Chances are that the vast majority of the people in your firm want to do a good job, whatever their role – accounts, bookkeeping, audit, tax or payroll. 

They get out of bed every morning to do good work. 

But to be successful as an accountancy firm, it's more than just the accountancy services that matter. As valuable as these are, what also matters is the care with which the work is done and the care with which a firm looks after and serves clients. 

In this podcast discussion with Dan Crowther from Thorne Widgery, Dan makes an impassioned plea for the privilege that is doing accounts – which is worth listening to in its own right – and he also unpacks a handful of things that we should take seriously if we want a firm that's fit for the future. 

Dan also runs a technology business, so he's got an eye on the future of technology as well as an eye on what's right for a firm’s team and, if he had a third eye, it would be on a future that's right for a firm’s clients too. 

I heartily recommend you check out this Humanise the Numbers podcast at humanisethenumbers.online, or go to your favourite podcast platform and look out for the podcast with Dan Crowther. 

Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Dan and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

It's a unique experience to have someone who is in the digital space in a deep way coming on the podcast to talk about humanising the numbers. Getting Dan Cockerton onto the Humanise the Numbers podcast has been an ambition of mine for the last 12 months or so – and we've finally managed to make it work. And it was a bit of a relief that, when challenged about digital first versus human first, Dan chose human first. 

On the podcast, he unpacks and shares his insights of working with the profession, with individual firms, and with his own experience of starting up a new event space, one which had 600 people at the first event and has just had more than 5,000 attendees at the fifth. It shows you what's possible when you put your mind to it. 

If you want to get deep and meaningful and personal, Dan shares something very personal within this podcast, something that shows how important goal setting is to the success of an individual and to the success of a business. 

I really appreciated Dan being so open and candid about this because it was as human as it gets. So please go to humanisethenumbers.online or to your favourite podcast platform and check out the Dan Cockerton edition of Humanise the Numbers. 

Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Dan and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

It was exciting to welcome Roger Knecht, the president of Universal Accounting, onto the Humanise the Numbers podcast. And I wasn't expecting to have what essentially turned into a 45-minutes sales training session with Roger. 

That ultimately is where the value in this podcast actually lies. Roger is so open, so structured, in running through how to construct a sales meeting, a client meeting, with the paymaster general of your firm, your clients – and with your prospects. 

Roger has a way of cutting through to a really simple structure, unpacking the motivators that he's discovered from working with firms all over the USA, as he is from across the pond. 

I hope you can join us on this interesting conversation with Roger, because of the practical, valuable and powerful insights on how to run better client meetings. You’ll also gain a more global perspective of the profession, one that is just as relevant to your firm, whether you're in Stoke-on-Trent or Halifax or Canterbury – it matters not. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Simply go to HumaniseTheNumbers.online or go to your favourite podcast platform, seek out Humanise the Numbers and check out this podcast with Roger Knecht. 

Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Roger and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

When you come across an accountant who happens to have 900 clients – business clients – and who has a page on his website called The Human Accountant, you can understand why we at the Humanise the Numbers podcast would be interested in having a bit of a chat.

It was our great pleasure and privilege to welcome Stephen Paul on this podcast discussion, where we unpacked what really matters to Stephen – running the sort of firm that enables him to live the life that he wants and to earn the living that he wants to earn and to create a business that he can feel proud of. 

On this podcast, we dive into the technology that they brilliantly use as a team – because how else can you look after 900 clients with just 16 team members? That’s the technology piece, but there's also the purpose piece. Why is he in business? Why is purpose important to his clients and his team?  We also spend a bit – but an important bit – of time on the core values of the business and whether those values have teeth or not. 

We encourage you to have a listen to this podcast with Stephen Paul, of the accountancy firm Valued. We’re sure you’ll find it useful.

You'll find it on your favourite podcast platforms, including iTunes and Spotify. You can also find it at humanisethenumbers.online. 

Please scroll down this podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Stephen and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

It's such a privilege when you get the chance to speak to a couple of business leaders who founded a firm with nothing just a few years ago – in fact, set the business up during lockdown – and then have grown rapidly since then. 

Last year, the business grew by 60%, and the year before by 25%. This year, they’re looking to grow in excess of 25-30% again, possibly more. 

It was a terrific opportunity to spend some time with Vicky and Russ from Byrd & Link – an audit specialist, as it happens – to discover the insights, the lessons, the strategies, that they've been applying to their business to fully engage with their team and, at the same time, build an offer that's meaningful and valuable to their client base, which include accountants, not just business leaders in need of an audit. 

I hope you find real value and insight looking at an audit specialist and seeing how their lessons can be applied to your own firm. I hope you enjoy this podcast as much as I did. 

You can find it at HumaniseTheNumbers.online, or go to your favourite podcast platform, check out Humanise the Numbers and look up Vicky and Russ from Byrd & Link. I look forward to seeing you there. 

Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Vicky and Russ and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

When you're fortunate enough to spend an hour or so in a deep discussion with two members of the leadership team of a 600-person firm, a team that have profoundly and consistently improved their firm's performance over the years, it's definitely something worth taking seriously. 

