The Top 3 Reasons Why Accountants Need Something Better Than Just Email to Communicate With Clients

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So you’re an accountant who works with clients. You know that email is not the best way to communicate with them. In fact, they probably cringe when they see an incoming email from you. But with everyone else using email as their primary method of communication, what can you do? Maybe it’s time for something better than just email… like something specific, safe and secure for accounting professionals. There are so many cloud-based solutions out there that cater to a variety of different businesses. The problem is: how do you know which one is best for your career as an accountant and your client relationships? Let’s take a look at three reasons why accountants need something better than just email to communicate with clients.

Communication is Key in Client Relationships

Accountants are problem-solvers and curious by nature. They love to dig into a business problem and find a creative solution. Unfortunately, those same traits can sometimes backfire when dealing with their clients. You don’t want to be overly curious and pry into client information that doesn’t pertain to you or your work. Likewise, you don’t want to be so eager to find a solution that you promise to do things you can’t deliver or get overly confident in your abilities. You also don’t want to spend hours poring over your client’s data, missing out on your own family time or other aspects of life outside of work. The point is: communication is key in client relationships.

Confidentiality Is Priority #1

The first reason why you need a better form of communication with clients is that of confidentiality. When you talk to clients, you should be mindful of the fact that something you say could be misconstrued by a third party listening in on the call, or worse yet, could be misquoted. This can be especially troublesome if you happen to discuss their personal information or something sensitive like their financial situation. Unfortunately, sometimes you don’t even realize you’ve breached confidentiality. If you were to talk to a client on the phone and later send them an email with a recap of that conversation, that breach could go unnoticed by you. No matter how careful you are, there’s always a chance that you could slip up and accidentally share something you shouldn’t.

Fastidious Auditors Are Becoming Rare

We all remember that kid in high school who was desperate to please the teacher or gain praise from parents. Well, it turns out that type of personality is not very common. When it comes to taxes, people are often more reluctant than eager to comply with their accountant and provide the necessary information to file their taxes correctly. In the last decade, the government has cracked down on those who fail to comply with their taxes, fining those who don’t file and even criminalizing those who fail to pay. That’s put a lot of people on edge as far as their taxes go. They’re not necessarily eager to comply with their accountant either. In fact, some of them don’t even have an accountant. In the age of phone calls, emails, text messages and snail mail, it’s hard to be sure that sensitive information stays private.

Bottom line Something better than just email is a must for accountants

Communication is key in client relationships, and email is no longer a secure or easy way to do that. You need a solution that allows you to communicate with clients in a secure manner. You also want to find a solution that makes accounting easier and helps you to be more organized. For these reasons and more, accountants should look for something better than just email to communicate with clients.

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