Several years ago, during my TaxOps days, I wrote a brief paper on buying professional services. To some extent the purpose was to shift the onus for the relationship to the buyer, at least partially. To a large extent, it was intended to improve professional relationships by providing clarity and alignment around needs and expectations. The paper focuses on five areas; identification of needs, Firm methodology, service team, relationships, and economic arrangements.
As a seller and provider of professional services and solutions, I encourage you to read the paper geared towards buyers. If the factors described are truly what buyers should be looking for, the onus is on us to understand them and deliver. The success of our relationships depends on it.