Transition!

I have been asked to write a bog on moving from being an accountant to becoming a consultant, and the issues to be addressed, both by the individual and the marketing department involved.

Well, my short answer is that, if the accountant is any good, they will already be a consultant, probably without being aware of it.

In fact, I believe, that only those accountants who are ‘behind-the-scenes’, simply involved with the technical aspects of our profession, are they only potentially successful accountants who are not consultants.

Think about it. One of your partners or senior managers who are successful in obtaining and retaining clients, don’t just produce or manipulate figures for their clients. They listen and fulfil the clients’ express and implied needs. This is them acting as consultants.

Every firm I know, say they are their clients’ “Trusted Advisers”. Well what is an advisor if not some one who advises and is consulted for that advice. A Consultant in other words.

The issues arises in the perceptions within firms. The perception of the accountant, who may well not think of themselves as a ’consultant’, of the marketing and BD personnel, who have been taught to discuss the financial, tax and accounting values, and finally, most importantly possibly, of the clients, who think of their “accountants” as pure “bean-counters”, and although they consult them, don’t perceive of them as consultants.

So, how should we address this perception issue?

I cannot offer a simple answer. If I could I’d be quite wealthy I suspect. However, here are my suggestions to you:

• When offering “advice”, regardless if on Tax, Audit or anything else, emphasis the listening aspect of the advice;
• Explain, or write, that the partner/accountant will need to consult with the client in depth before they are able to advice on anything;
• Think of a local doctor. You go to their “Consulting Room”, you don’t go to their “Advice Room”. So even referring internally to meeting rooms for client as “consulting rooms” can help change thought processes;
• When marketing, always think that the client may need help, but they also want to be listened to first. So, word the collateral accordingly;

I have been fairly successful in reducing “problems” in my organisation, by getting colleagues to re-name them as “issues”. Same situations but the change in name makes the colleague more likely to think of possible solutions. The same is true, I believe with Advisor and Consultant. Start using the term; start thinking the ‘consultant’ way; and you may be very pleasantly surprised as to the change that occurs.

It won’t be instantaneous. It is more evolution than revolution. But, you will change minds and thus methods.

If it helps, just remember what my old Grandma used to tell me. “You have two eyes, two ears and only one mouth. Use them in that proportion.” When planning some marketing, if you can convince a prospect that your firm “uses them in that proportion”, you’ll win the deal more often than not.