Accountants are being urged to develop new skills to help them build trust and rapport with clients - or face potentially drastic consequences.
Firms are facing one of their toughest fights yet, against the backdrop of a challenging economy, and it is crucial they improve their customer service skills or risk losing clients.
Over the last 20 years I've worked with many accountants in helping them gain and retain clients. During this time I have noticed a pattern which is common in almost all cases. It costs them a fortune in new business opportunities they miss and, more importantly, they lose long-term clients who slip away through the back door and are serviced by a competitor.
Usually this has nothing to do with their lack of knowledge or professional service. It is mainly their lack of ability to communicate effectively on a one-to-one basis and understand the needs of clients. This is a tough one to swallow if you are an accountant reading this, but please be aware, when and where do many professionals learn these skills? Not at university, that's for sure.
