Manchester’s regional accounting practice experienced the usual slowdown during the summer, and it has become more difficult every other year. Thus, this summer saw the introduction of proposal software for accountants, thereby reversing that trend and enriching our approach to client acquisition during what would have been the quietest time of the year.
The accepted custom would be to let the summer lull happen—clients are on holiday, and new business is difficult close to fiscal year-end. It was last June that we saw that falling down to a conversion rate of less than 25%. We decided to break the flow. Manually writing proposals with our traditional methods was just not working around this time of distraction.
Thus stepped in the transformation. We rigorously audited our proposal process. The busier we were, proposals were outfitted frantically and generically, which did nothing to show our firm’s real value. What was clear was that this implementation forced us to rethink our entire approach to summer business development.
Once our proposal content library was centralised, we started producing targeted packages for different sizes and classes of businesses. The software has then been leveraged to quickly assemble polished and professionally presented proposals that address specific challenges pertinent to target industries. We singled out holiday inventory management and cash flow planning for retailers. Meanwhile, the proposals sent to construction firms would cover project accounting and compliance.
The impact was immediate. Proposal creation times dropped from three hours to merely 45 minutes, enabling fast responses to enquiries despite reduced summer staffing levels. More importantly, the quality and personalisation of our proposals improved tremendously. Now each document looks professional, consistent, and tailored to fit the prospect’s needs.
Results exceeded expectations. By August, the proposal conversion rate had climbed to 55%, and we had gained more new clients than in the previous three summers combined. Automated follow-up features kept prospects engaged when travelling or otherwise less available during the summer months.
What the software surely did was transform summer from a slow period into a strategic opportunity. We now use this quieter time to build relationships and plan for the bustling season ahead. What started as a solution for a seasonal challenge now forms a pillar of our growth strategy, showing that sometimes the best time to restart is in the least expected time.
