Advisory-First Engagement for Accounting Firms

For years, compliance has been the foundation of the accountant-client relationship. Clients brought the records. Firms prepared the returns, completed the reports, closed the books, and helped keep everything accurate and compliant.

That work still matters. It always will. But today, clients are asking for something more. 

They’re facing tighter margins, faster decisions, changing regulations, and growing pressure to plan ahead. They don’t just want to know what happened last quarter. They want to understand what’s coming next, which risks to watch, and where they have room to grow. 

That’s why advisory is moving from the edge of firm strategy to its center. According to Wolters Kluwer’s Future Ready Accountant research, 93% of firms now offer advisory services, up from 83% one year earlier, and nearly two-thirds now consider advisory a key service. 

More and more firms are choosing to have an advisory-first engagement, changing the way they create value by turning everyday client work into more proactive, strategic conversations. 

What is advisory-first engagement?

Advisory-first engagement means advisory isn’t treated as a separate, occasional offering. It’s built into the rhythm of the client relationship. 

A compliance-first model often starts with a required deliverable, such as a return, a filing, a report, or a financial statement. An advisory-first model starts with a bigger question: What does this information tell us, and how can it help the client move forward? 

That shift changes the conversation. 

A tax-planning discussion can turn into a conversation about cash flow or growth. A monthly close can reveal performance trends. A financial report can open the door to scenario planning, benchmarking, or risk management. 

The result is a relationship that feels less transactional and more like a partnership.

Why advisory services are becoming the default

The move toward advisory isn’t happening because firms are chasing a trend. It’s happening because client expectations are changing. 

More than one-third of clients are actively asking their firms to provide strategic business advice. In response, 43% of firms have expanded their advisory offerings over the past three years, and nearly half plan to expand them in the next year. 

Firms see the opportunity too. High-growth firms are especially focused on advisory, with 66% identifying it as a top strategic priority. 

The bigger story is clear: advisory is where client needs and firm growth strategies meet.

How firms can make advisory services scalable
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Most firms already have the raw material for better advisory conversations. They see the numbers. They understand the business. They know when cash flow is tightening, when margins are shifting, or when a client may be approaching a decision point.

The challenge is turning those insights into a consistent client experience.

That starts with data. Nearly 90% of firms now use client data to identify advisory opportunities, underscoring the centrality of data to modern service delivery.

It also requires connected workflows. Cloud-integrated systems help firms move from data to insight to action, making it easier for teams to collaborate, document recommendations, and deliver advisory consistently across clients.

AI is adding another layer. Today, 29% of firms use AI to generate predictive insights based on client data, and another 37% plan to do so. AI can help surface patterns faster, support more timely outreach, and free professionals to focus on higher-value conversations.

But technology alone isn’t the answer. Firms also need repeatable service models. By standardizing advisory offerings, firms can package services more clearly, price with more confidence, train staff more effectively, and deliver a more consistent client experience.

The next chapter of firm growth
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The future of accounting won’t be defined by whether firms offer advisory. Most already do. 

It’ll be defined by how effectively they deliver it. 

Firms that lead with advisory are better positioned to identify opportunities earlier, strengthen client trust, and create more resilient revenue streams. They can move from reporting on the past to helping clients plan what comes next. 

That’s the promise of advisory-first engagement. 

To explore how firms can make advisory more central, scalable, and profitable, download Advisory-first engagement: From compliance to strategic partnership.

You’ll learn how to: 

• Expand advisory services without added complexity 
• Use data and AI to deliver proactive insights 
• Build advisory workflows that scale 
• Standardize and monetize your offerings 
  
  

Read the full eBook on advisory-first engagement.