Accountants' Secret Weapon for Client Value and Success!
Clients often utilise accountants as agents for anxiety transfer, relying on our expertise to address and alleviate their financial concerns. Accountants possess extensive technical training, equipping them to tackle these intricate issues effectively.
However, discerning the nature of clients' problems poses a critical challenge. Is this the inquiry you intended to pose? This question is pivotal because, truth be told, accountants are not renowned for their adept questioning skills. Our typical workday revolves around extracting information from diverse sources, whether it's for updates from a manager or perusing the latest legislative summaries in newsletters.
Unlike professions such as litigation, medicine, or journalism (I mean real journalism), where questioning is a foundational aspect of training, accountants seldom consider the significance of refining this skill or contemplate how their responses can enrich conversations.
In reality, posing questions is a potent tool for uncovering client problems and, consequently, adding value. Yes or no questions often yield only partial information. The magic lies in posing open-ended questions, acting as keys to reveal insights and details previously unknown.
Take the commonplace query, "How is business?" It tends to elicit mundane responses like "Fine" or "Pretty good." However, substitute it with a more probing approach, like "What concerns you about your business?" or "Which aspects of your business bring you genuine joy?" and the entire conversation transforms. The right question can unveil entirely new opportunities.
Posing questions not only broadens our knowledge but also nurtures stronger connections with those we interact with. When uncertain, inquire about others' experiences and interests. People generally relish discussing themselves, fostering a more engaging and fruitful conversation.
Questions and the art of posing them are underrated superpowers that accountants can leverage to revolutionize their professional interactions. Embracing open-ended inquiries unlocks hidden potential, enriches our learning curve, and fosters robust relationships with clients, colleagues, and peers. It can also translate to significantly higher fees.
However, a multitude of questions, regardless of their quality, is useless without attentive listening to the responses. Listening will be the focus of our article next week.