The trusted advisor: Strategies for nurturing relationships with your accounting clients

Trust is the basis of any successful relationship, and this is especially true in the realm of accounting. You’re not just dealing with everyday accounting. Clients often entrust you with life-changing decisions like transferring their family fortunes and guiding their businesses—their life’s work. 

Ultimately, you can’t do what you do if your clients don’t trust you completely.

Why trust matters in accounting

Cultivating trust with your clients is not just a good practice—it's necessary to the success of your clients’ businesses as well as your own. 

The level of trust in your relationship with a client can affect how well you collaborate, impacting the effectiveness and longevity of the professional relationship as a result. Clients who trust you are more likely to share confidential financial information that is vital to your ability to provide guidance and help their businesses succeed. 

But trust not only benefits your clients’ businesses—it can also help you grow your firm. Having positive relationships with your clients makes them more likely to refer you to others, helping you build your client base and reputation in the industry. 

“Building trust with clients requires honesty right from the first meeting,” says Michael Girolametto, Partner at Modern Controller. “Pretending you can provide a service that isn’t in your arsenal of expertise (the ‘fake it till you make it’ approach) is a great way to create operational inefficiencies, and ruin your firm's chances of future referrals. The same goes for the promise of unrealistic deadlines.” 

6 tips for building trust with clients

Building trust with clients is an ongoing effort that requires consistent dedication, professionalism, and a genuine desire to serve your clients' best interests. Here are some top strategies to help you cultivate strong and trusting relationships with your clients.

1. Build personal relationships

Developing personal relationships fosters trust and a deeper understanding of how to best serve your clients’ needs. Go beyond the professional relationship, and take the time to understand them on a personal level. 

“A strong (or weak) relationship is the net effect of every single interaction you have with someone, no matter how small or seemingly trivial that interaction is,” explains Jeremy Irving, Managing Director and Senior Technical Analyst at IC 360.

“Therefore, you should treat every one of those interactions as an opportunity to strengthen the relationship. You can do this by demonstrating that you understand their needs and appreciate them. The most practical way to exercise this is to slow down and always very deliberately put yourself in their shoes when making decisions or recommendations that will impact them in any way.” 

2. Communicate effectively

Actively listen to your clients and ask questions to better understand their business goals and concerns. When providing advice or services, tailor your recommendations to their unique needs. This demonstrates your genuine interest in their success.

Be transparent about your services, including the scope of work, costs, risks, and expected outcomes. Disclose any conflicts of interest and be open about your qualifications and experience. Open and honest communication helps clients feel informed and builds trust in your professional relationship.

3. Offer guidance

Showcasing your expertise in accounting instills confidence in your clients. Anticipate your clients needs and offer proactive advice to help them make informed decisions. Clients can tell when you go the extra mile to provide good service. 

4. Be reliable and consistent

Always aim to deliver accurate, high-quality service and honor deadlines for financial reporting, tax filings, and any promised deliverables. Your clients should have confidence that you will deliver on your promises and meet their expectations consistently. 

Make sure each client has a point of contact at your firm, so you remain accessible and answer questions and resolve concerns promptly. 

5. Maintain confidentiality

It’s not just about upholding the confidentiality of your clients' financial information at all times—it’s also about taking robust measures to protect data and other sensitive information. 

Most apps we work with at Zenbooks enable two-factor authentication and we utilize password managers to create complex and unique passwords. Information is held on trusted third-party servers that are ISO 27001 compliant and SOC 2 audited, and they often have live, onsite security servers available at all times.

Assure your clients that their sensitive data will be protected and not disclosed without their consent, as per ethical and legal standards. 

For example, professional standards for accountants in Canada are set provincially. The CPA Code of Professional Conduct from CPA Ontario provides guidelines for ethical business practices and outlines five key principles: professional behaviour, integrity and due care, objectivity, professional competence, and confidentiality.

6. Seek feedback

Encourage clients to provide feedback, and implement changes to improve services and procedures regularly. Look at constructive feedback as learning opportunities. Your clients will value your accountability and commitment to resolving pain points. 

At Zenbooks, we’ve conducted and funded nationwide studies, and we seek feedback from clients through emails and general requests. This feedback, and what we do with it, is indispensable when it comes to maintaining and building trust.

Recommended reading: What is transactional NPS (tNPS), and why is it important for your firm?

Don’t underestimate the power of trust

Trust is the cornerstone of any successful accountant-client partnership. You can build a strong foundation of trust with your clients by going beyond the transactional relationship, getting to know your clients personally, and providing exceptional service.