june2021 - 5

THE LEADERSHIP ADVISOR
Better Advisory Through
Genuine Connection
AMY VETTER, CPA.CITP, CGMA
Mindful Technologist &
Keynote Speaker
@AmyVetterCPA
THE BIGGEST STEREOTYPE about accountants is that we're dry, boring numbers people. If
you buy into the popular image, the perfect accountant would be an emotionless number
cruncher, scarcely different from a high-powered computer. But nothing could be further
from the truth. There is a human side to accounting, especially when it comes to delivering
advisory services to your clients. If you want to improve as an advisor, your first step is to
look at genuine human connection in addition to the numbers.
Now, I'm not saying that one
is more important than the other.
Data analytics, objectivity, a
willingness to be frank about the
numbers-these are all essential for
quality advisory services. However,
there is also a subjective component
to offering guidance, one
that is based on the relationships
you've built with your clients, your
understanding of their business,
and what you know about them as
people. This level of intimacy is not
a barrier to supplying strong advice
but rather an asset in tailoring your
services to your individual clients.
Here are a few ways to develop and
capitalize on personal bonds in
order to better serve your clients.
UNDERSTAND THEIR
PURPOSE AND VALUES
Of course, every business wants to
make money, but profit is far from
the only driver for most SMBs. Your
clients also base operational decisions
on their purpose and values
as a company. Understanding these
important motivators gives you a
greater sense for what is intrinsic
and integral to a business and what
is superfluous. In other words, it lets
your clients know that you get them.
Let's say you have a client looking
to cut costs, as many businesses
are right now. They've recently
implemented a Diversity, Equity,
and Inclusion (DEI) program, one
that is relatively costly and hasn't
yet made a direct contribution to
their bottom line. However, creating
a more equitable workplace is a
huge part of their business and one
they're not willing to compromise
on. If you know how important DEI
is to them, you're never going to ask
them to scrap the program. By going
through their books and finding
other ways to decrease spending,
increase income, and also begin
discussions about how they expect
the DEI program to contribute to
the bottom line, you let your client
know that you're on the same team,
which is what great advisory is all
about.
LEVERAGE YOUR OWN
EXPERIENCE
Accounting firm owners and leaders
have an obvious parallel to their
clients in the form of their own
professional lives. As a firm owner or
somebody in a leadership position,
odds are you've struggled with many
of the same issues as the businesses
you serve. Many business owners are
not prepared to deal with firing someone
or cancelling a planned initiative,
but if you've been there before, you
can coach them through the process.
Last year serves as a perfect
example. As businesses scrambled to
apply for PPP funding, many turned
to their accountants for help. At the
same time, many accounting firms
were also filing for funding. Being
able to translate such an experience
from your business to your clients
is invaluable. In cases like this one,
you're not just providing theoretical
advice, you're basing that advice on
your own experience, which makes
that advice all the more valuable.
GET REAL
When we talk about accountants
being " trusted advisors, " we mean
serving as the type of confidant
a business owner can lean on for
decades. Over the course of such
a long relationship, it's natural to
learn about the people you serve-
and to share a little bit about your
life outside of work. It may not seem
like a value proposition to know
where your clients' children are
applying for college, their favorite
food, or the TV show they can't stop
binging, but over time, these little
pieces of information strengthen
the connection between accounting
firm and client.
When you have the chance
to discuss personal matters with
your clients, don't shy away from
it. A business does not operate in
a vacuum. The people who run
it are full-fledged human beings
with emotions, just as you are.
Acknowledging this aspect of business
rather than trying to minimize
it is an essential facet of providing
well-rounded advisory services.
So is accounting about numbers?
Definitely, but that's far from all it's
about. Advisory services are about
a deep familiarity with all aspects
of your clients' businesses, from
the numbers to that which can't be
defined by them. ■
JUNE 2021 ■ www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
5

http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com

june2021

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