AI a growing source of new client referrals

"While word of mouth, digital marketing and professional networks are still the main ways accounting firms promote themselves, an entirely new path has emerged over the past few years: AI. With more people using AI every day, CPA firms across the country are reporting an uptick in clients who discovered them through conversations with ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and other models."

"AI-sourced client referrals are a relatively recent phenomenon, with most firms only starting to get them this year or last. This makes sense, as many early AI models lacked the ability to browse the internet, and their overall user base was smaller. But now there are hundreds of millions of people using AI every day, some of whom need accountants."

"It will be 'I got a tax notice and haven't done my crypto accounting for five years' or 'I need crypto tax planning for my portfolio' or 'I need to set up a Web3 accounting system.' It can vary with what they type in. Sometimes it's broad-based crypto [topics], sometimes it is very specific with what they're looking for. But it is all basically crypto related," he said."

AI models have become an emerging channel for CPA client acquisition as daily AI users increasingly find accountants through AI-provided links. AI-sourced referrals rose mainly in the past year or two as models gained browsing capabilities and larger user bases. Clients typically arrive after entering highly specific accounting or finance queries rather than asking for any CPA. Crypto-specialist firms report many AI-referred clients with tax notices, multi-year unfiled crypto accounting, tax planning needs, or Web3 accounting system setup. Large firms also see AI-driven leads for niche, deal-specific accounting and compliance support.

Read at Accounting Today