Accounting has expanded far beyond simple number-crunching as many firms now find themselves at the forefront of finance and technology. Recently, Bethanie Hawkins, a Digital Transformation Consultant at Menzies, and Ryan Pearcy, Associate Partner at SB Digital, shared their insights during a webinar on optimizing tech advisory services.
Here, we distill their advice on structuring, marketing, and executing these services effectively.
Why Tech Advisory?
Accounting has become increasingly tech-oriented. What might have started with sporadic tech queries and the odd software recommendation has now expanded as clients expect more than ever.
As Bethanie Hawkins notes, “A tech advisor should look for opportunities to do better within a business, making processes smoother and more efficient by implementing the right technology.”
This approach transcends basic app implementations, requiring deep consultation to align your tech solutions with client goals.
The Shift from Reactive to Proactive
More firms than ever are now providing comprehensive, proactive tech advisory solutions. Ryan Pearcy adds, “If you’re only acting reactively, you’re creating risk. Proactive advisory ensures clients use the right tech from the start, avoiding costly mistakes.”
This shift in mindset from reactive to proactive sees accounting firms playing a bigger role as strategic partners rather than mere service providers.
Key Takeaways for Effective Tech Advisory Implementation
Tech advisory is a huge opportunity for firms, but getting started is the hard part. Here, Bethanie and Ryan highlight 3 critical steps to keep in mind when implementing a new tech advisory service line at your firm.
1. Build Internal Awareness: What is Tech Advisory and Why You Should Care
Launching a tech advisory service begins from within, which means educating the stakeholders at your firm first. Bethanie shared how she started her Digital Transformation role at Menzies by conducting a “roadshow” to teach colleagues about the ins and outs of tech advisory.
Her internal marketing efforts taught teammates the “red flags to look out for in clients’ systems” and sparked conversations about how to meet their tech needs. Ryan echoed this, stressing the importance of positioning tech specialists as essential partners in the firm: “Convince them why they shouldn’t do it themselves—just as they would rely on tax experts.”
Tip: Develop a recurring education program to keep your colleagues informed. Quarterly updates, as Ryan suggests, can help align internal knowledge with the latest industry changes.
2. Structure Your Services and Boost Your Offerings
Defined service tiers with clear pricing provides transparency for clients. This is particularly important if tech advisory is new to your clients because it removes the guesswork and can even preemptively address their budget concerns by giving them a general ballpark of what to expect.
Both speakers emphasized how fixed pricing models help manage client expectations and maintain trust. Bethanie’s approach includes breaking projects into manageable, fixed-fee stages that leave the door open for additional services if needed: “If you want to add your pay run process, for example, that’s another £500.”
Ryan highlighted that his firm offers a similar structured approach while pairing it with a free discovery consultation. But he cautioned against giving away too much in the initial meeting: “Offer just enough to showcase your expertise without enabling the client to implement the advice themselves.”
In other words, leave them wanting more.
Pro Tip: Consider offering modular services that clients can build upon. This flexibility can attract both smaller businesses and larger enterprises because they can pick and choose the services they need while keeping the door open to potential upsells further down the road.
3. Be Engaging: Use Visuals to Bring Reports to Life
A pivotal aspect of tech advisory lies in delivering clear, actionable insights. Ryan detailed his use of video-guided reports to enhance client understanding: “We create a cost-of-operations analysis, compare it to a new, optimized process, and calculate potential savings.”
This level of detail not only reinforces the value of the service but also aids clients in decision-making while bringing the data to life in a way that a written report can’t.
Bethanie further underscored the importance of mapping processes: “Even standalone process mapping has become an invaluable service for clients, especially when it’s aligned with their broader tech strategy.”
Mapping it out visually is also an effective way to get stakeholders on the same page by providing a birds-eye view of workflows from start to finish while highlighting all the interdependencies, potential bottlenecks, and inefficiencies. This can also lay the groundwork for a solid SOP, which you could offer as another service or as part of a larger standardization package.
Insight: Video presentations can engage clients more effectively than dense PDFs, turning complex reports into digestible information.
The Long Game: Building Trust and Ongoing Support
Beyond the initial projects, sustaining a tech advisory service requires ongoing support and client engagement. While both Ryan and Bethanie admitted their support models remain largely reactive due to the bespoke nature of their services, they agreed that “hyper support” during the first few months post-implementation is vital.
Since this is when everything is newest to the client, it’s typically the most resource-heavy phase because that’s when clients need the most support. Many firms will appoint a support lead during this time so clients have a familiar face, which has the added benefits of deepening the client relationship and building trust and rapport.
Ryan also reflected on the need for built-in, non-chargeable research time: “The tech sector changes fast. If you don’t build time for learning into your model, you’ll never meet your team’s chargeable targets.”
In other words, staying up-to-date and constantly learning is key to ensuring your tech advisory arm stays strong and profitable while delivering continuous value to clients.
Key Strategy: Maintain a culture of continual learning to deepen client relationships and secure long-term support engagements.
Where to Start: Laying the Foundation for Success
Starting or enhancing a tech advisory service line can be daunting, but the steps outlined by Bethanie and Ryan offer a roadmap:
- Internal Education: Start by educating your team on what tech advisory is and isn’t.
- Structured Services: Design tiered, fixed-price offerings with preliminary consultations to showcase expertise.
- Client Engagement: Use visuals and video to bring the data to life and enhance client understanding.
- Ongoing Support: Be there for clients when they need you and never stop learning to stay ahead of the trends and latest tech.
As Ryan aptly put it, “Iterative processes and continuous refinement are essential. Don’t fear getting it wrong initially—use those lessons to improve.”
Tech advisory is more than just an add-on service; it’s an essential component that can set your accounting firm apart. By proactively offering tech solutions and fostering a culture of continuous learning, you can forge lasting client relationships while elevating your practice and profitability at the same time.
