Growth is often treated as a purely positive milestone for accounting firms. More people, more clients, and more tools should mean better clarity and stronger decision-making. In practice, the opposite often happens.
Kristen McGarr, Founder and CSMO of Adroit Insights, breaks down how a large accounting firm with more than 250 people grew 35 percent in 15 months. The growth came not from adding more tools, but from fixing visibility, forecasting, and CRM adoption.
But before we proceed, don’t forget that this episode is brought to you by Video Case Story, collecting, crafting, and delivering customer stories
When Growth Creates Less Clarity
The firm discussed in this episode had no shortage of data. Teams were using spreadsheets, shared documents, and complex reporting systems. On paper, everything looked organized.
In reality, leadership could not confidently answer basic questions:
- How long does the sales cycle actually take?
- What is the true close rate?
- How much capacity does the firm really have?
Each team tracked information differently. Deals lived in individual spreadsheets. Pipeline meetings focused more on locating information than discussing how to move deals forward. Internal referrals were missed simply because no one could see what others were working on.
As the firm grew, visibility didn’t improve; it fractured.
Why CRM Adoption Fails in Accounting Firms
CRM failure is rarely a technology problem but an adoption problem.
In this firm, accountants were responsible for both delivering work and handling sales conversations. The CRM was not designed around how they actually worked, so it felt like extra effort rather than support.
Kristen explains that many firms make the mistake of focusing on tools instead of behavior. They build systems that look impressive but do not reflect how teams communicate, follow up, or manage relationships during busy seasons.
When CRMs feel disconnected from daily work, teams stop using them. Visibility disappears.
The Hidden Cost of Missed Follow-Ups
Missed follow-ups did not happen because people were careless. They happened because systems did not support consistent communication.
During peak tax season, weeks and months blur together. Without clear prompts and visibility, relationships quietly go untouched. Referral partners stop hearing from the firm. Existing clients are only contacted when work is being delivered.
Kristen explains that follow-up should not depend on memory or email reminders. When follow-ups live inside a shared system, visible to the right people at the right time. That’s when missed opportunities become easier to prevent.
Why Solving for the 10 Percent Breaks CRMs
Another key insight from the episode is the danger of over-customization.
Many firms try to design their CRM around rare edge cases. They ask “what if” questions and build exceptions into the system. Over time, this creates a complex structure that is harder to use, harder to train, and harder to scale.
Kristen emphasizes focusing on the core 90 percent of workflows. When the most common activities are simple and consistent, teams gain efficiency. That efficiency creates time and capacity to handle the true exceptions manually without breaking the system.
Visibility Changes Forecasting and Capacity Planning
Once the firm moved from scattered spreadsheets to a shared CRM, visibility changed quickly.
Leadership could finally see:
- How early leads entered the pipeline
- How many touchpoints were needed to close deals
- Where deals stalled or disappeared
- What capacity looked like across teams
This visibility allowed the firm to forecast more accurately. Instead of guessing whether growth was a short-term spike or a real trend, leadership could see patterns forming. That clarity made hiring, marketing, and investment decisions less risky.
Forecasting stopped being a gut feeling and became data-driven.
When Leaders Knew the System Was Working
Success did not show up all at once. The earliest signal was simple: people started using the system.
Leads were entered earlier. Activities were tracked consistently. Conversations became visible instead of assumed. Over time, reporting became reliable enough to guide decisions.
Another key signal was independence. As the firm grew more confident, weekly implementation meetings became unnecessary. Teams trusted the system and knew how to use it without constant support.
That confidence confirmed that adoption had taken hold.
Growth Without Chaos Is Possible
CRM systems do not fail because accounting firms are bad at technology. They fail because systems are not built around how firms actually operate.
When CRM supports how teams actually sell, follow up, and serve clients, visibility returns. Forecasting improves, and growth becomes more predictable.
This episode is part two of a three-part series. The next episode explores how the same principles apply to small and founder-led accounting firms, where missed opportunities often hide during busy seasons.
Watch the full episode now and make sure to leave any questions or comments you have about the episode.