7 strategies for scaling personal service in your firm

When busy season is in full swing, it’s tempting to put your head down and grind through the work. But here’s the truth: Keeping your nose to the grindstone isn’t enough anymore. The firms that thrive aren’t just technically excellent; they’re intentional about nurturing relationships inside and outside their walls.

In an era where AI can draft emails and automate workflows, your competitive advantage lies in knowing when to leverage technology and when to lead with human connection.

The partnership mindset

The future of our profession lies in forming genuine partnerships across every relationship we maintain. Between tax professionals and bookkeepers. Between firm owners and their staff. Between all of us and the small business owners we serve. This isn’t about transactional service delivery. It’s about creating an ecosystem where everyone succeeds.

When you view your clients as partners, you anticipate their needs and communicate proactively. The same principle applies internally; your team members are partners in delivering exceptional service. And those referral relationships with other professionals? They’re partnerships built on mutual trust and shared success.

When you assume …

I’ve observed that we often assume the busiest and most successful people in our networks are already well taken care of. We figure their calendar is packed with important meetings.

So, we don’t send the email. We don’t extend the invitation. We don’t start the conversation.

But in reality, I believe those “influencer” professionals are often more accessible—and more alone—than we assume. Everyone thinks someone else has invited them to dinner, so nobody does.

The same thing happens with our clients and team members. We assume our best clients don’t need regular check-ins. We assume our top performers are fine because they’re successful.

These assumptions cost us relationships.

Communication can’t wait until things slow down

“I’ll reach out to clients after busy season.” “I’ll connect with that potential partner once things calm down.” “I’ll have that team conversation when I have more time.”

But things never truly calm down. There’s always the next deadline, the next client emergency, the next challenge.

The firms that scale personal service successfully build communication into their workflow. And in an age where AI can draft an email in seconds, the question isn’t whether you can communicate faster; it’s whether you’re communicating in ways that feel genuine. Regular touchpoints with clients and daily check-ins with your team, done with authentic care, compound into strong relationships that technology alone can never build.

Flexibility as a core value

Scaling personal service requires flexibility woven throughout your practice—in client relationships, team management, and professional partnerships.

The tax and accounting profession has traditionally been rigid, but today’s most successful firms embrace flexibility as a competitive advantage. When you’re flexible with clients and team members, you demonstrate that you see them as humans, not just accounts or resources. Flexibility isn’t about being unstructured; it’s about being responsive to the humans on every side of your business.

7 practical strategies that work

1. Use technology thoughtfully: AI and automation can handle routine tasks such as scheduling, data entry, and basic inquiries, freeing you for higher-value conversations. AI-generated client emails often lack warmth. Use technology to create capacity for personal connection, not to replace it.
2. Stay present year-round: I send quarterly check-ins to clients between tax seasons; a quick note about industry changes or a question about their Q3 performance. These touchpoints keep relationships warm and often surface issues before they become problems.
3. Create communication rhythms: Automated touchpoints work when they’re genuinely personalized. A birthday message that references a client’s specific business milestone beats a generic template every time.
4. Make flexibility real: For my team, flexibility means accommodating school schedules, remote work, and life’s unpredictability. For clients, it’s meeting them on their preferred channels—text, email, or video—rather than forcing office appointments. For referral partners, it’s being responsive and easy to work with.
5. Involve your team in solutions: When people help build the process, they’re more likely to follow and improve it.
6. Create visibility: Speaking at conferences and participating in professional communities builds credibility and keeps you top of mind when referral opportunities arise … And my favorite:
7. Build strategic partnerships: I regularly carve out time for online coffee chats with people I meet through LinkedIn, referrals, or professional communities. Sometimes these conversations lead nowhere. Sometimes I learn something valuable. And sometimes they turn into partnerships or new business. The key is making time for genuine connection, even when the outcome is uncertain.

Moving forward

As you think about scaling your firm, remember that personal service isn’t about doing everything yourself. It’s about creating systems and partnerships that extend your personal care to more people.

It’s about building a team culture where flexibility and communication are valued. It’s about viewing clients, team members, and professional colleagues as partners in a shared mission.

And it’s about challenging your assumptions. Don’t assume your best clients don’t need to hear from you. Don’t assume that a successful colleague has plenty of other partnership opportunities. Please don’t assume your team knows they’re valued unless you tell them.

The people you most want to connect with might be waiting for you to reach out. The grindstone will always be there, but the relationships you build? Those are what transform a practice into a thriving firm.

What strategies have you implemented to maintain personal service as your firm grows? How do you balance client communication with team development during busy periods? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.