Understanding how other people prefer to communicate can help you build stronger client relationships, manage colleagues and reduce avoidable friction.

Technical knowledge matters in accountancy, but knowing the right answer is only part of the job explained Maura Dolan in a recent webinar, Communicating with Confidence in Accounting Roles.

You also need to communicate that answer effectively. That means explaining complex issues, securing information from clients, managing deadlines and working with colleagues who may approach problems very differently from you.

One useful way to think about those differences is the DISC behavioural model. It groups communication preferences into four broad styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness.

The important point is not to put people into boxes. We are all a blend of different behaviours, although we may have a preference for one style.

Understanding those preferences can help you adjust how you communicate.

1. Dominance: get to the point

The Dominance, or D, style is described as fast-paced, decisive and task-focused.

These people often want to reach an outcome quickly. They can be motivated by achieving goals and moving on to the next challenge.

That decisiveness can be valuable. However, someone with a strong D preference may also appear blunt or impatient. Under pressure, they can focus so heavily on the task that listening and relationships suffer.

If you are communicating with a client who fits this pattern, lengthy explanations may work against you.

Start with the conclusion. Give them the key points, explain what decision or action is required and make the next step clear.

For accountants accustomed to providing detailed explanations, that can require some adjustment. The detail still matters, but your client may not need all of it at once.

2. Influence: focus on the outcome and relationship

The Influence, or I, style is also fast-paced, but more strongly focused on people and relationships.

Someone with this preference may enjoy collaboration, new ideas and discussion. They can bring enthusiasm to a team and be comfortable starting projects.

The potential difficulty is detail. They may be less interested in lengthy analysis or the process required to complete a task.

That has practical implications for accountants working with entrepreneurial clients.

You may need detailed records to complete your work correctly. Your client, meanwhile, may be much more interested in what the numbers mean for their next project.

Rather than overwhelming them with process, explain why you need their input and connect it to the outcome they care about.

You can also ask whether somebody else in their team is better placed to provide the information.

3. Steadiness: create space for discussion

The Steadiness, or S, style tends to be more measured and people-focused.

People with this preference may value cooperation, stability and supportive working relationships. They can be patient team members who consider how decisions affect others.

One possible challenge is conflict avoidance.

A colleague may appear to agree with a forceful request without actually being comfortable with it. Silence should not automatically be interpreted as agreement.

If you are communicating with someone who prefers this style, make room for their response. Ask questions rather than simply issuing instructions. Give them enough time to consider changes and raise concerns.

This matters particularly when your own communication style is faster or more direct.

4. Conscientiousness: respect the need for accuracy

The Conscientiousness, or C, style is analytical, reflective and task-focused.

For many accountants, aspects of this description may feel familiar. Accuracy, evidence, analysis and getting the work right are central to many accounting roles.

Those qualities bring obvious strengths. They can also create communication difficulties.

Someone strongly focused on accuracy may delay sharing work because they want every detail resolved first. They may also give other people considerably more detail than those people want.

The practical challenge is knowing when sufficient information is enough for the next decision.

If you recognise this tendency in yourself, consider the person receiving your work. Do they need your complete analysis, or do they first need three clear conclusions?

Good technical work does not lose value when you communicate it concisely.

The real skill is learning to flex

Understanding your preferred style is useful. The greater benefit comes when you can adjust it.

Consider an accountant with a strong conscientious preference working with a fast-moving business owner. The accountant wants complete information and enough time to check it. The client wants to focus on running the business.

Repeatedly explaining why the client should behave more like the accountant may achieve very little.

A better conversation starts with the client's priorities.

You might acknowledge that providing records is not their main focus. Then explain what you need, why it matters and whether someone else can provide it.

That does not mean abandoning your professional standards. It means changing the way you communicate those requirements.

You can control your communication, not somebody else's behaviour

This is perhaps the most useful principle for difficult professional relationships.

You cannot control how a client or colleague behaves. You can control how you respond.

When somebody frustrates you, consider what sits behind their behaviour. Are they looking for speed? Recognition? Harmony? Accuracy?

Then consider whether your normal communication style gives them what they need.

That small change in perspective can make difficult conversations more productive.

Start with one communication habit

Changing your communication style does not require changing your personality.

Choose one behaviour to practise.

If you tend to provide extensive detail, lead your next client email with three key points. If you tend to dominate conversations, deliberately create space for the other person. If you avoid disagreement, practise raising one concern clearly and constructively.

Small adjustments, repeated consistently, can become familiar habits.

The aim is not to communicate identically with everyone. It is to understand your own preferences well enough to adapt when another approach will work better.

