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What was the challenge you were facing when you first engaged with True Nature?

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Our key driver was to build more rapport and develop better, more proactive conversations with clients. 'Sales' is not something that comes naturally to most accountants, so the starting point was to change internal perceptions. We wanted the team to understand that what we were asking them to do was to find additional ways of providing value to clients. Some team members also needed some help with the confidence element. Gaining that understanding that it’s okay to ask clients more questions around their business challenges and goals, even if that means not being able to provide the solution on the spot. ​

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We also wanted to promote a more personal client experience with video calls and face-to-face meetings taking precedence over email communications. So having a way to manage those interactions and get the most from them was a clear objective for us.

 

How did True Nature approach your project / what was the proposed solution?

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Face 2 face business development workshops in small groups. For these sessions we kept our 'pods' together meaning the teams went into each session with people they work closely with and were able to discuss real examples about shared clients. This meant the pods learned new things about each other and got to brainstorm some fresh challenges. Many of the group activities allowed the teams to see a new side of their colleagues and learn a little more about each other's strengths.  With everything though, they were encouraged to come to conclusions as a group. The focus was very much on providing value rather than 'selling'. And they learned that they didn't need to know every one of our services inside out in order to start a conversation about them. 

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How did your team find the structure of the sessions & content?

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Some were understandably apprehensive when the project was introduced. But coming off the sessions the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. One team member described it as 'the best training ever'. We have done similar things before, but it never resonated in this way. They all came away from it really enthused and keen to develop the learnings further to support their own client relationships.

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What impact have you seen (or do you expect to see) as a result of the project?

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Greater confidence in situations where they might have previously felt uncomfortable. They now have a better understanding of the value we can provide to clients, and how they can play a key role. Certain methodologies introduced (such as the future client state and the idea of shifting approach based on buyer personas) resonated hugely with the teams. Everything became easier as they came to the realisation that it’s really all about asking the right questions and seeing the answers as an opportunity to add further value. That idea of questioning their way to a new opportunity felt far more comfortable than 'pitching'. A key takeaway was how much more time they would have to focus on client satisfaction and building long-lasting productive relationships.

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What advice would you give to other firms looking to embark on similar projects?

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Think about what you provide to clients and put yourself in the clients’ shoes. If your services are just ‘transactional’, will these be the same in 5 years? What do businesses expect from their service provider? How can you build more value for the client and get the greatest engagement from the relationship?