Tips and tricks for onboarding new clients.

• Author: Walker, April

Starting off on the right foot with new clients is the first step in building a successful, mutually beneficial relationship. A standardized onboarding process provides a good first impression for your clients and can certainly help to streamline your workflow.

Key steps involved in onboarding new clients

Client acceptance policies and procedures: Developing a true understanding of your ideal client is the essential first step. If you have not already gone through the exercise of being able to clearly communicate what type of client you are trying to serve, take time to be strategic and do this exercise. Or take time to reexamine your ideal client if your firm, like many these days, has been in the mode of firing clients that no longer are a good fit.

Develop clear expectations and communicate those in the onboarding process: Talk about pricing but also about how you expect to receive information, how to communicate with your firm, expectations around turnaround times, and any other crucial information where you want to provide guidelines.

Provide a standard way to gather the information your firm needs to move to the engagement's next stage: This can be as detailed as it needs to be, based on your preferences, but standardizing the process can avoid having to ask for information numerous times. And it can be a way to find out more about clients' history and needs.

But even with the known benefits of getting this step right, it can also be very challenging to find ways to implement processes that will improve efficiencies.

In this column, members of the AICPA's Tax Practice Management Committee share their experiences with client acceptance and onboarding processes (see "Contributors" at the end of this column for their firms and locations). This is an area where devoting time and attention to processes can pay dividends.

What is your top tip on client acceptance?

Jackie Meyer: Explain your limited availability (a wait list program is preferred) and provide a deadline they have for acceptance. You cannot honor the quote or the time after that.

Matthew K. Becker: The key to client acceptance is process and discipline. Whatever the important factors are to your organization when considering client acceptance, make sure they are documented and followed in every circumstance. Consistency is the key.

Jeffrey D. Solomon: Referrals are really the only way I take on new clients. Clients coming from a trusted source is my No. 1 way to vet potential new tax clients. You can get a lot of good info by talking to the...