Managing Client Needs Before Year End

Unpopular opinion: With three months left of the year, chasing new clients is 𝘯𝘰𝘵 the best use of your time right now. If your firm works to the calendar year and you're not within touching distance of hitting your fee target, finding and converting new clients should be low on your priority list. Here's why: existing clients. In every firm I've worked in or with, existing clients are the untapped goldmine that lawyers overlook. Yet it's five times easier to win work from them; they're usually more profitable, and winning new work from existing clients is much faster than if you brought in a new client. I know that winning new clients is the holy grail of BD, and I also know that becoming overreliant on a handful of clients is dangerous. But when it comes to the crunch, existing clients: ▶ already know your value ▶ are quicker and easier to sell to, and ▶ are more likely to give you longer-term, larger projects. If you’re struggling to hit your BD targets, here’s how to start selling more to your existing clients: ↔️ Expand: Look at recent matters or cases you’ve handled. Schedule a check-in with your client to discuss future business needs, upcoming projects, or industry changes they might be facing. This conversation often reveals new areas where you can support them. 🔀 Cross-sell: Review your firm's services and identify areas your client hasn't yet explored. Grab a coffee with partners in other practice areas to brainstorm potential cross-selling opportunities. Then, set up a joint meeting with your client to introduce them to these new services. ⬆️ Upsell: When delivering work or during client updates, highlight additional services that could enhance their results. For example, if you’ve recently handled a transaction, suggest post-deal services like compliance or ongoing advisory support. Avoid the end-of-year scramble for new business, and look at the clients already on your books. The goldmine might be closer than you think 💰

𝙄𝙛 𝙅𝙖𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙘, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙮... It’s mid-December. You’re rushing to close everything before year-end and hoping to properly switch off for a bit. Then January hits and I see a lot of teams assume things will magically calm down. That suddenly there’ll be a plan in place to get customers in a good position for Q1. It doesn't always work that way! If you want January to feel more controlled, block out an hour now and work through this. 𝟭. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 What do you want customers to experience by the end of Q1. Faster time to value? Fewer blockers? Clearer renewal conversations? 𝟮. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 ‘𝗮𝗵𝗮’ 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 First login. Onboarding completion. First support interaction. First value. Renewal lead-up. Plan around these moments. 𝟯. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 What causes the most tickets? Confusion. Delays. Internal noise. Unless it's a problem today, it's not a Q1 priority. 𝟰. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 From now on, send the first renewal reminder 90 days out. It usually takes 3 or 4 nudges to start a conversation. You’ll be surprised how many renewals close before their expiry date. 𝟱. 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 Document the top recurring questions and onboarding FAQs in your self-serve area. This can save you and your team SO MUCH time! 𝟲. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 Agree what “at risk” means and who steps in before renewal month arrives. Think about your customers early. What do they want to see? What adds real value to them? What problem areas, if fixed, would remove the biggest headaches for you and your team? If you’re planning Q1 and want a second pair of eyes on what to prioritise, DM me 👋🏼 I love a plan and a list 🤓 #CustomerSuccess #CustomerSupport #CustomerExperience #Q1planning #StartupPlanning ____________________________________ Hi, I’m Sarah Stocks. I help companies build structured onboarding and success systems that retain clients and drive growth once sales have won the deal. Follow me (and Sukses Today) for insights on onboarding, retention, operations and building customer foundations that scale.

Believe it or not, we're already well into Q2, which means the crucial Q4 peak season for both Retail and Healthcare industries is rapidly approaching. For Retail, it's the holiday shopping frenzy. For Healthcare, it's often a surge in appointments, insurance enrollment deadlines, and year-end care needs. The reality is, proactive planning now is the key differentiator between a successful peak season and one riddled with overwhelmed teams, frustrated customers, and potential revenue loss. Think about it: 🛍️ Retailers: Are your customer service channels robust enough to handle a massive influx of inquiries, returns, and order tracking requests? Can your digital and physical touchpoints seamlessly manage the increased demand? 🧑⚕️ Healthcare Providers & Payers: Will your patient support lines be able to navigate appointment scheduling, benefit inquiries, and urgent care coordination efficiently during a period of heightened activity? Can you maintain high levels of patient satisfaction amidst the pressure? Ignoring these questions now can lead to significant challenges later. Long wait times, inaccurate information, and inconsistent support can damage brand reputation and erode customer loyalty – outcomes no business can afford, especially during their most critical periods. This is where strategic partnership becomes invaluable. ☎️ Scalable Customer Support: A strategic partnership provides flexible and rapidly deployable omnichannel support solutions, ensuring you have the right number of skilled agents across voice, chat, email, and social media to handle peak volumes without compromising quality. 🙋 Industry-Specific Expertise: Partner teams are trained to understand the nuances of both the Retail and Healthcare sectors, from handling complex product inquiries and returns to navigating sensitive patient information and insurance processes. 🧑💻 Technology-Driven Efficiency: Partners often leverage cutting-edge technologies, including AI-powered chatbots and intelligent routing systems, to streamline processes, improve agent efficiency, and enhance the overall customer experience. 📜 Proactive Planning & Optimization: A strategic partner will work collaboratively with you to analyze historical data, forecast potential challenges, and develop proactive strategies to mitigate risks and optimize performance throughout the peak season. 🙋♀️ Focus on Customer Satisfaction: Ultimately, the goal of a strategic partner is to help you not just manage the volume, but to create positive and memorable experiences for your customers, fostering loyalty and driving long-term success. Don't wait until the Q4 rush begins to think about your support strategy. Now is the time to assess your current capabilities and identify potential gaps! #Retail #Healthcare #CustomerExperience #CX #PeakSeason #Q4Planning #Transcom #Partnership #CustomerSupport #BusinessGrowth

