Whatever your career path is, communication is essential in gaining and keeping clients. If you’re an accountant especially, you have to keep your communication lines open in order to deliver the requirements of your customers. This need becomes all the more emphasised as various accounting firms and freelancers (including those who’re part of a global accounting network) shift into the digital sphere because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are seven client communication tips to help you out.

Communicate about the status of your business or service. First and foremost, you have to tell your clients — and the public (if you’re actively looking for new clients) — about the status of your business. If you have a website, have a dedicated space for your COVID-related update. Also utilise your social media and your email list to inform how they can reach out to you during these challenging times.

Be specific when reaching out to your clients. Like what many professionals who are part of an accountancy network advise, there’s no one-size-fits-all communications solutions for your clients. Make sure to customise your messages according to your previous transactions with them. In the same way, your professional advice should also be personalised.

Identify the clients you will prioritise. To make things efficient for you, you have to assess your roster of clients and identify which of them are "high risk" given the current COVID-19 situation. One effective way of categorising clients is by industry. Reach out first to clients whose businesses have been greatly affected by the public health crisis.

Set expectations. When it comes to communication with clients in the time of pandemic, it’s a basic task to set expectations. How will your meetings or consultations be hosted? What platform will you use for video conferencing? How secure will their data be once it’s sent via cloud-based services?

Check resources from accountancy networks. Being part of an accountancy network during these uncertain times is advantageous. With this kind of access to fellow accounting professionals, you can easily get hold of resources and information important to your service provision.

Know the available aid befitting your clients’ situations. Research is vital for accountants who are providing their services during the time of COVID-19. You have to know what aid is available for different business sectors for you to be able to give a sound and appropriate advice (for instance, what claims are available to them? Is there a deadline of extension for filing tax returns?).

Help them with their immediate and medium-term needs. Many businesses seek help from accountants not only because of their accounting needs. They also rely on professionals like you when it comes to laying or short- and medium-term plans for your business development. Constant communication is vital for your partnership with your clients to be effective and synergised.

MGI Worldwide has a combined experience of more than 70 years. Providing various accounting and auditing services to businesses across the world, the global accounting network takes pride in its roster of over 10,000 professionals and accounting experts. Reach out to them via email at [email protected] or call them at +44 1932 853393. Visit https://www.mgiworld.com to know more about them.