Integrative Advisory Services

CHAPTER 6Building Lasting Relationships

The best client is the one who lasts and continues wanting your services. Securing long-term client–accountant relationships is the ultimate goal to help to build and grow your cherished advisor business. As I discussed at the beginning of this book with the story of my grandfather, an accountant can become a strategic consultant and an integral part of your clients' business future.

When you have established yourself as a cherished advisor with a client, the additional rewards you can reap from the relationship can appear in different ways. When you have shown your clients how you can help them—and in return they begin to see the results in their businesses—they are more inclined to reach out to you for other services.

For instance, if you begin your relationship with a basic-level package of services, and you are delivering value and a better experience than the client expected, your client may want additional service offerings from your practice. As you have learned in previous chapters, when you deliver advisory services, you become more invested in how a client's business operates as you become more acquainted with their short- and long-term goals. This in turn opens up discussions for a client to ask for advice in other matters because you are their central point of contact for advice and referrals. For example, the client could ask for advice in areas that you don't offer, such as asking about potential realtors you may know because ...