What Clients Really Want, Need & Highly Value from an Accountant

Date: 17 April 2025

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, a significant disconnect exists between what accountants typically provide and what business owners truly desire from their financial professionals. While most practitioners focus on delivering essential compliance services, they often miss the profound opportunity to create transformative value for their clients – value that clients would gladly pay premium rates to receive.

This eye-opening session reveals the crucial difference between what clients 'need' (which they often view as a commodity and resist paying more for) and what they truly want and value (which they willingly invest in). Through real-world examples and practical insights, discover how successful firms have transformed their client relationships from transactional to truly valuable, resulting in higher fees, more engaged clients, and a more rewarding practice.

Shane Lukas draws from 26 years of experience helping thousands of accountants unlock the hidden potential within their existing client base. He demonstrates that every business owner, regardless of size or sector, shares universal desires: to increase profits, reduce working hours, and build more valuable businesses. The key lies not in selling new services, but in understanding and addressing these fundamental aspirations.

The session reveals a proven methodology for identifying and delivering what clients genuinely value, without requiring extensive additional knowledge or expensive software. Learn how to have different kinds of conversations that naturally lead to clients seeking out and paying well for higher-value services.

Most importantly, discover how to create a genuine 'win-win' scenario where clients receive transformative value while accountants build more profitable, enjoyable practices. This approach moves beyond the traditional 'needed but not valued' compliance relationship to create partnerships that clients genuinely appreciate and willingly pay premium fees to maintain.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the crucial distinction between what clients need versus what they truly value, and how this affects their willingness to pay
• Learn specific conversation techniques that uncover clients' real desires and naturally lead to higher-value relationships
• Discover how to position your services so clients see them as investments rather than costs
• Master the art of creating win-win relationships that benefit both client and accountant
• Gain practical frameworks for transitioning existing relationships to more valuable partnerships
• Download a free booklet that complements the session and acts as an aid memoir.

Attendees will leave with immediately implementable strategies that transform client relationships from compliance-focused to value-driven, without requiring significant additional technical knowledge or expensive tools. This session is particularly valuable for practitioners who want to build more rewarding client relationships while significantly increasing practice profitability.