The accounting profession is changing. Firms that focus only on compliance services—such as bookkeeping and tax preparation—are quickly realizing that clients expect more. Business owners want insights, guidance, and a trusted advisor who can help them make better financial decisions. In a recent episode of Building the Premier Accounting Firm, host Roger Knecht sat down with Paul Shrimpling to explore how accountants can move from compliance to advisory work and truly “humanize the numbers.”
Introducing Guest Paul Shrimpling
Paul Shrimpling knows firsthand the challenges and opportunities of working with accountants. After building a £1M manufacturing business and navigating expansions, recessions, and even a business sale, he found that many accountants were focused on numbers but not on people.
“I worked with six accountants over the years, and only two of them really changed the success of my business and my personal wealth,” Paul explained. “They were curious, they cared, and they were committed to help.”
For the last two decades, Paul has dedicated his career to helping accountants bring humanity into their work. Through his firm, Remarkable Practice, and his book on strategic health, he challenges accountants to rethink their role—not just as number crunchers, but as trusted partners to their clients.
Why Humanizing the Numbers Matters
At the heart of Paul’s approach is a simple but powerful idea: numbers only matter when they connect to people. Too often, accountants deliver financial statements without context, leaving business owners struggling to interpret what the numbers mean for their goals, challenges, and future.
Paul shared: “Simply asking me a question is reassuring that I know you care as an accountant. And if I know you care, I’m going to trust you in a deeper way and be more willing to pay more, buy more, and recommend your services.”
Humanizing the numbers is about combining curiosity, care, and commitment. By asking meaningful questions and listening deeply, accountants can transform client relationships into partnerships built on trust and loyalty.
Compliance vs Advisory: Making the Shift
The conversation highlighted the critical difference between compliance services and advisory services. Compliance work—bookkeeping, accounting, and tax—focuses on recording history. Advisory work, on the other hand, looks to the future: forecasting, strategic decision-making, and scenario planning.
“Advisory means interpreting the numbers so business owners can make better decisions,” Paul explained. “It’s not just about the past. It’s about analyzing scenarios for the future of the business.”
This shift positions accountants as invaluable partners. Instead of simply providing reports, they help business owners understand cash flow, profitability, and opportunities for growth.
Building Trust and Client Loyalty
One of the most compelling insights from the episode was the role of trust in accounting relationships. Paul highlighted research showing that the number one reason business leaders leave their accountants is “perceived indifference.”
Clients don’t just want accurate numbers—they want responsiveness and engagement. Roger added: “I don’t feel that my accountant is engaged and I don’t feel that they’re responsive. Those are two things that will fundamentally drive them to say I need to consider another service.”
Charles Green’s Trust Equation reinforces this idea: trust equals credibility, reliability, and intimacy, divided by self-orientation. In other words, accountants must balance technical skill with human connection, ensuring the client always feels valued.
Value Pricing and Lifetime Client Value
Pricing was another key theme in the discussion. Many accountants underprice their services by focusing only on compliance work. Advisory services not only deliver more value but also justify higher fees.
Paul explained the risk of undervaluing services: “If you establish a client at $6,000 instead of $11,000, you’ll make only incremental increases going forward. The way you start with a new client ultimately impacts your margin more than any other moment in the history of that client.”
Viewing clients through the lens of lifetime value can change an accountant’s mindset. A $500/month client isn’t just worth $6,000 per year—they may represent $40,000 or more over several years. This perspective encourages firms to invest in deeper engagement and long-term relationships.
Strategic Health for Sustainable Growth
Paul’s book introduces the concept of “strategic health” as the foundation for sustainable success in accounting firms. It’s not just about financial targets; it’s about aligning team culture, client loyalty, and personal goals.
“Sustainable success is dependent absolutely on two groups of people: your clients and your team,” Paul explained. “When your team feels meaning behind what they’re doing, they deliver better for clients. And when clients feel cared for, they buy more, pay more, and recommend you.”
Using tools like Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), firms can create long-term strategies while taking quarterly steps toward growth. This approach keeps both teams and clients engaged, ensuring consistent progress.
Key Takeaways
This episode of Building the Premier Accounting Firm is a roadmap for accountants ready to move beyond compliance and embrace the advisory role. The key lessons include:
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Humanize the numbers by being curious, caring, and committed to help.
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Shift from compliance to advisory to deliver greater client value.
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Build trust and loyalty by being responsive and engaged.
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Adopt value pricing that reflects the lifetime value of clients.
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Focus on strategic health to align your team, clients, and business goals.
As Paul concluded, “Capture the landmark stories of how you and your team have made a difference to your clients. In that light, you can charge better, deliver better, and build a strategically healthy accounting business.”
For accountants looking to grow their firms, this episode is a must-listen. Subscribe to the podcast for more expert insights and explore resources from Universal Accounting Center to start humanizing the numbers in your practice.
Offers:
Get a copy of ‘Your Firm’s Future’ that we discussed today: https://www.remarkablepractice.com/product/your-firms-future/
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