HACK Reminding Clients to Upload Statements
"I have to remind my client to upload statements every month! Why can't they just remember??"
Same, girl. Same.
There are two ways you can react to this:
Be super frustrated and annoyed and let it eat away at you every month.
Acknowledge that remembering to look at statements every month is part of the problem you're solving for your client.
Assuming you go with Option 2, check out this new hack I found for recurring emails...
I couldn't believe I didn't already have access to a tech/app solution that would send recurring emails (i.e. same email goes out on the same day of the month without me doing anything)
In my stack:
Gmail - I have to manually schedule emails in the future
MailChimp (where you’re reading this from) - can schedule to a specific group, but can't create an automation for the 1st day of every month
I want the same personalized email (with a client-specific Google Drive link included) to be sent to each client (separately) on the 1st of every month.
Enter: Recurring Emails for Gmail (a 3rd party app that connects to your Google Workspace / Gmail…not sponsored, just happy I found it)
It adds this “Later” button to your email, which is like Gmail’s scheduling function but allows for recurrences.
I used it for the first time last week during July close.
While I was still sleeping on Aug 1st, this email went out:
Hey Client -
Happy 1st of the Month!
This is just a friendly reminder to upload last month's statements to [included private client link here].
As a reminder, we need the following statements from you:
Bank1 (checking)
AMEX (credit card)
PayPal
If you could do this within the next few days, we’d really appreciate it. Jaileen will also be reaching out in the next week or so with any questions she has on individual transactions from last month.
Thanks!
Erica
Why can't the client remember to just send them?
Why can't they set a calendar reminder?
Because this isn't their thing. And they've hired me to help them with something that isn't their thing.
Best part was after this automation went out, the client responded (within a matter of hours) with this:
Thanks so much, Erica! I can't believe it is already August 1st!
I've uploaded the statements.
Thank you for the reminder and the direct link to the folder.
It was a good reminder that Accounting might be the only profession that truly cares to remember when the 1st of the month is coming.
She got her reminder (while I was still sleeping).
I got my statements (in record time).
We lived happily ever after...without frustration.
Talk soon,
Erica
Behind-the-scenes in my business this week:
It’s “Fair Week” here. Because we live in such a small, rural community, this is much more “Charlotte’s Web” than Texas State Fair scale. More cowboy boots and hugging your neighbors than ferris wheels and thousands of people.
But we’re still at the fair to enjoy the festivities and food every day, so it’s another week of juggling kids-fun and month-end close. I absolutely LOVE Fair Week, but it’s about this time every summer that I feel very ready to get back to the routine of school.
1.5 more weeks…but who’s counting?
Money back guarantee, if you get in there and don’t see the value. No questions asked.
More details in the link above.