Should we try harder to smash the wall?

Richard Brewin • October 26, 2018

Trying to get some clients to act on your advice can be like talking to a brick wall.

Do these sound familiar?

“I’m too busy”.
“I can’t afford it right now”.
“I don’t have the staff available”.
“Can we do it later?”. “
“We’re not big enough”

Your advice just keeps bouncing back to you. Too often, what the client is really saying is “this isn’t important enough for me right now”.

Do we leave it there? After all, we’ve done our job, we’ve passed on our advice.

I hear accountants complain about the quality of their client base, about not being able to sell value added services because they don’t have profitable clients, but do we have a chicken versus egg situation here?

What comes first: the client having a profitable, cash-rich business or the client taking your advice?

If you believe that your advice is important enough then I would argue that you have a professional responsibility to try everything in your power to get your client to act upon it. If you can’t demonstrate its value and importance over the client’s objections then why should they divert attention or resources?

Cloud accounting is a case in point. Quite simply, this is how businesses manage their finances in 2018. It’s effective, efficient, MTD compliant and a fundamental strategy for improving profits and cash-flow. It frees up their time, provides valuable management information and opens advice and support channels with the accountant. And it’s very cost effective.

So, if you don’t currently have all your clients using cloud accounting, properly trained and supported, or at least a plan for doing so, why not? It’s a no-brainer!

When we can see how to improve a client’s business, and therefore their life, we must be prepared to fight harder for our view. After all, if poor clients are the excuse for poor returns in our own firms then profitable clients is the answer. Are you telling me you don’t know how to make your clients more profitable?

Fight to get your point across. Be persistent. Be strong.

Being proactive is a culture, not a slogan

By Richard Brewin • June 27, 2025
Look at any accounting firm website and there is a fair chance that the word ‘proactive’ will be prominent. Ask some business owners and taxpayers whether they consider their accountant to be proactive.  There is commonly a gap between the two, between the intent of the accountant and the expectations of the client.

How tech helps us to rebuild our trusted advisor role

By Richard Brewin • June 23, 2025
The tag ‘Trusted Advisor’ gets bandied around a lot. Without trying to be deliberately contentious, I often challenge its use. Undoubtedly, accountants were once the trusted advisor to their clients. When I came into the profession 44 years ago now, the older partners, especially, were seen by their clients as their trusted advisor, their ‘go to’ person on any issues, business, family or personal, that were troubling them. Without the filing deadlines of today, these clients were with their accountant primarily because they valued the relationship rather than the products.

Why your accounting firm is unique

By Richard Brewin • June 5, 2025
All accountants are the same! We’ve all heard it said. It’s nonsense, of course, but, when you are asked what it is that your firm does that differentiates it from other accounting firms, it can be a challenge to come up with something tangible.  Accounting firms tend to offer similar services, that’s what makes them accounting firms. Differentiating from competitors based upon services provided is therefore an issue.