Building Trust through Accountability in Advisory
Episode Summary
In this episode of Advisory Secrets, I explore one of the most common frustrations accountants and bookkeepers face when they begin delivering advisory services.
You have a great meeting with a client. They agree with everything you're saying. They understand the recommendations. They can see the benefits of making a change.
And then they do absolutely nothing.
The reality is that most clients don't struggle because they lack information. More often, they struggle because they're dealing with uncertainty, fear, overwhelm, or a lack of confidence in the decisions they need to make.
In this episode, I explain why understanding and action are two very different things, and why simply giving better advice isn't always the answer.
We explore some of the real reasons clients get stuck, including fear of making the wrong decision, uncertainty about where to start, and the feeling that a problem isn't urgent enough to tackle right now.
I also share why accountability is such an important part of advisory, how simplifying recommendations can make action more likely, and why helping clients take the first small step is often more valuable than giving them a long list of things to do.
Ultimately, advisory isn't just about helping clients understand their numbers.
It's about helping them move forward.
Because real value isn't created when advice is given.
It's created when action is taken.
Key Takeaways
• One of the biggest frustrations advisors face is when clients agree with recommendations but fail to take action.
• Understanding a problem and doing something about it are two very different things.
• Clients are often held back by fear, uncertainty, lack of confidence, or feeling overwhelmed rather than a lack of knowledge.
• Effective advisory requires empathy and understanding, not just technical expertise.
• Accountability can be just as important as advice when it comes to helping clients achieve results.
• Breaking recommendations into smaller, manageable steps often increases the likelihood of action.
• Clients need clarity and confidence more than they need additional information.
• Progress is often achieved through small, consistent actions rather than major changes.
• Great advisors focus on helping clients move forward, not simply providing answers.
Resources Mentioned
Website: debhalliday.co.uk
Website: theaccountsoffice.co.uk
Facebook Community: Advisory Teams
About Advisory Secrets with Deb Halliday
Advisory Secrets is the podcast for accountants, bookkeepers, and financial professionals who want to move beyond compliance, build stronger advisory relationships, and become trusted advisors to their clients.
Each episode shares practical insights, real-world experiences, and lessons learned from working with business owners, helping you develop the confidence, communication skills, and advisory mindset needed to create greater value and lasting impact.
Transcript
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Speaker A:Welcome to Advisory Secrets with Deb Halladay, the podcast for accountants and bookkeepers who are ready to move beyond compliance work and step confidently into advisory.
Speaker A:If you ever felt there must be more to your role than year end accounts, tax returns and deadlines, you're right.
Speaker A:In this podcast, I'll share the strategies, insights and real world lessons that help accounting professionals transition from technician to trusted advisor.
Speaker A:We'll explore how to lead better financial conversations and deliver real value to clients.
Speaker A:I'm Deb Halliday, author and creator of training programs for accounting professionals, and this is Advisory Secrets.
Speaker A:Foreign.
Speaker A:To talk about something every accountant, bookkeeper and advisor has experienced, you have what feels like a great meeting with a client.
Speaker A:The conversation flows well.
Speaker A:You identify opportunities.
Speaker A:You discuss solutions.
Speaker A:The client agrees with them.
Speaker A:Everything you're saying.
Speaker A:They nod enthusiastically.
Speaker A:They tell you it's exactly what they needed to hear.
Speaker A:You leave the meeting feeling positive.
Speaker A:And then nothing happens.
Speaker A:No action, no implementation, no change.
Speaker A:A month later, you're having exactly the same conversation again.
Speaker A:If you've ever experienced this, you're not alone.
Speaker A:In fact, it's one of the most common frustrations advisors face.
Speaker A:The interesting thing is that the problem usually isn't the advice.
Speaker A:It's something much deeper, the mistake most advisors make when clients don't take action.
Speaker A:Many advisors immediately assume one thing the client didn't understand.
Speaker A:So we explain it again with more detail.
Speaker A:More numbers, more evidence, more reports.
Speaker A:But understanding is rarely the problem most clients already understand.
Speaker A:The challenge is that understanding and action are two very different things.
Speaker A:Think about it in your own life.
Speaker A:Most of us know we should exercise more, eat better, save more money, spend less time on our phones, go to bed earlier.
Speaker A:The issue isn't knowledge is action, and business owners are no different.
Speaker A:People don't make decisions based on logic alone.
Speaker A:One of the biggest lessons I've learned over the years is that business decisions are rarely purely logical.
Speaker A:As accountants, we love logic.
Speaker A:The numbers make sense, the evidence is clear.
Speaker A:The answer seems obvious.
Speaker A:But people are emotional.
Speaker A:Business owners are emotional.
Speaker A:Every important decision carries uncertainty, risk, fear, doubt.
Speaker A:And sometimes those emotions are stronger than the logic sitting in front of them.
Speaker A:I've had clients who knew they needed to increase prices.
Speaker A:The numbers clearly showed it.
Speaker A:They Their profits were under pressure, their workload was increasing, their competitors were charging more.
Speaker A:Yet months later, they still hadn't increased their prices.
Speaker A:Not because they didn't understand, because they were afraid.
