Most firms market client advisory services (CAS) by listing their services through dashboards, reconciliations, and KPIs. But clients are not looking for more reports; they want outcomes with clarity, growth, and peace of mind.
As Alex Hormozi puts it, we often sell the plane ticket, but what clients really want is the vacation. The key to marketing CAS is shifting the conversation from what you deliver to what it enables.
Most business owners do not search for “client advisory services.” They seek solutions to cash flow issues, profit challenges, or growth obstacles. When CAS is presented as another service line, it often falls flat.
The challenge is even greater with existing compliance clients. They expect a specific relationship and may not see why CAS differs. That is why firms need simple, intentional steps that reframe the advisory value.
Here are five practical ways to communicate and sell advisory services without sounding like you are pushing an upsell.
Strategy 1: Create “teasers”
A powerful way to spark interest is to show clients something they have not seen before.
I call these “teasers.” A team member pulls a quick insight from a client’s accounting file, such as a trend in cash flow or a comparison to an industry benchmark, and shares it in a tax planning meeting.
It is not a full engagement. It is a sample, sort of like a Costco sample taste test. The teaser shows how advisory could help without asking for a commitment.
Strategy 2: Offer a free 30-minute financial review
Some firms charge for every engagement from the first minute. I take a different approach: I offer a complimentary 30-minute review.
The review builds trust, filters out poor-fit clients, and creates space to demonstrate value. I am not trying to fix everything in half an hour. Instead, I look for quick signs of business health, and whether the books are reliable, cash flow is stable, and advisory services could help them move forward.
That simple review often leads to a deeper conversation. The client leaves with insights, and I leave knowing whether we are a good fit.
Strategy 3: Use discovery calls to uncover goals
CAS is not about presenting financial data. It is about listening to your clients' wants and connecting your services to their goals.
In discovery calls, I avoid giving advice. Instead, I ask:
- What is the ultimate goal of your business?
- What is holding you back financially?
- Why is now the right time to address it?
Then I confirm what I heard. This helps clients clarify their thinking and shows that I understand their priorities. At that point, CAS naturally bridges where they are and where they want to go.
Strategy 4: Network and partner strategically
Many of the best CAS clients will not come from your existing compliance base. They come through relationships.
Fractional professionals—CFOs, CMOs, EOS implementers, and others—often see where business owners are stuck and can send referrals. Business groups such as EO and Vistage are also valuable because members are growth-minded and eager for insights that move their businesses forward.
These relationships take time to build, but once you deliver results for one client, referrals often follow.
Strategy 5: Stay visible through content marketing
Networking opens doors, but content keeps you top of mind. For most firm leaders, LinkedIn is the most effective platform.
Start by engaging with other professionals’ posts. Share practical tips, client stories (with permission), or lessons from your own work. Over time, layer in original posts about trends, questions you hear from clients, and insights from presentations.
Focus on personal branding rather than firm branding. People connect with people. A consistent presence ensures that when someone in your network needs CAS, you are the first person they think of.
The takeaway: Sell results, not services
Marketing CAS is not about adding another service line. It is about showing value before the sale, reframing conversations around outcomes, and building trust step by step.
- Use teasers to spark curiosity.
- Offer a free review to build trust.
- Run discovery calls that uncover goals.
- Build networks that generate CAS-ready referrals.
- Stay visible through content marketing.
Firms that market this way stop selling reports and start selling results. Or in Hormozi’s words, they stop selling the plane ticket and start selling the vacation. That is what clients are really buying when they say yes to CAS.
