Wonder which W word works wonders

One of the big challenges facing accounting firms is how to get their regular SME clients to think differently about the role and value of their accountant. 

Progressing clients from a compliance based relationship that is probably the reason why they sought out an accountant in the first place and may well have been the basis of the relationship for years is not simply a matter of putting a new planning tool in front of them.

As an  accountant, whether you are seeking to develop more advisory generated fees for commercial reasons or because it’s one of your fundamental drivers, to make a real difference to the lives of your clients, getting them to engage in fee-generating conversations about their businesses and lives is far harder than just asking them in for an annual meeting to sign off their accounts.

I’ve talked for a long time now about the need to change the client conversation. That change has to be driven by you, the accountant, but what is the most effective way for you to initiate it?

There are commonly ten interrogative words in the English language, words used to introduce a question, all but one beginning with the letter W (‘How’ is the exception if you were wondering).

Parents and grandparents will know that the most commonly heard of these from the mouths of young children is “Why?” The response to every statement, every image, every experience for a three year old is “Why?”

And one of the tests of parenthood is how quickly you get to the point of responding with “Because it just is, that’s why!”

Children ask why because they are trying to get to grips with a world that they don’t yet understand. Their brains are expanding and they need to populate them. Whilst it seems that the long held theories around left sided brain people and right sided brain people are gradually being debunked (its more about connectivity), the left side of our brains is known to be related more closely to language, logic, reasoning, numbers and critical thinking. It is a need to expand their understanding in these areas that drives a youngster’s mind.

Hence “Why?” “Why?” “Why?”

We get frustrated as parents because “Why?” is the toughest of questions. Why something happens, as opposed to how, when, what or where it happens for instance, forces us to think about what is at the very core of the matter. We can know how we do something or when we do it but do we always know why?

Asking a client what they do, or how, when or where they do it can generate a response without too much thought. Asking a client ‘why’ requires much more consideration.

·     Why do you do that?

·     Why do you think that is the case?

·     Why don’t you do that?

·     Why do you think that happened?

·     Why can’t you do that?

When a child asks us why, we can get frustrated not just because it’s the 50^th time today but because they really make us think about things that maybe we’ve just accepted, find hard to work out ourselves or don’t want to face up to:

·     “Why is the sea blue?”

·     “Why is that man cross with Daddy?”

·     “Why do we have to go?”

·     “Why don’t penguins fly?

Children ask why to expand their logic, reasoning, understanding, language and numeracy. Challenging clients on their thinking in these areas can get them thinking about things that maybe they’ve just accepted or have been shying away from.

In doing so we can start to change the conversation, and start to change their perception of our value and our role.

It’s also a great way to address a fear that holds many accountants back from digging deeper into issues that a client has for fear of not having the answer.

Clients know more about their businesses and their lives than we will ever do. By bringing out our inner toddler and asking them ‘why’ we may just get them to focus on the things that really need their attention.

You become aware that the client has a problem. You may know the answer. That’s great!

But equally, you may not, or fear that you won’t, and so you shy away from asking the question.

Don’t dodge the issue. Raise it and ask them why:

“Why do you think that is?”

“Why do you think that happened?”

It gets the real expert on their business, the client themselves, thinking more deeply about the issue. Then you can work together on finding a solution.



Asking a client ‘why’ may just be the trigger point you need to change the relationship for good.