If you don’t know your customers’ goals by the end of January, that’s a you problem. When I was a CSM, January was my golden ticket for getting aligned with my customers. Everyone’s in “fresh start” mode, and there’s no better time to talk priorities, goals, and how to crush them together. But let me ask you something: If I opened your customer notes right now, would I see documented goals for every single customer? Would I see exactly how they define value? If not, don’t panic—yet. But it’s time to step up. For those of you managing a massive book of business (aka “How am I supposed to talk to everyone?!”), here’s your cheat code. This strategy is easy, scalable, and effective: 1️⃣ Record a video (Yes, even if you hate being on camera). Grab Loom (or your phone—no fancy tools required). Wish your customers a Happy New Year and let them know you’re here to help them with their business goals in 2025. No meeting request needed (because nobody wants another meeting). Instead, end with a CTA: “Take 2 minutes to share your 2025 goals using this quick form!” 2️⃣ Create a form (keep it simple). Build a survey with dropdowns, picklists, or examples relevant to your product's value. Help your customers think, “Oh yeah, THAT’S what we need to focus on.” 3️⃣ Distribute in bulk. Send the video + form link to your key contacts. Use your CSP, CRM, or even old-school email—it doesn’t matter how you send it, just send it. 4️⃣ Track it. Follow up. Repeat. Spreadsheet? CRM? Sticky notes on your desk? Whatever works for you, track responses and follow up with the stragglers. 5️⃣ Turn insights into action. Take those submitted goals and bake them into your next call. Ask deeper questions. Validate their objectives. Show them how your product becomes their superpower. If your book is smaller: Just make goal alignment a top agenda item for your next call. No excuses. Here’s the deal: January is prime time to do this. If you don’t have your customers’ goals locked in by February, that’s a you problem. Don’t leave this opportunity on the table. Lean in. Get it done. Your customers (and your metrics) will thank you.

One principle has consistently set the foundation for long-term success in my career… Having practised as a Chartered Accountant for over 35 years, Proactive client service. Over the years, I’ve observed that the most valuable relationships are built not merely by responding to client queries, but by anticipating them. Which includes, Understanding their needs, identifying potential challenges early, and offering timely, relevant advice before it’s even sought. Here’s what that looks like in practice: • Staying ahead of regulatory changes: Rather than waiting for clients to ask, proactively alerting them about upcoming changes. It can be around tax law amendments, compliance deadlines, or government notifications. It will help them make informed, timely decisions, and positions you as a trusted advisor, not just a service provider. • Pre-emptive structuring and review: If there’s a possibility of scrutiny or future litigation, it's far more effective to guide clients on restructuring or documentation improvements *before* issues arise. Helping them stay prepared reduces both their risk and stress. • Strategic planning from Q1, not Q4 firefighting: Too often, tax planning and financial structuring happen under pressure in the final quarter. Encouraging clients to plan proactively at the start of the financial year ensures better tax efficiency, smoother operations, and more time for thoughtful decision-making. These habits don’t just improve outcomes for clients, they elevate your practice. My advice to young CAs entering the profession: Technical expertise will get you in the room. But being proactive and client-focused, that’s what will build credibility, deepen trust, and drive long-term success. Ofcourse you can use the ABC Analysis to plan your services for your clients. For you what is that one thing that helps you retain your clients? #charteredaccountant #clientsuccess #taxstrategy #proactiveadvisory #financeleadership #cagrowth #professionalexcellence #taxationindia

