How CRM helps Accountants Manage Client Data and Improve Communication

Accounting is much beyond numbers. These people have to handle a lot of key operations related to finance, providing guidance on how to reduce costs and forecasting trends. They are the ones who keep business moving.

Accountants operate across a diverse industrial sector. After all, financial management is a key part of every industry and accountants streamline the same. But, how do they do it? Arrive CRM software- that helps accountants streamline their jobs. Whether you are an advisor or a bookkeeper, CRM software for accounting purposes is a powerful tool that simplifies your workflow.

If you ask how, let us explain that CRM automates a lot of tasks that you have to do every day to service your clients and hence you can focus on providing solutions to bigger problems faced by your clients.

In this blog, we will expose how CRM helps accountants to manage client data and improve communication but, let’s first have a look at the type of software accountants use.

What kind of Software is used by Accounting Firms?

CRM Software is the primary necessity for any accounting professional. Because it streamlines the work of the accountants on one level and connects with them on the other. In the process, they develop an empathic connection with the clients. 

With so many contacts, appointments, and a lot of other things to do, you would likely be using a lot of other solutions, some of which are:

• Dashboard to record financial transactions and bookkeeping tools.
• A calendar which schedules meetings and tasks.
• A time tracker to keep a record of the hours worked on the business for a client.
• Software for invoicing
• Tolls to share files and hence help with collaboration.
• Spreadsheets to analyze your company’s financial data and present forecast reports.

In today’s competition, new innovative software applications are developed on a daily basis. In fact (according to a source ), research conducted by QuickBooks says that accounting professionals spend around 86% of their time on tasks that can be automated.

While the word Automation might scare a few people, I don’t think that accounting will subsequently become obsolete as a long road is left to reach that.

Automation reduces your load by taking over more manual non-revenue generating tasks like data entry, allowing you to spend more time on tasks in demand like activities related to sales and growth opportunities.

Now, let’s learn about what CRM is

What is meant by CRM

Customer Relationship Management or CRM streamline the organizational workflow by the management of their relationship with clients usually through the organization, analysis, and aggregation of huge amounts of client data.

Data is stored centrally in CRM software and multiple people can access it in need. CRM software will help you streamline marketing, sales attempt, accounting, and customer service for startups through which multiple people can edit information about a particular client’s journey.

You can use CRM to track data, interactions, and notes about potential customers.

How CRM is Relevant in Accounting

Having CRM software installed in your system ensures that you say goodbye to the age-old, tedious accounting process. In fact, a CRM offers a comprehensive suite of benefits for an accounting firm. Some of the examples are:

• Gain awareness about your marketing performance and sales pipeline with just a few clicks.
• Serve your clients better with a self-service online client portal.
• Capture information about your prospects through visitors to your website.
• Get an overall review of every client from leads to repeat purchasers.
• Automate different tedious tasks and enhance productivity.

Using powerful CRM software means you can simplify various aspects of your accounting practice and increase productivity.

Core advantages of using a CRM System for Accounting

The basic purpose of a CRM system is to store client data but what you can do with that information is endless, it is up to you. We have listed some of the advantages below:

• Trouble-Free Client Response

Nowadays, clients want to feel valued and prioritized, they long for ease. But a busy organization with a large client base may find it challenging to do.

CRM software can help you overcome that problem and remain best when it’s about client communication by sending email templates which you can personalize. Then you can send those automatically after a specific time, keeping a continuous flow of communication and high productivity levels. Your clients will also be happy as they find their queries being answered on time.

• Streamlined Onboarding of Clients

Clients should be made to go through an onboarding process so that they get to know about the various tasks and deadlines expected of them while you provide them with accounting services.

A CRM tool helps you set up a client onboarding program for a more streamlined experience. Features like email templates, document storage and scheduled reminders ensure that your customers get the right information at the right time.

Read Also: Merchant Cash Advance vs. Traditional Financing

• Retention of Clients

Retention of clients provides a strong measure of the success of your company. Even a subtle increase in retention rate can result in a huge profit increase. Customer Relationship Management Software helps your organization to understand how customers feel about your company.

With a proper understanding of customer pain points, Certified Public Accountants can take charge and get ahead of the inconvenience to reduce churn.

Along with that, CRM software also automates customer support and ticketing service so that customers feel heard and prioritized. Without a Customer Relationship Management tool, firms would lose clients for simple repairable reasons which means that they have to invest more time and energy to hire new clients every time.

• Enhanced Sales through Cross-Selling

(As per a source), research published by McKinsey and Company states that Cross-selling will enhance your sales by 20% and your profits by 30%. A CRM can well organize your cross-selling process with minimal effort from CPA or a Certified Public Accountant.

This Software allows you to spot places where you can cross-sell other products to existing customers. 

By making you target appropriate customers at the right time, you build solid relationships with existing clients.

Conclusion

A CRM for accounting firms saves time, and money and also provides tools to enhance customer relationships. After all, the success of your business depends on several factors, which come into play.