Top 6 CRM Software for Accountants: Streamline Your Client Relationships

The key to a successful accounting firm is positive and proactive customer relationship management. Effective client management will help you build long-term, meaningful relationships with your clients. This reduces your churn rate and enhances retention.

Sounds simple, right?

However, knowing your goal and knowing how to achieve it are two separate things. The problem that many accounting firms face is that they don't know how to choose the right CRM software to help their customer relationships thrive.

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That's where we come in. We've picked six of the best accounting CRM solutions available. Read on to discover the perfect solution for client satisfaction.

What is an Accounting CRM?

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An accounting CRM (customer relationship management) is a software designed for accountants and bookkeepers. It simplifies client data management and communication, and ultimately helps you to build and maintain client relationships.

CRMs for accounting firms come equipped with tools and features that'll boost productivity and efficiency throughout your practice. They have automation capabilities so you can save time on repetitive tasks. This also allows you to spend more time focusing on your clients.

An accounting CRM is also a good solution for managing complex workflows, data, and documents. Keep on top of client contact details, for example, and personalise and schedule communications.

In essence, an accounting CRM is all about growing your business through obtaining new clients and retaining existing ones. Using such a software can help you improve client relationships by providing critical insights into communication, pain points, and bottlenecks.

Why Accounting Firms Need a CRM

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We've worked with thousands of accounting firms since our launch in 2018 and we've identified 4 main reasons why accounting firms need a CRM:

Improve Client Relationships

OK, I might have  already mentioned this once or twice. But improving customer relationships is pretty much the most prominent reason why accounting firms use CRMs. Clients get the impression that you're their only clients as you personalise and automate communications, and manage to effortlessly keep up with their changing circumstances.

Smooth Client Onboarding Process

Client onboarding solutions is one feature that many CRMs have in common. They allow for the requesting, sending, and management of accounting documents. Additionally, tools like automated welcome emails can ensure that your clients automatically have all the information they need for continuing with your services. This means that everyone is always on the same page.

Manage Client Data

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Part of practice management is managing client data. And managing a lot of client data without software is a chore. Some firms use spreadsheets but these can quickly become confusing. CRMs allow you to manage and store large volumes of client data, and ensures you're always looking at the most up-to-date information. You can keep track of changing client details and keep everything nice and organised within the accounting CRM.

Boost Efficiency

With the inclusion of automated workflows and communications, a CRM software can boost efficiency throughout your firm. A few ways to automate workflows is by automating recurring meetings, the payroll process, or even the sales process. For example, if you've sent a quote to a potential client, the software could automatically follow up with a personalised email to prompt further communication.

Top CRM Software for Accountants

1. TaxDome
2. HubSpot CRM
3. Liscio
4. PipeDrive
5. Insightly CRM
6. Zoho CRM

1. TaxDome

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TaxDome is a feature-packed CRM and practice management solution designed specifically for accountants and bookkeepers. It's suitable for firms of all sizes, from sole practitioners to large enterprises. TaxDome CRM for accountants integrates smoothly with your other tech, like tax programs and accounting software, as well as scheduling software and payment processors.

Key Features

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• Branded client portal: TaxDome allows you to offer your clients a custom branded portal which they can access via a mobile app (also with your branding!). Clients can view all the things they need to do, communicate with you, and sign and upload documents you've requested. The client portal is a one-stop-shop for clients' interaction with you as they can also pay invoices and schedule appointments.
• Team management: Manage your accounting team effectively with TaxDome. The software enhances collaboration and workload management. You can set goals and track progress, and analyse productivity through reporting tools. The CRM provides ways to communicate with team members, such as instant messaging, email, and @mentioning them.
• Workflow automation: TaxDome allows you to create flexible automated workflows for a myriad of tasks and processes. For example, tax, payroll, and bookkeeping. Set the software to email clients to automatically request documents when you need them, such as when it's time to prepare financial statements. You can also create kanban boards that clearly display tasks, priorities, and deadlines.  

2. HubSpot CRM

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HubSpot CRM has a clean, crisp interface that's both easy and pleasant to use. It's bursting with features for your whole team, from sales people and marketers, to business owners and customer service teams. Small accounting firms can also enjoy a limited version of the software for completely free. Its scalability means that you can upgrade your subscription as you grow.

Key Features

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• Company insights: HubSpot has a database with 20 million businesses and their corresponding details. All your firm has to do to access these powerful insights is to input a corporate email address and the software will present you with information about the company. Not only does it provide practical stuff like contact details, but it also provides a business analysis to predict, for example, future success with a business.
• Deal pipeline: HubSpot has a drag-and-drop deal pipeline creator. Your team can customise the deal pipelines with different deal stages. And, you can track the progress of each deal as it goes along the pipeline. You can also assess the efficiency of each stage and identify bottlenecks within your pipelines.
• Dashboard and reporting: HubSpot gives accountants and their teams access to a comprehensive dashboard. The sales dashboard predicts revenue and helps you to understand the impact that different actions have on your business. Customise your dashboard to present charts and graphs representing data that's important to you.