EOY Survival guide: 11 strategies to close like a champion Here’s how: 𝟭.) 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 Not every deal deserves your attention right now. Focus only on deals with a clear path to close. ⇢ Drop deals that are silent with no next steps. ⇢ Focus on buyers with urgent year-end needs. 𝟮.) 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 “Let me check with my team” or “We’ll circle back” will kill your deal. Loose timelines = no deal. ⇢ On every call, set clear next steps: what’s needed, who’s involved, and by when. ⇢ Don’t rely on email—call, text, or WhatsApp if you have to. 𝟯.) 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆 Everyone knows it’s crunch time—avoid pushy “buy now” tactics. ⇢ Tie urgency to their goals: “If we finalize by [date], you’ll be ready to hit [goal] by Q1.” 𝟰.) 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 Random discounts scream desperation. ⇢ Offer discounts tied to faster close dates, multi-year agreements, or bundled solutions. 𝟱.) 𝗥𝗲-𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗴𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 ‘𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄’ 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸 Silent buyers aren’t always lost—they’re often distracted. ⇢ Send a quick, tailored message. Highlight what’s changed: a new feature, market trend, or limited offer. Year-end often means buyers have leftover budgets to spend. 𝟲.) 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 If the decision-maker isn’t looped in, you’re guessing. ⇢ Ask: “Who else needs to weigh in to finalize this?” Then involve them. 𝟳.) 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 Forget the textbook stages if they’re slowing you down. Q4 is about adapting. ⇢ Jump to pricing if they’re asking. ⇢ Do a mini-demo if they’re short on time. ⇢ Move the deal forward however you can. 𝟴.) 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 Your recent calls hold the answers to why you’re winning—or losing. ⇢ Listen back to the last 5. Spot missed objections, disengagement, or gaps in your questions. ⇢ Tools like MeetRecord help pinpoint where deals moved or stalled. 𝟵.) 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻 Your internal champion can either push the deal forward or disappear when it matters most. ⇢ Ask them: “What’s the best way to finalize this together?” ⇢ Give them what they need to sell internally. 𝟭𝟬.) 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 Buyers need a clear picture of success. ⇢ Say: “By this time next year, your team will have achieved [goal] because of [your solution].” 𝟭𝟭.) 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱-𝗼𝗳-𝗤𝟰 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 Feed your buyers the data they need to act. ⇢ Build a simple 1-pager: key pain points, ROI estimates, timeline, and clear next steps. Study your pipeline, adjust fast, and finish strong. MeetRecord helps you uncover root causes, track win-loss patterns, and replicate what works—deal by deal. What’s your go-to move for closing Q4 deals?

We were about to close our best year ever… and then I lost 3 clients in a week. Last December, everything seemed perfect. We were on track to close out our best year yet as an agency—new leads were coming in, client results were strong, and the future looked brighter than ever. Then, in the final week of the year, it happened. Boom. Three long-term clients—gone. → Client #1? We knew the business was being sold, so it wasn’t a surprise. → Client #2? They were scaling fast and needed an internal team to handle the day-to-day. → Client #3? They simply didn’t understand the value we were providing. I felt blindsided. For all three clients, I thought we were delivering exactly what they needed: → Monthly Loom calls → Detailed weekly reports → Analytics showing clear improvements. From my perspective, we were in the green—better numbers, stronger ROI, steady growth. But I realized something important: what I saw and what they understood were two completely different things. Losing those clients taught me something that changed how I approach every partnership. It’s not enough to provide results. It’s not enough to explain your strategy. It’s not even enough to have a great relationship outside of work. Clients need to truly understand how your work connects to their goals. I assumed my transparency, reports, and communications were enough. But sometimes, business owners are nodding along, just trying to move to the next topic. Not because they don’t care—but because they don’t see the full picture. After those losses, I overhauled how we work with clients. → We now hold monthly calls focused on their feedback—what leads are converting, project costs, sales trends. → We go beyond analytics and talk about real-world ROI: how our work impacts their bottom line. → We’ve made it a priority to connect our metrics to their reality. Because at the end of the day, that’s what matters most: → Are they getting leads? → Are they closing deals? → Are they growing their business? If you’re a service provider, here’s my advice: Don’t assume your clients “get it." Don’t rely on reports and data to tell the full story. Don’t wait until it’s too late to ask how they’re feeling about the partnership. Instead: → Have deeper, more strategic conversations. → Regularly align on their goals and challenges. → Be the partner that doesn’t just deliver results but makes those results crystal clear. I still pride myself on transparency, performance-driven results, and strong communication. But losing those clients reminded me there’s always room to improve. What’s your approach to ensuring clients see the value in your work? Would love to hear your thoughts—DMs are always open!

