Being listed on the Find a ProAdvisor site doesn’t come without it’s downsides … that is to say, you can often get calls of people “just needing a question answered”. Rarely is it that simple, but so often these calls take up time and they are not even qualified clients.
Debra Kilsheimer faced a similar problem, but instead of bemoaning these annoyances, she
took the chance to be helpful and add value in the marketplace (which is a great way to build goodwill, a great reputation, and build referrals). If the call was something she could solve in a few minutes (5-15 minutes), she would help the prospect out. If it took longer, then perhaps a conversation was introduced on clean up work or ongoing work, but if the problem seemed simple, Debbie was happy to lend a helping hand.
What distinguished her approach was that after the call, if the person didn’t seem like they would need any additional services, she would simply ask them something like
“Hey, before we jump off, I was wondering if you could leave a review on how you thought the call went. Since you found me through the proadvisor community, you know how important reviews are, and even 1-2 sentences would really go a long way. If I send over a link, can you leave a review?”
In the off chance she didn’t, and had their email on the file, the same approach could work as well, with an email script like the following
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Subject: Hi FIRSTNAME, quick follow up
Hi FIRSTNAME
It was great chatting just now and I’m glad we were able to solve the issue.
I was wondering if you’d be available to share 1-2 sentences on how the call went via the review section on my proadvisor page? These reviews really help me get discovered on the page, and would mean a lot.
Here’s a link to the page where you can leave a quick review:
LINK
Either way, always feel free to reach out if you have any more questions.
Thank you!
David
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Most people will say yes, and even if the majority do not leave a review, gaining an extra 6,12 (or even 20 reviews) will immediately propel you to the top of the ProAdvisor list when a potential client is searching there.
If nothing else, ASK for the review!
For those that want that want to take it a step further, you can even ask current clients for reviews as well.
Just finished a client meeting, or a mid year check in, or review a cashflow report… Ask them for a review!
One more takeaway is that you can also list these reviews on your website, in marketing materials, in client on-boarding documentation (and anywhere else a prospect or client might interact).
So the next time someone asks you a question, instead of complaining about “15 minute non billable time interruptions”, use the goodwill and ask for a review, they will carry their weight in gold as prospects continue to research your firm!
David Cristello, Jetpack Workflow
David Cristello is the Founder and CEO of Jetpack Workflow, a recurring client management and workflow application for Accounting firms. He’s also the host of Growing Your Firm Podcast, where top practitioners share their tips and strategies on how they’re increasing profits, managing and recruiting team members, adding new profit centers, and much more. You can learn more at https://jetpackworkflow.com