3. Liscio

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Liscio dubs itself as the number one client portal for accountants. The main goal of the software is to facilitate straightforward document sharing between you and your clients. It enables clear and easy collaboration, with a secure messaging system that ensures you remain compliant with data-protection rules and regulations. With Liscio CRM for accountants, you can get a clear overview of your client's complete journey with you.

Key Features

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• Two-way texting: Because Liscio is all about smooth client collaboration, it has a load of collaboration tools to achieve this. One of these tools is two-way texting. This is a secure way of collaborating with your clients using dedicated business phone numbers. And because the response time for texting is over 8X quicker than email, your whole business process will be more efficient.
• Timeline: Liscio has a timeline feature that allows you to view your clients' journey and communication from the one page. See a complete overview of every interaction between you and them in chronological order. Liscio works to effectively eliminate silos and enhance the client experience with your firm.
• Task management: With Liscio's task management solution, clients can clearly see what they need to be doing and when. They can view due dates, and send and sign the documents you need through their own portal. Liscio essentially provides a straightforward to-do list. This, along with the notification feature, keeps clients organised and saves you loads of time chasing them up.

4. Pipedrive

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Pipedrive is a CRM that's designed and built to drive sales within sales teams. The sales process is simplified with complete automation, saving accounting firms hours of time. It automatically nurtures leads, segments audiences, and schedules campaigns. Pipedrive can be integrated into your entire tech stack. Connect with apps like QuickBooks, Zapier, Zoom, Slack, and Jotform, to name just a few. And, bag yourself a free trial.

Key Features

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• Pipedrive AI: Pipedrive has a range of AI-powered features that'll help your client management thrive. The AI Sales Assistant can give you actionable insights into your data by spotting patterns and recommending your next action and what to prioritise. The AI email generator, on the other hand, allows you to quickly craft personalised emails from a simple prompt.
• Sales pipelines: Pipedrive allows you to create pipelines with different stages. Add deals, assign each one a value, and add the likelihood of you winning that deal. Furthermore, you can add a date that you expect to be able to close the deal by. Pipelines can be viewed clearly on your dashboard, with colour-coded cues that let you know how hot or cold each deal is.
• Email software: Pipedrive helps with your accounting firm marketing. It has a powerful email marketing software that's incorporated into the CRM. This makes it easy to create seamless email workflows. The email software includes a drag-and-drop email builder, powerful email analytics, and email segmentation. Analyse you campaign data to understand what resonates with your audience the most.

5. Insightly CRM

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Insightly CRM is a user-friendly, highly-visual modern platform that allows you to personalise your clients' journey and elevate their experience with your brand. Connect Insightly CRM with plenty of third party apps, including Xero, Calendly, Asana, and Workday. The CRM solution allows you to effectively manage opportunities throughout the sales process by prioritising leads according to the criteria you set.

Key Features

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• Workflow automation: Insightly CRM allows you to automate accounting workflows and processes across your accounting business. You can create steps within the sales process, for example, automate notifications, and add client details to marketing lists automatically. Insightly's workflow automation feature is practically limitless in possibilities. It can help you scale your accounting business and reduce errors within your processes.
• Client relationships: The Insightly CRM platform has contact management features to help improve client relationships. It captures critical information about your interactions so you can build rapport with your clients by showing them you pay attention to their communication with you. Additionally, stakeholders can access these details as and when they need to.
• Project management: Once you've successfully won your clients, the Insightly CRM platform will help you manage the projects and tasks you take on. Through the software, you can effortlessly convert the deal into a project. You can create customised project delivery pipelines too to keep data, documents, and communication organised. The software enables team collaboration and milestone tracking.

6. Zoho CRM

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Zoho is well known for its accounting software. But its also got an impressive CRM that will help with effective business development. Zoho CRM is a feature-rich solution with which you can maximise productivity within a minimum amount of time. It can be integrated with over 800 apps and also has some developer tools that enable developers to work on custom-built solutions.

Key Features

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• Canvas Design Studio: Zoho CRM's design studio is one of its most impressive features. You can completely design and build your CRM to meet your preferences. Pick your own colours, styles, fonts, icons, and items. Everything can be completely edited and customised to your specifications. There's a template library filled with dynamic CRM templates designed by in-house Zoho designers too.
• Omnichannel: Zoho CRM platform allows you to create an omnichannel experience for your clients to ensure you meet them where they are. This helps with effective contact management. Whether your communications come from live chat, WhatsApp, email, or social media, view it all in one place. Information from your interactions is stored within the system and can be retrieved easily through filtering searches.
• Analytics: Zoho CRM provides detailed analytics that give you the insights you need to make smart decisions for your accounting firm. View standard and customised reports on a wide range of metrics. For example, deals per year, email bounce rate, and number of activities per month. You can compare data across different metrics and identify bottlenecks within your sales pipeline, funnel, and process.

