Call Me: 3 Keys for Successful Follow-up After the Workshop

As a follow up to my last blog post on running successful joint education events with CPAs and other professionals I want to key this week on more specific tips for following up after the event to capitalize on the momentum you've built with the CPA and more importantly, their clients.

There are a handful of things that I do after every event that I think make a big difference in the response I get from the CPA's clients.

1. Appointment Confirmation Calls and Follow Up

After a workshop I always make it a point to call and follow up with all of the attendees, regardless of whether or not they scheduled an appointment. I want to give everyone a chance to ask any questions that may have come up since the event and also give them one more chance to take advantage of a free strategy session with me in the CPA's office. While I give people a chance to sign up for a meeting at the event, I'm always amazed at the percentage of clients who will commit to a meeting with me after I take the time to reach out to them personally via a phone call.

2. Calling on Behalf of the CPA

When I call and follow up one additional thing I do that makes a big difference is to call on behalf of the CPA. (With their permission of course) Rather than calling as Brandon Stuerke of Golden Financial Group, I call as Brandon Stuerke on behalf of "insert trusted CPA Name." While it may seem like a small thing, calling on behalf of the CPA allows me to leverage the trust the clients have in their CPA, which immediately causes them to drop any guard they may have up. Were I calling from a firm they are not as familiar with I'm confident I would not get the same warm response.

3. Running Appointments in the CPAs Office

As we discussed last week, another important element for successful follow up is to meet with the clients at the CPA's office if at all possible. I do this for a few reasons. First, the clients know where the office is located, and feel comfortable there. Why make them drive to a new location, one that they have no prior experience working in? It just makes sense to leverage the trust and familiarity they have with the CPA's office.

Another reason for meeting with the clients at the CPA's office is it allows me the opportunity to build relationships with the CPA's staff as well. By being present in the office I am able to "be seen" as a part of the team by the other members of the CPA's staff. Remember, they will likely refer as many clients to you as the CPAs themselves.

Finally, I like to meet with the clients at the CPA's office because it gives me the chance to meet with other prospective clients that may be there to meet with the CPA at the same time I am meeting with another client. I remember one of the first times I was in a CPA's office, meeting with a client in one conference room, and after finishing my meeting was pulled into another by the CPA to answer some questions a client had regarding making some pension decisions. This ultimately led to me doing a complete retirement plan for the client and helping them manage their investments as a result. Would I have been referred to this client were I not in the office? Maybe, but by being present, I was positioning myself for success and additional opportunity.

While they may seem like small things, don't overlook these three keys for successful follow-up after joint events. The small things matter and all add up to big results.

Next week we're going to begin looking in more detail at what it's like to be a CPA in today's competitive world. As CPAs and other tax planners continues to struggle to provide for all of the additional planning needs clients demand answers to, I'll show you how you can use these insights to stand out from all the other advisors in your market that want to work with the CPAs you may be targeting for alliances. By understanding where they're coming from you'll be much better positioned by being able to speak their language and let them know you've done your homework.

For more from Brandon Stuerke, see:

What CPAs Really Want From You

Who Makes the Best Strategic Alliance Partner?

Let's Get Together