I’ve watched countless accountants excel at technical work while struggling to move beyond being viewed as a necessary expense. The pattern is familiar: deliver quality work on time, yet still be treated as a commodity.
What’s missing? In my experience working with countless firms and CPAs, I’ve found that while technical skills might get clients in the door, it’s the relationship that transforms them from occasional clients to loyal advocates.
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The numbers support this evolution. Client Advisory Services (CAS) is now our profession’s fastest-growing area, with a 17% median growth rate according to the 2024 CPA.com & AICPA PCPS Benchmark Survey.
The most successful practitioners have evolved from technical experts to what I call “Cherished Advisors”—professionals whose insight is so valued that clients wouldn’t make important decisions without consulting them first. This shift creates more meaningful work and transforms your firm’s profitability.
From Service Provider to Cherished Advisor
A Cherished Advisor is woven into a client’s decision-making process—someone they actively seek out, not just tolerate hearing from at tax time.
I witnessed this transformation with a firm that had provided tax services to a manufacturing company for years. The relationship was purely transactional until they started asking different questions: “Where do you see your business in five years? What keeps you up at night?”
These simple questions uncovered succession planning concerns, operational bottlenecks, and expansion opportunities that had never surfaced in tax-focused conversations. The firm now gets called first for any significant business decision, with their revenue doubling—mostly from advisory services.
The numbers show firms offering CFO-level or business insights advisory services earn 30% higher monthly recurring revenue than those focused solely on compliance.
Building Trust Through Authentic Connection
Making this shift starts with authentic connection. One powerful tool is what I call “taking a beat”—pausing to truly listen before jumping to solutions. This doesn’t come naturally to most accountants or, in fact, most people. We’re trained to quickly diagnose issues and provide answers, sometimes solving the wrong problems altogether.
I worked with a CPA who couldn’t understand why they’d lost a major client despite perfect work. When we reviewed their client meetings, the problem became clear: they’d spent years focused on tax minimization while completely missing the fact that the client’s real concern was preparing for an exit. A competitor had simply asked, “What are your long-term goals?” and listened to the answer.
Try this at your next client meeting: when a client finishes speaking, count to three before responding. That pause gives you space to hear what they’re really saying, not just what you expect to hear.
Strategic Advisory Relationships
Becoming a Cherished Advisor requires intentional planning. Moving from a reactive service provider to a proactive advisor means developing a clear roadmap for both your practice and your client interactions.
This strategic mindset naturally extends to pricing. When you price based on value rather than time, you create a fundamental shift in focus—from hours spent to outcomes achieved. This alignment helps clients see your work as an investment rather than an expense.
Creating deeper client relationships involves more than just being friendly. Effective advisory relationships require thoughtful structure: consistent touchpoints throughout the year, proactive outreach with insights rather than just responding to questions, and client interactions designed to address their most significant concerns.
The key is developing these relationships systematically rather than accidentally. When you approach client advisory with intentionality, you create space for meaningful conversations that transform a service relationship into a trusted partnership.
Technology as a Relationship Enabler
The right technology should enhance client relationships, not replace them. Technology-focused CAS practices (51% of respondents) report higher revenue and serve 50% more clients than average.
The successful practitioners start with the client interaction they want to create, then work backward to find technology that enables it. This might mean implementing dashboards that translate complex data into actionable insights or automation that handles routine compliance work to free up time for advisory discussions.
Steps to Elevate Your Client Relationships
Start with these practical steps:
Listen to understand, not respond. After a client explains something, summarize what you heard before offering solutions. You’ll be surprised how often they’ll clarify what’s really on their mind.
Ask powerful questions. Instead of “Do you need a cash flow projection?” try “What aspect of your business finances keeps you up at night?”
Create standardized processes. Standardizing routine work creates more space for customized advisory services. When compliance processes run smoothly, you have the mental energy for deeper client conversations.
The Future Belongs to Cherished Advisors
As accounting evolves, the real competitive advantage will belong to those who become Cherished Advisors. Technical expertise remains necessary but insufficient. The relationship layer creates lasting differentiation as basic compliance work faces increasing commoditization.
Are your client relationships primarily transactional, or have you become an indispensable voice in your clients’ business decisions? Do clients see your invoice as an expense to manage or an investment in their success?
When you transform your client relationships from transactional interactions to valued partnerships, you create a significant impact for both their businesses and yours. The most rewarding aspect of becoming a Cherished Advisor is seeing clients confidently navigate their financial future with your guidance as an integral part of their success.
Isn’t that the kind of accounting career you dreamed of?
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Amy Vetter, CPA, CGMA, is the CEO of The B³ Method (Business + Balance = Bliss) Institute, where she empowers accounting professionals to transform their firms through connected leadership and client advisory excellence. With over 25 years of experience, including executive roles at global technology companies, Amy blends deep industry knowledge with mindfulness principles to help practitioners create sustainable success. Her Cherished Advisory Services programs guide firms in developing high-value client relationships that drive growth and profitability. Amy is a best-selling author, sought-after keynote speaker, and host of the Breaking Beliefs podcast. She has been repeatedly recognized as one of the “Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Accounting” and a “Top 100 Most Influential Person in Accounting” by industry publications.
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