Selecting the Right CRM for Your Accounting Firm

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Naturally, when it comes to selecting the right accounting CRM for your firm, there are some criteria for you to consider:

Budget

First and foremost, you need to calculate your monthly or annual budget. Sometimes a software costs less if you pay for a full year in advance. The cost of accounting CRM software varies greatly, and its features and scalability are often reflective of the cost. You need to carefully consider whether the software can generate a strong ROI to make it worth it.

Features

We've gone through some of the key features of each of our top accounting CRM software picks. But they're by no means the only features that each CRM system has. From automating repetitive tasks and creating a customised sales pipeline for different deals, to enhancing client interactions and organising client information, CRM system features can really help your business grow. Make a list of the features your business needs and check it aligns with your budget.

Scalability

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Some CRMs allow unlimited client information and management while others place limitations on how you manage client relationships. With some, you can easily upgrade your plans to accommodate your growing business, while others are more awkward. Consider the scalability and limits of each CRM for accountants. Look at how much customer data you can access, along with the features of each plan.

Integrations

Integrations are an important consideration. Seamless integration with your existing eCommerce accounting software, for example, can save you a lot of time with manual data entry. Equally, a CRM that integrates with scheduling tools like Calendly and communications software like Slack, might be very useful for your business.

User-Friendliness

Does your desired software have a user-friendly interface? If not, you might want to steer clear. Overly-complicated software might end up causing your business more harm than good. Look at user reviews on review websites like Capterra and GetApp to see what existing and previous customers say. Also check out demos and see if it has a free trial to take advantage of.

How Link My Books Can Help Streamline Your Accounting Business

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Link My Books is a top choice for accountants, bookkeepers, and eCommerce businesses wanting to put their bookkeeping on autopilot. You'll get a seamless integration between Link My Books, your accounting software, and your clients' sales channels. It saves accountants around 6 hours per month on every one of their clients. This makes it a must-have time-saving solution.

Sitting in the middle, Link My Books automatically transfers sales data from one to the other, while keeping the synced data in your Link My Books platform up to date. Both you and your clients can access their data via Link My Books making it a perfect software for keeping everyone on the same page.

Top Features

Here are the top features that make Link My Books the go-to automated bookkeeping software for eCommerce accountants:

Summary Statements

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Link My Books produces summary statements of each payout from a sales channel. It breaks down this data into revenue and expenses, and then breaks these down further still. For example, sales revenue, refunds, advertising fees, and shipping fees. These summary statements are sent automatically to your QuickBooks or Xero software, and the data is categorised accurately.

Tax Calculations

With Link My Books' Guided Tax Wizard, you can ensure your clients taxes are accurately calculated on every item they sell. You'll answer a few short questions when setting up, and the software will then automatically apply the correct tax rate every time. The tax is also included in the summary statements. This considerably simplifies doing VAT and tax returns.

Benchmarking

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Link My Books Benchmarking is an analytical tool like none other. It applies a cohort analysis of your clients' business, along with others in their industry, and gives a percentile ranking for performance. Benchmarking measures metrics like Sales growth ratio and refund ratio, amongst others, and also gives useful, actionable insights into how to improve your clients' ranking.

This feature enables you to identify industry trends to see where your clients' excel against industry average and where they fall short.

Profit & Loss by Channel

P & L by Channel is another analytical tool that gives users valuable insights into their businesses. You can compare the performance of your clients' sales channels against one another. Do side-by-side comparisons of data like sales, refunds, and advertising fees, and learn which ones are performing best.

For example, you might see that your clients are spending a lot of their advertising budget on their eBay store but it's not generating as many sales as their Shopify advertising budget. In this case, you could advise them accordingly so they make the most of their budget.

Integrations

Link My Books is not short on integrations. You can connect multiple sales channels for each client. As well as connecting directly with Xero and QuickBooks Online, it also connects with all payment processors. In regards to sales channel integrations, Link My Books covers plenty of bases. Here are the sales channels it connects with:

• Amazon
• Shopify
• eBay
• Etsy
• TikTok Shop
• WooCommerce
• Square
• Walmart

This range of integrations allows you to easily manage customer data coming in from multiple sources simultaneously. Store, organise, automate, and gather client data so that you can best advise them on business growth, finances, and taxes.

CRM Software Can Transform Client Relationships and Accounting Firms

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CRM for accountants will enhance client communications, lead management, and business processes in general. You can automate workflows and create custom sales pipelines that are optimised for your business. New, existing, and prospective clients will appreciate the high quality communications that a CRM platform provides.

You need to go for a platform that's user-friendly, feature-rich, and wont break the bank. We've gone through six reputable and noteworthy CRM platforms today. Modern accounting firms would do well to incorporate a CRM for accountants into their tech stack to better manage client information and communication.

If you're looking to inject some more automation into your accounting processes, Link My Books is on-hand. Our bookkeeping automation software saves you hours of time because you don't need to manually transfer your clients' financial data to your accounting software; it's automatically done for you.

Sign up for your free trial today and stop burdening yourself with endless data entry into your accounting software. Simply set it to autopilot and leave it to do its thing.

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