Speaker A:The real barriers to action when clients don't act, it's usually because one of four things is happening.
Speaker A:They don't believe the problem is urgent enough.
Speaker A:They don't feel confident enough, they don't know where to start, or they're afraid of the consequences.
Speaker A:And none of those issues are solved by another spreadsheet.
Speaker A:This is where advisory becomes far more than numbers.
Speaker A:Because often our role is helping clients work through uncertainty, helping them gain confidence, helping them take the first step.
Speaker A:The difference between advice and Accountability One thing I've noticed is that many advisors stop too soon.
Speaker A:They provide excellent advice, then they move on.
Speaker A:But advice alone doesn't always create change.
Speaker A:Sometimes clients need accountability.
Speaker A:Not pressure, not judgment.
Speaker A:Accountability.
Speaker A:Someone checking in, someone asking how it's going, someone helping them stay focused on what they said they wanted to achieve.
Speaker A:This is often where the greatest value is created.
Speaker A:Not during the meeting, but afterwards.
Speaker A:Small steps create momentum Another mistake advisors make is assuming every recommendation needs to be implemented immediately.
Speaker A:Sometimes the advice is simply too big, too overwhelming, too uncomfortable.
Speaker A:Instead of helping clients tackle everything, help them identify the next step, the smallest action they can take.
Speaker A:The first conversation.
Speaker A:The first price increase.
Speaker A:The first hire.
Speaker A:The first system improvement.
Speaker A:Because action creates momentum and momentum creates confidence.
Speaker A:Why Business Owners Need Clarity Most business owners are busy.
Speaker A:They're juggling staff, customers, suppliers, cash flow, deadlines, and everything else that comes with running a business.
Speaker A:By the time they sit down with you, they're often overwhelmed.
Speaker A:That's why one of the most valuable things we can do is simplify, not complicate.
Speaker A:Clients don't need 20 recommendations.
Speaker A:They need one clear priority, one next step, one decision, one action.
Speaker A:And the clearer the path forward becomes, the more likely they are to take it.
Speaker A:The questions that Create Action I found that some of the most powerful advisory questions aren't technical.
Speaker A:They're behavioral questions like what's stopping you from doing this?
Speaker A:What concerns you most about making this change?
Speaker A:What would happen if you did nothing?
Speaker A:What would success look like six months from now?
Speaker A:What is the first step you could take this week?
Speaker A:These questions help uncover the real obstacle.
Speaker A:And once you understand the obstacle, you can help the client move beyond it.
Speaker A:Sometimes the timing isn't right.
Speaker A:This is another important lesson.
Speaker A:Sometimes clients aren't ready.
Speaker A:And that's okay.
Speaker A:Not every recommendation will be implemented immediately.
Speaker A:Not every client will take action today.
Speaker A:Part of being a trusted advisor is understanding where people are in their journey.
Speaker A:Our role isn't to force decisions.
Speaker A:Our role is to help clients think clearly enough to make good decisions when they're ready.
Speaker A:Sometimes planting the seed is enough.
Speaker A:The best advisors focus on progress.
Speaker A:One thing I've learned is that progress is often more important than perfection.
Speaker A:If a client moves one step forward, that's a success.
Speaker A:If they become slightly more confident, that's progress.
Speaker A:If they make one better decision this month than they made last month, that's progress.
Speaker A:Too many advisors focus on the gap.
Speaker A:The best advisors focus on the movement because small improvements repeated consistently create significant results over time, the relationship changes.
Speaker A:Something interesting happens when you help clients take action.
Speaker A:Trust grows because clients stop seeing you as someone who gives advice and start seeing you as someone who helps them make progress.
Speaker A:That's a very different relationship, and it's often the point where advisory becomes truly valuable.
Speaker A:Final Thoughts if there's one thing I'd like you to take away from today's episode is this.
Speaker A:Clients don't always need more information, and most of the time they already have enough information.
Speaker A:What they need is confidence, clarity, accountability, and support.
Speaker A:The role of an advisor isn't simply to provide answers, it's to help clients move forward.
Speaker A:And sometimes the most valuable thing you can do isn't giving better advice, it's helping someone take action on the advice they already have.
Speaker A:If you'd like to continue developing your advisory skills and connect with other accountants and bookkeepers on the same journey, I I'd love you to join our Facebook Community Advisory Teams.
Speaker A:It's a place where we discuss advisory client relationships, confidence, leadership, and practical ways to create more value for your clients.
Speaker A:Simply search advisory teams on Facebook and come and join us.
Speaker A:And if you've enjoyed today's episode of Advisory Secrets, please subscribe and leave a review.
Speaker A:Join me over on Advisory Conversations, where I chat with Tim Seymour Everything Advisory.
Speaker A:Thanks for listening and I'll see you in the next episode.
Speaker A:Thank you for listening to Advisory Secrets with Deb Halliday.
Speaker A:If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you follow the podcast so you don't miss future insights on building your advisory role.
Speaker A:For more resources, training and support for accounting professional professionals stepping into advisory, visit debhalladay co uk or the accountsoffice.co.uk until next time.
Speaker A:Keep building a practice that creates real value for your clients and the lifestyle you want.
