plus it integrates with popular accounting software like QuickBooks, Xero and Sage, syncing data between systems.
Expand your business with a CRM for accountants
With the right CRM software, you’ll gain back hours of time each week to focus on your clients and grow your accounting practice. An all-in-one solution like vcita provides online booking, scheduling, invoicing, billing, and more in an easy to use system, so you can enhance client relationships, improve productivity and grow your firm.