And that's the case with this podcast discussion with Richard Spofforth and Jenn Williamson from Kreston Reeves. As you would expect, we unpacked deep and powerful insights in and around technology, but also deep insights around customer and client care and how you make that come alive so that you deliver higher value to your clients. 

But perhaps more importantly, we also discussed the seriousness with which Kreston Reeves considers what matters to their team. One example is the quarterly review with each team member. 

Irrespective of the size and age of your firm, there's something to be valued in this discussion with Jenn and Richard. 

So I hope you take the time to go to your favourite podcast platform, including iTunes, Spotify and others, or go to humanisethenumbers.online and join myself, Jenn and Richard in what I thought was a profoundly valuable conversation.

Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Jenn and Richard and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

It's a rare privilege to sit down with the leader of a top 20, global firm and chew the fat about the way the industry, the profession, is changing. 

So it's worthwhile listening to this discussion with Rhys Madoc, CEO of UHY International, and hear his views and insights – from across the globe – that are relevant to your firm, in your locality, as much as they are to the global profession. 

We talk about selling, about how we have to get closer to understanding what's going on in our client's journey, their broader experience – other than just the services of audit or tax or accountancy or any other technical service you happen to be providing – and how that insight delivers the trusted advisor relationship that maintains client loyalty and builds their experience in such a way that they want to recommend you more, want to buy more services from you and are willing to pay higher fees. 

So why not check out this podcast discussion with Rhys Madoc of UHY International? You can find it at HumaniseTheNumbers.online or go to your favourite podcast platform, look up Humanise The Numbers and check out the insights from Rhys Madoc. I look forward to seeing you there. 

Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Rhys and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

It's just brilliant to have a chance to speak to an accountant who has worked in practice – right at the centre of adopting technology – who then moves on to being a provider to the accountancy profession. But rather than being a provider of software services, Billie Mcloughlin is part of the 20:20 Innovation team. 

She’s working with a large number of leaders and managers across many firms and uncovering how they're adapting to the changes that are hitting the profession. 

It’s great to have an opportunity to tap into Billie's insights around the fact that it's a growing firm that creates opportunities for your key people – and that's a challenge. The technology, AI in particular, is coming at us like a train, and that is a challenge too. 

And then there is the challenge of demonstrating value to clients, because it's not just about 'Ooh, we saved you some tax' – it's about much more than that. 

I hope you enjoy and find value in this conversation with Billie. You can go to HumaniseTheNumbers.online or, if you prefer, go to your favourite podcast platform and look up the Humanise the Numbers podcast and Billie Mcloughlin. 

Please scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Billie and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

In business, one thing that's absolutely certain is that a client’s perception of your firm is connected to their expectation of what you'll deliver to them, for them, with them. 

In this podcast discussion with the two Richards, Richard Brewin and Richard Bertin, of All In Place, you'll be exposed to some really powerful insights.  Yes, in accountancy, you have to deliver compliance services, and most, if not all, of your clients, expect you to do that.  But not all of your clients expect you to talk about their business lives in the round, and certainly many of your clients don't expect you to have a conversation about their personal lives. 

And yet, if you're going to be a deep and meaningful trusted advisor, then you are going to have those business life and personal life conversations. And what the two Richards do brilliantly in this podcast discussion is unpack what you need to consider in a real, practical way, so that the perception of your clients of your firm – of you and your team – is at a much higher level, taking you away from being simply a transactional accountant providing services that could be delivered purely by technology at some point in the very near future. 

So why not dive into this podcast discussion with the two Richards and unpack how you can improve the expectations your clients have of your firm, as well as how you can influence the way you communicate with your clients so that you deliver higher value. I'm sure you'll find it powerful. 

Click here to access this podcast and scroll down the podcast’s episode page for the contact information for Richard and Richard and for the additional, downloadable resources mentioned in the podcast.

Dive into this fascinating episode where we explore how listening serves as a cornerstone in transforming client relationships within the accounting field. Our discussion highlights the extensive barriers created by ego and preconceived notions that prevent accountants from truly connecting with their clients. We introduce the concept of 'holding space,' a practice that necessitates genuine attention and empathy during client interactions, allowing for deeper insights beyond mere numbers.

Throughout the episode, we consider the unique strengths of introverts and how they may apply them effectively in advising clients. The narrative encourages a shift in perspective, asking listeners to understand the emotional and human elements intertwined with financial discussions. This conversation is a compelling reminder that humanising the numbers is about fostering valuable relationships built on trust and effective communication.

As we reflect on these themes, we provide practical advice for accountants to cultivate their listening skills and embrace the art of questioning, leading to more productive and empowering client dialogues. By keeping empathy at the forefront of client interactions, accountants can elevate their advisory roles and ultimately enhance the value they provide to clients.

Join us in this eye-opening episode, and let’s humanise the numbers together! Don't forget to subscribe and share your feedback with us. What has been your most significant learning in building client relationships?