In many respects running an immigration advisory business is like running any other business in New Zealand. This means you have to find clients, but how? I help businesses in a range of different industries with their online marketing, so this is a question I am often asked by immigration professionals? They want to know how to find more clients. To do that you need to find and manage leads. 

Unfortunately there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and there is no magic formula. From my marketing, lead generation, and immigration industry experience, you need to adopt a multi-faceted strategy.

Some ideas that you can incorporate into your strategy are below, but it all centres around having a clear and worthwhile USP (unique selling point). Why should people work with you instead of the competition? What is that makes your offering different? If you can identify that and communicate it clearly, finding clients will become easier.

Here are some practical tips for finding new immigration clients:

• Build an online presence – potential immigration clients will find it easier to find you if you have a strong presence online. This doesn’t mean you have to invest thousands of dollars in websites and apps, but there are a few cost effective steps that you should take. This includes creating a website that gives details of your USP, outlines the services that you offer, and gives details of how you can be contacted. You should also register with Google My Business so that you become more visible in search results, and you need to market your online presence. You can do this in a number of ways including on social media and via a blog.
• Get referrals – referrals are crucial to almost all successful immigration advisory businesses in New Zealand. You can get them from two main sources: from your existing clients, and from other professionals. With your current clients you should simply ask them if they know anybody else who could use your services. It is also good to have a business card that they can pass on. With other professionals you will need to build up relationships. Remember that this sort of relationship works best when it is two-way, i.e. that you refer clients to them for their speciality, and they refer immigration clients to you.
• Operate an effective CRM – getting a lead from a contact message online, or a referral from someone in your professional network, is only the start of the process of getting a new client. You have to turn that lead into a prospect and then convert them into a client. To do this you need an effective CRM, preferably one that has been designed specifically for immigration professionals.
• Make timely contact with previous clients – previous clients are an excellent source of revenue so you need a system that reminds you to contact previous clients several months before their VISA expires. This will give you a chance to keep their business. A CRM like Ezymigrate will allow you to keep contact details of leads and communicate with those leads through email to build trust and promote your service. It also reminds you when VISAs are due to expire.

By implementing the four steps above you will find more immigration client leads, and you will convert more of those leads into sales.

My name is Anna Hyatt and I’m the director of Ezymigrate. Feel Free to contact me at anna@app.ezymigrate.co.nz or connect with me on LinkedIn at https://nz.linkedin.com/in/annahyatt.

More and more technical solutions are being delivered in the cloud. This includes Ezymigrate. When I speak to immigration advisors I still find there is hesitancy about using cloud based solutions though. Sometimes this is due to legitimate concerns, while other times it is down to a lack of knowledge.

 One of the biggest concerns surrounds security and control. After all, an immigration business is all about data. Your client list, your leads, the details of your clients, your client’s documents, details of application deadlines – this is all data. Moving that data out of a manual or computer-based system in your office to the cloud – which you can’t physically see or touch – feels like relinquishing control.

 When I hear these concerns I usually respond by saying that you are probably already using cloud services, and don’t even know it. Popular business services like Gmail, PayPal and Dropbox all use cloud technology in a similar way to Ezymigrate. Two of the key features of these systems, including Ezymigrate, are control and security.

 Enterprise Level Security

Security is taken so seriously by cloud solution providers that you actually get enterprise levels. This high standard of security is usually too expensive for individual SMEs to purchase and manage alone, but when scaled over a cloud solution it becomes feasible.

 The reality is, therefore, that your data is more secure with a cloud based solution, and you have more control over it. The one proviso to that statement is that you have to use a solution with enterprise security features.

Increasing Profits

 Security is not the only benefit the cloud can bring to your business, however. It can, in fact, make your business more profitable. Here is how: 

1. Increases collaboration – you and members of your team can work on the same files and client accounts at the same time. This encourages and improves collaboration. It also gives you greater control over documents and improves document security. For example, everyone will always have access to the latest version of a document or file, and there is no chance of any documents accidentally getting lost in the pile for recycling.
2. Work from anywhere – you can access cloud solutions from anywhere that you have an internet connection. Nothing needs installed, and you can use any device. That opens up endless possibilities. For example, it makes it easier for you to offer your employees flexible working. Another example is being able to access a document or piece of information, even when you are not in your office. You could be on the golf course, the beach, or the hairdressers – so long as you have access to the internet, you are connected.
3. Lowers costs – cloud based solutions like Ezymigrate also lower your costs, which helps you become more profitable. For a start, capital costs are lower as you do not have to purchase new or replacement equipment or servers. It is also easier to setup and maintain. This is because there is nothing to install, software updates are applied automatically, and all security settings are managed centrally. It is also easier to scale up or down a cloud based solution than the alternatives. Finally, the benefits of improved collaboration and work from anywhere capabilities will make your business more efficient, which also lowers your costs.

The cloud brings many benefits to your business but the most important is that it will improve your bottom line. It enables you to offer a better service to your clients, improve the administration of your business, and lower your costs. Your team will work more efficiently, and you will have more time and resources to grow the business, find new clients, and develop your services.