What’s Your Advisory Score?
Have you ever rated yourself in the area of client advisory? And I don’t mean the service itself and how you deliver it. I’m referring to how you show up for prospects and clients in advisory meetings and introduction calls — during any client-touch interaction, really.
For example, do you address the client’s challenges with empathy? Do you align value propositions with client needs as they come up? Do you address clients’ social cues (when it appears that they’re just not getting it or are lost)? All of this matters as a leader in the advisory space.
No one is perfect, and that means we all have room for improvement. This includes improving how you come across in meetings, calls and other forms of communication. You can’t know what areas require improvement if you don’t have the data — if you haven’t scored yourself on advisory performance.
Avoidance is often linked to fear. Accounting professionals don’t like to score themselves or be scored by others. No one wants it revealed that they’re doing a bad job. But here’s the thing: most often, you only think you’re doing a bad job when, in fact, areas in need of improvement are small.
Success as an advisory leader requires course-correcting. If you never score yourself, you can’t logically make refinements, because how do you know what to refine?
It’s time to score!
Just take the leap and get that first score. It offers a metric on which you can base your improvement plan.
AI is a great partner for this! Not only can it score you on key performance indicators, but it can also provide actionable insights. Just take a look at an actual score report I got from my AI partner. It graded me on eight key factors, pulled out specific language to support the score, and provided a summary.
JODY’S SCORE CARD
To measure my impact as an advisor, I used this eight-category scorecard, distilled from a recent client advisory call. AI offered a high-level scorecard first and then followed up with helpful, detailed analysis.
1. Expertise and Credibility: Looks at whether I shared relevant, firsthand experience that establishes my authority. Top scores come from offering real-world stories and insights that show deep industry knowledge.
Specific language: “I’ve spent three years building tax software from scratch.”
“We raised $40 million and just scratched the surface.”
Why it works: These statements establish deep, firsthand knowledge, making advice credible and grounded in real experience.
2. Constructive Honesty: Were you direct about challenges without discouraging your client? High marks require candid feedback that is realistic but not demotivating.
Specific language: “It’s good that you don’t know what it will take because if you did, you might not even start.” “The tech isn’t the hard part; it’s the people and the change management.”
Why it works: Jody is candid about challenges, offering truth without discouragement.
3. Empathy and Relatability: Did you connect by relating to the client’s struggles and context? Did you use personal anecdotes and demonstrate you understand the client’s unique challenges?
Specific language: “In the old days, clients mailed everything in an envelope; now it’s chaos with portals and emails.” “When we deployed at a popular payroll services tech vendor, they could afford for 100 users to fall out; CPAs can’t tolerate losing one client.”
Why it works: These statements show understanding of the client’s world, making advice more relatable.
4. Challenge and Insight: Did you push your client to think differently or consider overlooked factors? The best advisors highlight blind spots and inspire critical thinking.
Specific language: “Your competition isn’t just other startups; it’s the accountants using ChatGPT to build their own tools.” “You need an innovation lab embedded in a firm to iterate fast enough for real-world needs.”
Why it works: Jody challenges assumptions and pushes for deeper strategic thinking.
5. Practical Action Steps: Did you provide clear, actionable next steps? Advice should be specific and feasible, though some ambitious ideas may be harder for clients to implement right away.
Specific language: “Focus on niches like sales tax, where demand is high but competition isn’t as entrenched.” “Consider embedding an innovation lab inside your operations to test and iterate faster.”
Why it works: You offer actionable, targeted advice, even if some steps are ambitious for a startup.
6. Balanced Tone: Did you balance encouragement with realism? Strive for a tone that is both supportive and honest about the effort required.
Specific language: “I don’t want to discourage you, but it’s a big lift.” “It’s exciting that there’s so much focus on the accounting space.”
Why it works: Jody balances realism with encouragement, keeping the tone supportive and honest.
7. Engagement and Interest: Did you ask thoughtful questions and show curiosity about their situation? Keep the conversation dynamic and focused on their needs.
Specific language: “Are you funded? Are you just starting to build it?” “Are you going to file returns or just do everything but file?”
Why it works: Thoughtful, specific questions show genuine curiosity and keep the conversation dynamic.
8. Coaching Impact: Did your feedback leave a lasting impression and provide a roadmap? Aim for advice that sticks and shapes their future approach.
Specific language: “I sell change management to accounting professionals, and software providers pay me to do it.” “If I were to build something today, I’d have a hard time figuring out where to focus. It’s a big problem.”
Why it works: Your feedback provides a roadmap and lasting impression, helping clients see the bigger picture.
Actionable insights: The most impactful advisory conversations blend technical know-how, empathy, honest challenge and actionable advice. Use this scorecard after each client meeting to reflect, improve and deliver even greater value as a trusted advisor.
Score big!
Scoring yourself as an advisor isn’t about perfection — it’s about awareness. When you take time to reflect on how you show up in conversations, meetings and client interactions, you begin to see the patterns that shape your impact.
A scorecard offers more than a number; it gives you language, clarity and direction. It shows where you lead with empathy, where you challenge with care and where your advice creates lasting value.
It’s time you scored big! Let your score mark the start of your next advisory leadership transformation.