The year is almost over, which means it’s a perfect time to do a mini-audit of your PPC accounts to set yourself up for Q1. Here’s how I’m going through my accounts and prepping for a new year and new quarter: 🔍 Review KPIs - make sure they are still relevant  I check in with my clients to see if there are new objectives for both the business as a whole and the marketing function. I then double-check with them about KPIs to see if what we’re optimizing for still makes sense. 🔍 Assess what worked and what didn’t  I’m always testing something new. I like to dig in and see what the most and least successful offering was, messaging, campaign, and even all the way up to the ad platform. For example, for my clients, we’re seeing a lot of great results coming from LinkedIn Ads - for everything from asset downloads to more meeting-focused outcomes. Because of that, we’re prioritizing more of the budget to LinkedIn Ads and fitting in Google Ads search campaigns strategically. 🔍 Analyze and refresh keywords  I take a close look at the keywords that are running in search campaigns, their performance, their landing page, and associated ad copy. From there, I have a clear view of what is running and whether it matches the strategic goals going into 2025. This also provides a great opportunity for keyword research to identify any new targets that might make sense with the current setup + future goals. 🔍 Check ad copy and image assets  I specifically look for outdated copy as we head into a new year. I also look at the messaging within social image assets to ensure they still make sense. In my meetings with clients near the end of the year I also suggest an image asset revamp since they might be going stale. It’s just a good time to get new stuff out there to see what people respond to. I like to refresh all the text copy across managed platforms and get them ready to go live in January. 🔍 Check conversion tracking  This is more of a peace of mind check than anything else. I don’t anticipate tracking breaking, but I’d like to catch it early and before Q1! 🔍 Create January and Q1 plans  The findings of this mini audit + client business goals help inform my January plans that I have for each client. Having custom plans that are organized for each client helps keep me sane and ensures nothing falls through the cracks. I’ll bring the January plans to December client meetings to ensure I’m on the same page. How do you prep your PPC accounts for the new year? Do you do a mini-audit? If so, what does your workflow look like? ______________________________ 👋 I'm Emily - a PPC expert with 10 years of experience helping businesses get more leads and customers. 🔔 Follow to stay up to date with my insights and findings. 📚 Interested in a GTM or freelance coaching session? Sign up and let’s problem solve!

December feels like a boss fight....Loose actions everywhere. Missed follow-ups. A hundred “quick wins” that somehow took the whole year. But Copilot can turn the noise into a clear, confident plan. I’ve put together two A-LEVEL prompts to help you close the year with momentum , whether you use full M365 Copilot or Copilot Chat with uploaded files. ⭐ FULL M365 COPILOT USERS Act as an executive workflow and delivery advisor responsible for helping me close out my year-end tasks with focus and clarity. Review my emails, Teams chats, meeting recaps, files across OneDrive/SharePoint, and any documents I reference to identify open actions, slipping commitments, unresponded threads, deadlines, risks, and dependencies. Build a consolidated summary showing what must be completed before year-end, grouped by urgency, stakeholder, and impact. Highlight anything that could affect performance reviews, customer expectations, budget cycles, reporting milestones, or 2025 planning. Provide a recommended sequence of actions that maximises momentum and reduces cognitive load. Finally, produce a single, clear delivery plan with the top five actions I should take today to close the year strong. ⭐ COPILOT CHAT USERS (Attach your files) Act as a year-end project acceleration advisor. I will upload files (emails, chat exports, training-quality meeting notes, and project files) that represent the core work I must complete before the end of the year. Analyse these materials to identify unresolved actions, decision bottlenecks, missed follow-ups, timeline risks, stakeholder expectations, and any patterns affecting project delivery. Create a structured overview showing what is complete, what is outstanding, and what requires escalation or clarification. Prioritise tasks based on risk, impact, and time sensitivity, making clear which actions unlock the most progress. Provide a concise delivery strategy that helps me finish the year with control, confidence, and momentum. End with a recommended ‘Power 5’ list the five actions that will deliver the biggest impact right now. #YearEndMomentum #WorkSmarterWithAI #MicrosoftCopilot #ProductivityPowerUp

Account Managers.... We're roughly about 6 weeks left in 2025, with maybe 3 to 4 of selling weeks to go given the Holidays. You either have one or two choices to make. Option 1: Take every objection and 'wait' until the new year, sit back and hope your clients renew, occasionally check-in, and be reactive. OR Option 2: Set up end of year reviews, be proactive, send personalized recommendations, get ahead of their 2026 plans/initiatives, and strategize. For those looking to DOMINATE option 2, here are 2 simple things I am doing. 1) Leverage urgency and momentum in every way possible. - Time bound narratives, immediate value, budget cycle capitalization - Offer incentives for quick turnarounds, revisit previous opps/leads, etc. Main takeaway: Highlight how acting NOW solves current pain and sets up for Q1 success. 2) EOY Reviews (With Intention) - Revisit success, uncover gaps/opportunities, bring insights - Plan early for Q1 success, share industry needs Main takeaway: Clients are already thinking about next year so position yourself accordingly. Account management doesn't need to be complicated or tough in these moments, it just needs to be intentional. Go make it happen and close the year strong!