In What Women Want, Mel Gibson’s character suddenly gains the ability to hear what women are really thinking. In other words not what they say, but what’s unsaid, the thoughts behind the words. The emotions behind the decisions.
At first, it overwhelms him. But over time, he learns:
It’s not about offering more. It’s about understanding better.
And that’s the core lesson for accountants, bankers, and wealth advisors today. 80% of clients leave their advisor do so not because of price or performance, but because of a perceived lack of communication or relationship.
Your business owner clients may not always articulate exactly what they need. They’ll ask you to ‘do my taxes’ but what they really want is, Advice. Context. Confidence. They want to be heard, guided, and supported by someone who doesn’t just respond to their requests, but anticipates their needs.
Today’s most valuable advisors aren’t the ones doing more, they’re the ones hearing more. They meet business owners where they are and guide them to where they want to go.
I can speak to this first hand as a former public accountant turned business owner.
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What Clients Say They Want
On the surface, the requests are tactical and specific:
- “I need help reducing taxes.”
- “Can you help me get financing for new equipment?”
These are legitimate asks, but they’re usually symptoms of something deeper.
Clients often approach their accountant or banker with a short-term need, but underneath it is a more strategic or emotional driver: uncertainty about the future, tension with partners, fear of making the wrong move, or anxiety about growth.
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What Clients Really Want
What clients really want is harder to articulate because it lives below the surface.
They want:
- Clarity on how their business is really doing.
- Confidence that they’re making smart, well-timed moves.
- Visibility into the future, not just a snapshot of the past.
- A thinking partner who helps them feel less alone in high-stakes decisions.
According to a 2023 survey by Intuit, 86% of small business owners said they want their accountant to be a strategic advisor, not just a compliance provider. Yet only 26% feel they're getting that today.
The gap isn’t about skill, but rather it’s about approach.
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What Modern Advisors Do Differently
Modern advisors don’t wait for the client to ask. They translate financial data into actionable direction. And they meet business owners in the middle, between personal emotion and business logic.
These advisors:
✅ Talk about margins and revenue trends before the client asks.
✅ Surface insights not just from financials, but from patterns.
✅ Ask questions that go beyond numbers: “What’s your succession plan and timeline?”
✅ Use tools like inter-Val to bring recurring visibility into business performance — helping owners see what’s happening in time to do something about it.
That’s the power of platforms like interVal: they make it easy for advisors to move from reactive to proactive, turning raw financials into meaningful conversations. A systemized way to deliver what clients actually value. interVal acts like a GPS for business performance: it tells you where you are, where you’re heading, and how to course-correct.
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How to Put This Into Practice
Whether you’re an accountant, banker, or advisor, here’s how to better hear what your clients really want:
- Create recurring touch points — not just tax season or when they reach out.
- Standardize your insights delivery — use tools like interVal to turn data into consistent, client-friendly updates.
- Ask better questions — “What’s keeping you up at night?” will unlock more than “Do you want to discuss your financials?”
- Step into their shoes — consider how the financials feel, not just what they say.
- Be a translator, not just a technician — clients don’t want the P&L; they want to know what the P&L means.
In the movie, Mel Gibson’s character learns that listening is what builds trust, connection, and influence.
The same is true in advisory. It’s not just about hearing your clients, it’s about understanding what they mean, even when they don’t say it out loud.
And if you can deliver that? You won’t just be their accountant, banker or wealth advisor.
You’ll be their most trusted advisor.
Author: Dave Bunce, CPA, CA