Advisory Work Is Emotional Work
The framework that helps CPAs communicate with more clarity, trust, and impact.
What makes an advisory conversation actually powerful? It’s mostly about how it makes your client feel. You want your clients to leave calls feeling supported and ready to act.
That doesn’t come from perfectly delivered facts. It comes from the quality of the conversation itself — how clearly you communicate, how much trust you build, how engaged your client feels and whether they walk away knowing what to do next.
Advisory work is emotional work! It’s a different mindset that takes time and effort to develop in yourself.
We created Navi to help accountants communicate better. It’s a non-judgmental, data-driven tool designed to help CPAs share their expertise in ways clients can actually understand and engage with. It helps you become a better professional by giving you specific examples of how you show up in conversations and personalized advice for how to improve.
But how do you measure something as intangible as connection? That’s what I wanted to find out!
We brought in communication experts and psychologists to help us define what a “good” advisory conversation really looks like. What came out of that process were five core dimensions that show up when a conversation really lands: clarity, authenticity, engagement, action and impact.
These dimensions make up Navi’s grading system, but they’re more like a compass or a framework. They show us what a meaningful conversation looks like in a profession that’s evolving fast.
You don’t have to master all five at once, but the more intentional you become about weaving them in, the more transformative your conversations will be.
When you show up with clarity, speak with authenticity, keep your client engaged, name the right actions and create real impact, something shifts. The client leaves the call not only understanding what’s next, but feeling supported enough to move forward
Clarity
Clarity is the foundation of a great conversation. It means that your message lands in a way your client can actually absorb. If a conversation isn’t clear and easy to understand, did it even actually happen?
When your conversation has clarity, you’ve stated its purpose clearly, organized your thoughts in a way that’s easy for others to follow, and used plain language instead of accounting jargon or corporate filler.
When clarity is strong, your client can repeat back what they heard without missing the point. Without clarity, even the most well-intentioned advice can get muddled or lost entirely.
Authenticity
Authenticity is what builds trust. It shows up in your tone, your presence and your willingness to speak like a real person. That might mean admitting when you don’t know something, sharing a relevant personal experience or simply letting your natural communication style come through.
Clients don’t need the perfect accountant; they need an advisor who’s honest, grounded and real.
In a profession that often prizes polish and precision, authenticity reminds us that connection comes first. When clients feel like they’re talking to a person, not a performance, they’re more likely to open up, stay engaged and trust your guidance.
Engagement
Engagement keeps the conversation alive. It’s the difference between performing a monologue and creating a dialogue.
A highly engaging conversation feels like playing ping pong. You’re not just delivering information, you’re inviting the client into the process. That might mean using a relatable example to explain something complex, asking questions or adjusting your tone and pace based on how they’re responding in real-time.
Good engagement requires presence. It’s about noticing when the person you’re talking to is confused, curious, or stressed out, then responding accordingly.
Action
Action is where insight turns into movement. A powerful advisory defines what happens next. That means leaving the call with clear, specific next steps that feel doable and time bound. It means confirming that your client understands what they need to do, has the resources to do it and knows when it’s happening.
Without clear action, even the most inspiring conversation can lose momentum. When action is built in, clients are far more likely to follow through.
Impact
Impact is what stays with the client after the call ends. It’s the lingering feeling, the phrase they remember, the shift in confidence or understanding that shapes what they do next. This is the emotional residue of a great conversation that moves beyond logic into actual meaning.
When you hit impact, your client doesn’t just understand the strategy. They believe in it. They feel supported by you and more capable of moving forward.