When prospective clients come to you, do they know exactly what advisory services they need? Of course not. They just know they’re stressed, overwhelmed, and probably wondering if their business will ever stop feeling like a poorly managed circus.

They don’t have the language to say, "I need an advisory service package focused on future cash flow forecasting and strategic growth."

That’s where you come in. By asking open-ended questions and exploring their goals and pain points, you can uncover opportunities to genuinely help. And when your focus is on helping, guess what? You’re no longer ‘selling.’ You’re advising. You’re guiding. You’re doing what accountants do best: being the calm in the chaos.

How to open opportunities (without selling your soul)

James makes a great point in his book: “The client is the only one who can close the sale. All you can do is open the opportunity.” And the good news is that this fits accountants perfectly.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Ask better questions

Swap what feels like a hard sell for open-ended questions like "What keeps you up at night?" or "If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?" Your clients’ answers will guide the conversation naturally. (If you’d like some great open-ended questions to get started, download my free resource, How to Start Advisory Conversations Easily.)

2. Make it about them

Clients want to feel understood, not sold to. Show genuine curiosity about their goals, and position your services as the bridge to achieving them.

3. Be clear and structured

Most of us accountants aren’t naturally great at creating processes (we’d rather fix them than invent them). Instead, invest in a proven process to guide your conversations.

Tools like DISCOVER and DIG—outlined in Accounting Revolution—give you a step-by-step framework to uncover client needs, highlight value, and build trust. Think of it as your sales safety net: structure you can lean on when the conversation feels murky.

4. Relax

Advisory isn’t a product you force onto someone. It’s a relationship built on trust, clarity, and mutual respect. No one’s walking out of the meeting with a ‘Buy Two, Get One Free’ sticker slapped on their forehead.

5. Be open to help

Here’s a truth that might sting a little: accountants aren’t just skeptical of selling—they’re skeptical of people trying to sell to them.

If you’re quick to shut down when someone offers guidance or expertise because you think they’re just trying to get you to buy something, you might be missing out on valuable support.

The fact is, there are plenty of us in the industry who genuinely want to help. But we can’t help unless we sell something. Imagine the opportunities you could unlock by being open to help—because you never know where it might lead.

Why this matters (spoiler: it’s not about the sale)

Let me say this loud and clear: if you’re not having these conversations with your clients, you’re missing the chance to help them. And isn’t that why we became accountants in the first place? (That, and the irresistible allure of endless reconciliations, obviously.)

Your clients don’t know how to ask for the help they need, but they need it desperately. If you don’t offer advisory services, who will? The flashy competitor down the road with a snazzy website and questionable Excel skills? No thanks.

Closing thoughts on not closing sales

If you’re an accountant who hates selling, here’s the good news: you don’t have to sell. You just have to help.

Remember: “You can’t close the sale. You can only open the opportunity.” The rest is up to your clients. So ditch the outdated notion of pushy selling. Instead, show up, ask questions, and focus on how you can genuinely add value.

Because if you’re not trying to help your clients, what’s the point?

Now, go forth and open opportunities. And if you do it right, you might even find yourself enjoying it. Well, as much as any accountant enjoys sales, which is probably somewhere between ‘updating tax thresholds’ and ‘naming files creatively.’