When you introduce a new tool into your firm, especially one like Navi that analyzes conversations and provides performance feedback, the conversation around it matters just as much as the tool itself.
Maybe you can already see how Navi could elevate your firm’s advisory conversations, strengthen communication and create more intentional client experiences. But you’re not quite sure how to articulate that vision in a way that brings others along. Or maybe, you’ve tried to introduce the idea and were met with polite nods, cautious questions or outright skepticism.
When professionals hear that their calls can be uploaded, analyzed and scored, the questions come fast:
Is this grading me?
Is this leadership monitoring performance?
Is this about cutting staff?
Is this one more thing on my plate?
Is this replacing experience with algorithms?
And if those questions aren’t addressed directly and proactively, the narrative will write itself.
Yes, it’s important to explain how Navi works. But more importantly, it’s critical to explain how it will exist inside your firm and what it represents for your future.
Navi has the potential to shift how your firm thinks about advisory performance, but it’s up to you to set the tone.
Name the Concern Before It Spirals
If you introduce Navi as “call scoring” or “AI evaluation,” you risk creating defensiveness before anyone even logs in.
Instead, start with transparency and empathy (like any good advisor would!).
Acknowledge that reviewing conversations can feel vulnerable and feedback can feel personal. Acknowledge that this is new territory for many professionals who built their careers in an environment where technical accuracy was the primary measure of success.
Make it clear that Navi is not surveillance or about replacing judgment. It’s not about catching mistakes or ranking employees against one another.
It might feel weird to bring up everyone’s worst fears, but naming these very reasonable human emotions and talking through them can help bring everyone to the same page.
Navi is about strengthening how your professionals communicate expertise, drive action and create impact for clients.
Reframe Navi as a Coaching Tool
Navi analyzes conversations across clarity, authenticity, engagement, action, impact and growth. It’s a way to surface patterns that are otherwise invisible in day-to-day client work.
For decades, accounting firms have invested heavily in technical training, but very few firms invest in coaching professionals on how to deliver that expertise in a way that resonates with clients.
Navi fills that gap. It doesn’t replace experience; it makes professionals more aware of how they communicate by providing structured feedback that helps them refine how they show up in advisory conversations.
If you talk about Navi as a coaching platform instead of a scoring system, people start imagining how the tool can help them further their careers.
Treat Advisory Like a Real Skill
Many firms want to be advisory-focused but still treat advisory as a natural instinct some professionals have and others lack.
The modern CPA firm is not defined solely by technical expertise. It’s defined by how effectively professionals communicate that expertise, guide decisions and create value for clients.
We assume that strong technical professionals will naturally become strong advisors, and if they don’t, we assign them different tasks and leave the talking to other people.
Advisory requires the ability to translate complex tax or financial strategy into business relevance in a way that the average listener actually understands.
That’s a skill! Anyone can get better at it over time, especially when provided with personalized and structured feedback.
If advisory is truly the future of the profession (and it has been for years, by the way), then we need to treat it with the same mindset we apply to technical standards. Navi simply provides the feedback loop that has been missing.
Emphasize Growth Over Scores
Yes, Navi produces scores and that can make people uncomfortable. But growth is the goal, not the grade.
The real value in Navi lies in the insight behind the metrics.
Did the advisor clearly connect technical recommendations to business outcomes?
Did the meeting conclude with defined action steps?
Did the client leave with clarity, or just information?
Too many firms rely on gut instinct when evaluating advisory performance. “I think that meeting went well,” is not a strategy for improvement.
Navi shifts the conversation from vague feedback to specific opportunities for development. When professionals see patterns across multiple conversations, improvement becomes measurement rather than anecdotal.
Start With Leaders and Early Adopters
Don’t make your employees use something that you don’t want to use yourself.
Upload your own conversations and share what you learned. Be willing to acknowledge blind spots.
From there, invite the most intrigued members of your team to give it a try. Don’t require everyone to sign up on the first day. Let people follow their curiosity and choose to participate.
When professionals see colleagues using Navi as a tool for growth rather than fearing it as a monitoring mechanism, adoption becomes organic.
Share Real Wins
Keep the conversation going after the initial rollout meeting. Don’t introduce Navi and assume the culture will magically shift.
Engage with your colleagues about their experiences using Navi. Ask what surprised them, what felt validating, what felt challenging…and let them be honest with you.
Celebrate any positive experiences they mention and share them with the rest of your teams. When professionals hear how Navi helped a colleague become clearer, more confident or more effective in client conversations, the tool stops feeling theoretical and starts feeling practical.
Over time, those shared wins begin to reshape the way the firm talks about advisory. Conversations shift from “How did that meeting feel?” to “What did we learn from that meeting?” The language becomes more intentional, sparking intentional reflection and visible improvement.
That’s how culture changes and ultimately leads to better experiences for your firm and your clients.
