Art of Accounting: Transform your services into a must-have experience!

TLDR:

• Building client trust and becoming a trusted advisor is key to growing your accounting practice.
• Being proactive and reaching out to clients with suggestions and advice can help establish you as the first point of contact.
• Avoidable problems should be discussed and steps taken to mitigate them.
• Understanding and improving your clients’ accounting systems and internal controls is essential.
• Developing a fixed fee proposal for conducting a study and providing recommendations can show value and engagement.
• Providing prompt, routine, and knowledgeable answers to client questions helps build trust.
• Offering bundled fixed price packages with extras can provide value and empower clients.
• Establishing trust through transparency, truthful advice, and goal-setting helps solidify your role as a trusted advisor.

Accountants need to go beyond being a “must-have” service and become a “must-have to have” to attract and retain clients. This can be achieved by being proactive, reaching out to clients with advice and suggestions, and promptly responding to their concerns. Anticipating problems and discussing how to avoid them can help build trust and prevent major issues from arising. Accountants should also strive to understand and improve their clients’ accounting systems and internal controls, making recommendations for tighter controls where applicable. Offering fixed fee proposals for conducting studies and implementing solutions can demonstrate value and engagement. Providing routine and knowledgeable answers to client questions, while being transparent about costs for more complex work, further establishes trust. By consistently providing excellent client experiences and showing a commitment to helping clients achieve their goals, accountants can position themselves as trusted advisors and become vital to their clients’ success.