FAQ: Communication styles for accountants

What is the DISC communication model?

DISC is a behavioural model that groups communication preferences into four broad styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness.

The webinar emphasises that DISC should not be used to label people or put them into fixed categories. Everyone can display a blend of the four styles, while tending to prefer one over the others. The practical purpose is to understand how people communicate and adapt your own approach accordingly.

Why are communication skills important for accountants?

Communication helps accountants turn technical knowledge into effective interactions with clients, colleagues and teams.

An accountant may have strong technical expertise but still struggle to communicate that expertise in a way another person understands. Recognising different communication preferences can help you decide how much detail to provide, how directly to communicate and how to approach deadlines, feedback and difficult conversations.

What are the four DISC communication styles?

The four DISC styles discussed in the webinar are Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness.

Dominance is fast-paced and task-focused. Influence is fast-paced and people-focused. Steadiness is more measured and people-focused. Conscientiousness is more measured, analytical and task-focused.

These are communication preferences rather than rigid personality categories. People can display characteristics associated with several styles.

How should accountants communicate with a Dominance-style client?

Keep your communication concise, direct and focused on the required outcome.

Someone with a Dominance preference may want the main conclusion, important actions and bottom line without extensive background information. In emails, clear summaries and bullet points can therefore be useful. You can still provide supporting detail where necessary, but consider leading with the decision or action the client needs to understand.

How should accountants communicate with an Influence-style client?

Focus on the outcome, relationship and information most relevant to what the client wants to achieve.

Influence-style communicators may be less interested in extensive analytical detail. If you need information from them, explain why it matters and connect your request to their priorities. Where appropriate, ask whether another member of their team could provide detailed records or information without unnecessarily slowing the client down.

How should accountants communicate with a Steadiness-style colleague or client?

Give them space to consider information, ask questions and express concerns.

People with a Steadiness preference may value cooperation and harmonious working relationships. They may also be reluctant to engage in conflict. A forceful request followed by silence does not necessarily mean agreement. Asking for their perspective and allowing time for discussion can support clearer communication.

How should accountants communicate with a Conscientiousness-style client or colleague?

Provide accurate information, sufficient detail and a clear rationale for what you are asking them to do.

People with a Conscientiousness preference tend to value analysis, accuracy and getting a task right. However, they can sometimes spend longer completing work because they want every detail resolved. Where appropriate, agree what level of completeness is required for the next decision rather than assuming everything must be finalised first.

Why can accountants and entrepreneurial clients struggle to communicate?

The webinar highlights a potential mismatch between detail-focused accountants and faster-paced clients.

An accountant may need complete information, accurate records and sufficient time to check the work. A fast-moving business owner may be concentrating on projects, customers and immediate business priorities. Instead of simply providing more detail, the accountant can explain what information is required, why it matters and whether somebody else can provide it.

Should accountants communicate differently with different clients?

The webinar's central recommendation is to adapt your communication rather than expecting everyone else to adopt your preferred style.

That does not mean changing professional standards or treating behavioural styles as rigid labels. It means considering what another person needs from the conversation. Some clients may want concise conclusions, while others need additional detail, discussion or reassurance before taking action.

How can accountants get information from clients more effectively?

Start by considering the client's priorities rather than focusing only on your own deadline.

For example, you might acknowledge that providing accounting information is not currently the client's main priority. You can then explain what you need and why, agree realistic timescales and ask whether another person within their organisation can provide the information. The aim is to influence the process through better communication rather than trying to control the client's behaviour.

Can understanding communication styles help with conflict?

Understanding communication preferences can help you recognise why people may respond differently when under pressure.

The webinar suggests that some people become more forceful, while others may withdraw or become more concerned with accuracy. Recognising these differences gives you an opportunity to adjust your own response. It does not remove disagreement, but it can help prevent different communication preferences from creating unnecessary friction.

How can accountants improve their own communication style?

Start with one specific behaviour rather than trying to change everything at once.

For example, a detail-focused accountant could begin an email with three key conclusions. Someone who tends to dominate discussions could deliberately create more space for colleagues to respond. Someone who avoids disagreement could practise raising concerns clearly and constructively.

The objective is not to change your personality. It is to become more aware of your preferred approach and more capable of adapting it when the situation requires.

The contents of this article are meant as a guide only and are not a substitute for professional advice. The author/s accept no responsibility for any action taken, or refrained from, as a result of the material contained in this document. Specific advice should be obtained before acting or refraining from acting, in connection with the matters dealt with in this article. The information at the time of publishing was accurate and could be subject to final changes.