Client engagement and commerce platform for professional services businesses, Ignition, has launched its first ever global integrated brand campaign revealing some of the awkward client situations a business can experience.
The campaign uncovers the most awkward client situations that can occur in the professional services industry and aims to help firms across Australia, the UK and the US put an end to awkward conversations with their clients.
As part of the new brand campaign, Ignition commissioned online research data and analytics technology group YouGov to survey key decision makers in accounting and bookkeeping firms across Australia, the UK and the US. The survey interviewed accountants and bookkeepers on their business interactions with clients, and their attitudes and behaviours when it comes to navigating awkward client conversations.
Bronwyn Karaoglu, global vice president of marketing at Ignition said: “From speaking with accounting and bookkeeping professionals, we knew anecdotally that they encounter awkward client situations such as chasing clients for late payments on a regular basis.
“But we wanted to understand the potential impact of avoiding or delaying awkward conversations with clients when these situations invariably arise.”
The report titled ‘2022 State of Client Engagement’ is the first of its kind to quantify the significant financial and human cost of avoiding or delaying awkward client conversations. In Australia, almost all (95 per cent) accountants and bookkeepers say they have delayed or avoided having an awkward conversation with clients, with 72 per cent saying they were trying to improve or maintain the client relationship.
The report reveals that putting off awkward conversations has the complete opposite effect. On average, accountants and bookkeepers estimate that unrecovered out-of-scope work is costing their firms more than $100,000 each year. What’s more, as a result of avoiding or delaying awkward conversations with clients, 43 percent say their mental health and their staffs’ has suffered, and a third say that staff have quit.
“While Ignition’s study looked at accountants and bookkeepers, we know that awkward client situations like scope creep and late payments are endemic in the wider professional services industry, including creative and marketing agencies, and this campaign will resonate with many of those professionals,” said Karaoglu.
“In countries where Ignition has a strong brand affinity, we enjoy a high conversion rate on the platform. By tapping into influencers in the accounting community, we’re able to deliver fun and engaging ways for new audiences to interact with Ignition aligned with our brand promise – to create meaningful client relationships with ease.”
To give accountants and bookkeepers the confidence to own the awkward, Ignition enlisted the help of “awkward ambassadors” in the accounting and bookkeeping community. This included a social media video campaign featuring stand-up comedian and CPA Greg Kyte and accounting influencers Jason Staats, Lorilyn Wilson and Nayo Carter-Gray, who shared their own awkward client experiences as accountants.
“I had so much fun filming this campaign!” said Nayo Carter-Gray. “Over the years, I’ve encountered many awkward situations with clients, including one client who tried to write off a nose job as a business expense! This campaign is a fun reminder that while life can be awkward, our client relationships don’t have to be.”
