Holly Booker explains why real conversations and talking human-to-human really matter.
With the rise of ChatGPT, Claude AI and others, people are now asking AI for help and advice, instead of talking to a human being. AI can be excellent at providing advice and guidance on any topic. But I am always left feeling that something was lacking from my interaction. Do you feel the same?
No matter how engaging and understanding the voice behind the screen seems, at the back of my mind I can’t shake the knowledge that I’m taking to a computer. ChatGPT can ‘get to know’ me by asking me questions and searching the web for information about me. It can remember all of the conversations I’ve had with it and base what it says on all of that.
But what AI can’t provide is understanding, empathy, sympathy and wisdom. It doesn’t pick up on non-verbal cues or body language, and, most importantly, it doesn’t care about you. That feeling of being fully listened to and receiving empathy and understanding is something that AI just can’t replicate. Even if it uses the right sort of language, you can still tell there is no feeling behind it.
Real conversations have real benefits
I am reminded of a story from AVN member Paul Beech. When he was a partner in another firm, one of his clients asked him one day, ‘Do you care?’ Nobody from the firm had ever visited the client. They had never had a conversation with him to understand him and his business. This got Paul thinking and he was inspired to start visiting his clients and get to know them better. He was sure there was a better way of developing client relationships. In fact, he built a new firm around this belief, winning the AVN Client Committed Team Award in 2024.
AI can do a lot of things, but it doesn’t really care about you. I believe that’s what’s missing – and what we can provide for our clients.
Many accountants struggle with how to offer business growth services. This is often because they aren’t sure how to go about initiating that kind of discussion. By simply having an open conversation and getting to know clients better, you can really understand their unique challenges. You’ll discover why they do what they do, and what they are ultimately looking to achieve.
The first step is to have that conversation and show that you genuinely care. Developing client relationships in this way has so many benefits. More enjoyable, more profitable work for you and your team and better client retention, better referrals and much happier clients.
Unsure where to start? The Profit Improvement Accountant workshop gives you the skills, the frameworks, the cheatsheets and the confidence to get going with this. Find out more.