CRM for Accountants: Why Alternative Tools Outperform Traditional CRMs
From small businesses to massive enterprises, companies are turning to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools to simplify and optimize client interactions. It’s natural for accounting firms to want to use these tools, too – but there’s a problem.
Traditional CRM software simply isn’t suited to the unique customer relationships we see in the accounting business.
But don’t worry, you can still leverage technology to manage client relationships and improve accounting workflows across your firm. You’ll just need to use an alternative tool specifically built to maximize functionality for CPAs, payroll professionals, and bookkeepers – something like Jetpack Workflow.
Why Traditional CRM Software Doesn’t Work for Accounting Firms
A traditional CRM platform helps with 2 key business processes:
- Lead management
- Closing deals
Generally, the CRM software solution is designed to optimize interactions between a salesperson and the leads or customers. This is great for businesses with generic, transactional buyer’s journeys – but we all know that with an accounting firm, the client experience is a lot more complicated.
In the accounting field, clients often communicate directly with team members across the business – not just salespeople. And during the course of the client’s relationship with the firm, they might work with various accountants and departments.
The average CRM isn’t designed to handle the complex client relationships at the heart of accounting practice management.
What Accountants Really Need from a CRM
For accounting firms, the main challenge in Customer Relationship Management isn’t simply tracking client data or getting new clients in the door. It’s managing those clients, who are often juggled between different accounts and departments, on an ongoing basis.
What accounts need is a solution for Recurring Client Management.
A tool designed for Recurring Client Management will offer the following key features:
- Task management
- Workflow management
- Automation of recurring tasks
- Project templates
- To-do lists
- Custom labels
- Contact management (with a dashboard for client information)
With these capabilities, you can effectively serve a client’s needs over the duration of their relationship with your firm.
Jetpack Workflow: The Best CRM Alternative for Accounting Firms
Jetpack Workflow is uniquely placed to serve as your firm’s CRM alternative. Why? Because it’s specifically designed to provide CRM for accountants.
With Jetpack Workflow, you can create a list of clients and contacts – meaning it serves the same purpose as a traditional CRM solution. And with every plan, the number of contacts is limitless. The goal here is to keep track of all your leads and prospects, no matter how many you acquire – so that team members can always access the contact information they need.
But what really sets Jetpack Workflow apart is how much it offers beyond what a traditional CRM can provide.
With Jetpack Workflow, you can:
- View all client work in a single platform
- Assign tasks to specific team members
- Monitor progress (and reassign tasks as needed)
- Use workflow templates
- Automate recurring tasks
- Label tasks (“urgent” “waiting on client,” etc.)
For an accounting practice, “customer relationship” means a lot more than just wooing prospects and closing deals. It involves consistently meeting deadlines, streamlining workflows, and providing high-quality services.
Jetpack Workflow gives you the tools you need to complete excellent work while maintaining steadfast client communication – and that’s what CRM for accountants is really all about.
See why Jetpack Worklow, an all-in-one accounting workflow management system, is better suited to the accounting industry than a traditional CRM solution?
Real-World Example: A Day in the Life Using Jetpack Workflow
We’ve explained why Jetpack Workflow is the best CRM alternative for accounting firms – but to really highlight how the product could add value, let’s take a look at a “day in the life” of a typical user.
When you open your laptop in the morning, you can use Jetpack Workflow to see exactly what all your teams and employees are working on. Then, you can mark certain tasks as “urgent” to make sure they’re completed on time – all from a central location.
Let’s say Jackie is working on lead generation – but you’d rather she move onto messaging prospects who are farther along in the sales pipeline. You don’t have to email her, and then pester her with follow-ups – you can just change the labels on the tasks, and she’ll know what to do. The idea here is to make project management as efficient as possible.
Now, let’s imagine a new accounting project comes along. You can use Jetpack Workflow to see which of your accountants is available to take on more work – and then send the relevant client information their way.
After a delicious lunch, you… engage in higher-level tasks, knowing the firm’s essential accounting work is happening quietly all around you!
Why can you do that?
Because Jetpack Workflow automates repetitive tasks – meaning all those projects that happen every month don’t require your managerial input. You know they’re in the system, so you can count on your team to complete them!
When Jetpack Workflow Is the Right Fit (And When It’s Not)
Jetpack Workflow is the right choice if you need a CRM solution that will help with real-time client management even after the client onboarding process is complete.
It’s also a great option if you’re looking for a CRM system with reasonable pricing. Jetpack Workflow costs just $30/month (with annual billing) – and there’s a 14-day free trial.
While Jetpack Workflow is a user-friendly platform designed specifically for accounting firms, it can’t do literally everything. For example, it’s not accounting software – meaning it doesn’t help with actual bookkeeping tasks. If it’s accounting software you’re after, QuickBooks and Xero are better options.
Or maybe you have a larger accounting practice with a dedicated sales team – and that sales team wants a traditional CRM system. Some salespeople might already be familiar with specific tools with next-level forecasting features.
In that case – even though Jetpack Workflow does provide many similar features – a pipeline-focused CRM tool could be the best choice to streamline the sales process.
Traditional CRM tools include:
Your firm might also want specific client portal software as a way to streamline document management, organize customer data, and optimize customer support. Some of the best client portal tools, with the most expansive CRM features, include SmartVault, ShareFile, and Clinked.
But even if you use these other solutions, Jetpack Workflow can still be an excellent choice for workflow automation and management – helping your employees effectively leverage the other tools in your toolkit.
Next Steps: Evaluate Jetpack Workflow for Your Firm
You likely came to this article wondering about accounting CRM software – but you might end up with something better: Jetpack Workflow, an accounting workflow tool with essential CRM features.
Your next step is to book a demo with Jetpack Workflow. From there, you can start your free trial and enjoy the benefits of efficient project management.
In the meantime, check out Jetpack Workflow’s library of free accounting workflow templates. These are tried-and-approved templates for effective workflow automation.
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