A paid diagnostic review is a great way to attract clean-up bookkeeping clients and convert them into long-term monthly retainer clients. Here’s how to do it step by step:
1. Schedule a Discovery Call
Your goal in the discovery call is to identify potential bookkeeping issues and position your paid diagnostic review as the next step.
How to Get People to Book a Discovery Call:
- Promote it on social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube).
- Add a call-to-action (CTA) on your website, email signature, and social media bios.
- Post testimonials or case studies from past clients.
- Offer a “free 15-minute consultation” to identify pain points and upsell the diagnostic review.
What to Say in the Discovery Call:
- Ask about their business and bookkeeping struggles. Also find out how many bank accounts they have, how many credit crds they use, and how many transactions are posted every month)
- Find out how they currently track their finances.
- Mention any potential red flags (unreconciled bank account, missing transactions, uncategorized expenses and undeposited funds).
- Introduce your Paid Diagnostic Review as a low-risk way to see what’s wrong before committing to clean-up work.
Example Script:
“Based on what you’ve shared, I can already see a few areas that might need attention. Before we dive into any clean-up work, I offer a paid diagnostic review. This will allow me to assess the current state of your books, identify errors, and provide you with a detailed report on what needs to be fixed. From there, you can decide how you’d like to move forward. Would you like me to send over the details?”
2. Offer a Paid Diagnostic Review ($XXX Fixed Fee)
Instead of offering a free review, charge a flat fee ($250-$1,000 depending on complexity) to analyze their books. Base this on the information that you learned in the discovery call. You will need access to their online accounting software.
What’s Included in a Paid Diagnostic Review?
- Review of bank and credit card reconciliations.
- Checking for duplicate, missing, or uncategorized transactions and undeposited funds)
- Assessing accounts payable/receivable accuracy.
- Providing a detailed report of findings and recommendations.
Why charge for this?
- It filters out tire-kickers who aren’t serious about fixing their books.
- It sets clear expectations and prevents scope creep.
- It positions you as an expert, not just a service provider.
3. Upsell Clean-Up Work ($XXX – $XXXX Project Fee)
Once the client sees what’s wrong, they’ll likely want it fixed. After the diagnostic review, present them with a custom proposal for clean-up services based on your findings. Now you have clear understanding of the scope of the work and you can price the job accordingly.
Example Script:
“Now that we’ve reviewed your books, here’s what I found: [summarize key issues]. To get everything cleaned up and accurate, I recommend a full clean-up, which will cost [$X,XXX]. This will ensure your books are tax-ready and up to date. Would you like me to take care of that for you?”
4. Convert to Monthly Recurring ($XXX/Month)
After completing the clean-up, offer ongoing bookkeeping services to keep their books accurate.
How to Transition from Clean-Up to Monthly Services:
- Emphasize the benefits of staying on top of their books.
- Offer tiered pricing (Basic, Standard, Premium) to fit their budget.
- Provide a discount or bonus for committing to a 6- or 12-month plan.
Example Script:
“Now that your books are in great shape, the best way to maintain them is with ongoing bookkeeping. This ensures everything stays organized, you avoid costly mistakes, and you’re always tax-ready. Its’s also more cost effective to have the work done on a monthly basis. offer [Plan A, B, or C]—which one works best for you?”
Final Workflow:
- Book a Discovery Call → Identify pain points.
- Sell a Paid Diagnostic Review → Get them to commit.
- Offer Clean-Up Work → Fix the mess.
- Convert to Monthly Services → Keep them as a long-term client.
This process helps you get paid for your time upfront, filter out non-serious clients, and turn one-time projects into recurring revenue.
As an extra added bonus, here is a social media post you can use to promote your paid diagnostic review:
📢 Business Owners: Is Your Bookkeeping a Mess? Let’s Fix It! 🚨
Are you unsure if your books are accurate? 🤔 Have transactions gone missing? Or maybe you’re just too busy to keep up?
🔎 Get a Paid Diagnostic Review! 🔎
For a flat fee, I’ll analyze your books and provide a detailed report of what’s wrong—and what needs fixing. No commitment, just clarity!
📊 What’s included?
✅ Review of bank and credit card reconciliations
✅ Check for missing, duplicate, or uncategorized transactions
✅ Clear action plan to fix any errors
Once you know what’s wrong, you can decide whether to fix it yourself—or let me handle it for you! 💼
💬 DM me or comment “CLEANUP” below to book a quick call! Let’s get your books in top shape! 📅✅
#BookkeepingHelp #SmallBusinessFinances #MessyBooks #BookkeepingCleanup #KnowYourNumbers
Check out this article on how I earned $5k in one month doing cleanup work.
Try out Ledger Lux Media for 50% – Get instant access to social media templates, email templates and blog posts as well as done-for-you branding templates, facebook covers and email signatures.
- Done-for-You Content: Receive professionally crafted social media posts to attract your ideal bookkeeping or accounting clients.
- Time Savings: Spend less time on content creation so you can focus on your core business.
- Lead Generation: Consistent, high-quality posts help capture and nurture leads.
- Enhanced Brand Visibility: Boost your online presence and credibility with polished, expert content.
- Stress Reduction: Eliminate the hassle of chasing down marketing ideas—your content is ready to go.