How I get paid to diagnose my clients’ QuickBooks problems

A lot of people ask me how I get paid to diagnose my clients’ QuickBooks problems. In recent blog posts and videos, I’ve shown you the Smart Review checklist I use for a quick (free) check up of how messed up a client’s books might be. Once potential problems are discovered during my Smart Review, I will recommend a paid QuickBooks diagnostic review to my client, so we can take a deep dive into the books to find out exactly what needs to be fixed.

By doing a paid diagnostic review, I’m able to communicate the value of my services and sell the client additional services which usually leads to a large cleanup project. The paid, in-depth review lets me see the scope of the work so I know what I’m getting myself into and also makes sure I’m quoting a price that fair for both me and the client. Check out the video below or keep reading to find out how I use the paid diagnostic review to grow my business.

Click on the video linked below to watch: How I get paid to diagnose my clients’ QuickBooks problems

What is the paid diagnostic review?

A QuickBooks paid diagnostic review is a paid project where you assess the health of a client’s QuickBooks data. It gives you a chance to diagnose problems and assess the level of cleanup needed. It helps you get a clear scope of work so you can make recommendations to the client about where to go next.

What is the value of the paid diagnostic review?

First, you get to qualify the prospect. By doing a paid diagnostic review you’re able to tell whether your prospective client can pay for your services. Because if they won’t pay for the diagnostic review, or can’t afford a diagnostic review, they likely can’t afford any other services. This is a good way to qualify a client and make sure they’re actually willing and able to pay you.

It also establishes a certain relationship with the client that positions you as a specialist and an expert. A client who values your expertise, time, and knowledge, is really an ideal client. You also get to learn what it’s like to work with the client. If for some reason it’s not a good fit, you won’t need to break off an engagement with the client, since this is a one-time project to get started.

Lastly, a diagnostic review also helps you establish a scope of work. We know that cleanups are full of surprises and sometimes you just don’t know what to expect until you peel back some layers. With a thorough review, you can set a fair price for cleanup without charging by the hour or affecting your positioning in a negative way.

Positioning yourself as an expert and advisor

Doing a diagnostic review and then recommending services to the client is very much like a doctor who may do a check-up to diagnose you for certain problems and then give you a course of treatment. By following my process of performing a paid diagnostic review of your client’s QuickBooks, you position yourself as an expert and an advisor to your client.

The diagnostic review puts you in control. You are telling the client what needs to be done as opposed to the client telling you they just need the books reconciled. I find that many clients use the word “reconciled”, but don’t necessarily know what that means. This paid diagnostic review process places you in control of what needs to be done to fix problems and then ultimately reconcile your client’s QuickBooks.

How does a paid diagnostic review benefit your client?

I’ve explained the value of a diagnostic review for you, the accounting pro, but keep in mind that ultimately it benefits the client as well. A paid diagnostic review lowers the risk to the client. What do I mean? Well, the client pays you a relatively small amount of money to find out what’s wrong with their books, as opposed to hiring you to clean up the books without really know what that entails. Both in terms of time and finances, it’s safer for both parties to see the scope before committing to a big clean up project.

Clients also benefit from the paid diagnostic review by receiving a detailed, comprehensive report of the exact problems and messes that are hiding in their QuickBooks. This is a stand-alone deliverable providing them with valuable insights. These insights then empower them to make informed decisions on additional services that you recommend.

Closing

So, are you ready to get more ideal bookkeeping clients and position yourself as an expert? For starters, you can download my (free) Smart Review checklist HERE, and visit the following linked blog post to learn about My Smart Review System for getting bookkeeping clients. The next step in My QuickBooks paid diagnostic review sales funnel, is performing a paid diagnostic review of your client’s QuickBooks. You can learn exactly how to do that in a course on my 5MB Academy for accountants and bookkeepers linked here: QBO Paid Diagnostic Review System.  In my course you will learn the complete process for getting paid to discover your clients’ biggest QBO messes.

If you have questions about how I get paid to diagnose my clients’ QuickBooks problems and how you can do the same, feel free to drop them in the comments. If this content is helping you, make sure you comment, like, share, and subscribe to my YouTube channel: 5 minute bookkeeping, so you don’t miss any of latest my tips on how to grow your bookkeeping business.

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