Client advisory services are an emerging trend in the accounting world. So many business owners need help with their finances, and accounting firms are quickly starting to realize that they can provide the assistance their clients are looking for.
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For firms, adding client advisory services comes with many benefits, including increased revenue, higher client retention, and a better overall experience. It really is an all-round good service to add to your firm.
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However, there is one key factor that firms need to consider, otherwise their client advisory services will fall apart - communication. Communication is the key driver behind good advisory services. Without good communication, there will be an unavoidable disconnect between you and your clients. Here’s why:

The idea behind client advisory services is to be able to help your clients better understand their financials. While they are using their data, reports, and dashboard, it’s likely they will turn to you for the “what’s”, “why’s”, and “how’s” of everything being collected and recorded.
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When this happens you need to be able to communicate with them effectively and in a way they can understand. Regardless of what method you use, be that emails or meetings, you need to make sure that you:

More often than not your clients will be unfamiliar with certain terms, where your numbers come from, and how you got from point A to point B. Understand that while their questions might sound simple to you, they genuinely don’t know the answer. You need to be patient with them.

Listening is the most important part of communication. Listen to understand where your clients are coming from and what they need from you. You will provide better service when you are listening attentively to your client’s needs and acting on what you’ve heard.

This ties back to communicating in a way that your client understands. Accounting is confusing for non-accountants so being straightforward and to the point will improve your communication skills.

You should always be working to improve your communication skills because communication is at the core of how you deliver services. Good communication creates good client relationships and leads to successful client advisory services, which is ultimately the goal.

The way you talk to and present yourself to your clients is how you stand out from other firms. However this isn’t just through face-to-face or email communication, it’s through content marketing. Content marketing delivers clients (and potential clients) helpful information about topics your firm is an expert in. It is an extremely effective way to establish trust and prove you are knowledgeable, which directly supports your client advisory services.
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Content marketing allows you to address your clients without a direct line of communication (i.e. email or phone call). The language you use, the topics you cover, and your writing style are all ways to show your clients what you’re all about. Instead of directly telling them, you are showing them.
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If you are producing unique content with your ideal clients and their needs in mind:

Your firm truly stands out when you communicate effectively with the people you’re serving.

Without effective communication, your marketing will fall flat. All areas of your marketing should be working together to give your clients the information they need to learn about your products/services and how you can help them.
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Take your website, for example. Your website is meant to show potential clients who you are and what you do with the goal of converting them to clients. But when they visit your page, are they responding?
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If you are not getting the results you are hoping for, it may be time to review your marketing communications. For starters, you should make sure you:

Visitors should land on your page and find answers to questions about your services and helpful information about topics within your industry.

Know what your ideal clients care about and provide content that highlights their topics of interest.

As a firm owner, the majority of your clients are looking to grow their business. Write and share articles about things like driving profit, increasing cash flow, or mining value from your reporting. You may think people don’t have an interest in reading about these topics but they do. Business owners are constantly searching for ways to improve their businesses so if you can help them do that, you’ll have no problem getting clients.
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As you know, marketing is the most effective way to reach clients. However, that marketing needs to be useful to them and provide answers to their questions. Through content marketing, you can serve your clients (and impress them) in ways other firms are not by sharing helpful information in your articles.
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To provide superior client advisory services you have to start with communication. Effective communication drives everything from strong client relationships to how you differentiate your firm, and is the key to successful content marketing.
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You can improve your communication and client advisory services by listening to your clients and their needs, approaching your content with the goal of standing out, and writing and sharing value-based and informative content.
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If you are looking for help with creating content, Full Stadium Marketing will help you simplify your marketing and grow your firm by changing the way you connect to your audience.

Micky Deming spent 6 years handling marketing at a fast-growth cloud accounting firm. In 2018, he launched Full Stadium Marketing to help accounting firms with content marketing services.

Want to improve your communication skills? Try this free Communication Essentials course on Syft Campus!