Archive for the ‘Sales’ Category
Wednesday, November 18th, 2020
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” – Will Rogers
Websites are on my mind today. When comes to promoting your firm, yourself, and your people, your website is more important than ever.
As you might guess, I constantly look at CPA firm websites. If you ever send me an email or if your firm is ever in the news, you can bet I will be perusing your website.
There are still a significant number of firms that have not taken action on updating their website. It appears that it has been the same for the last ten or fifteen years. You can tell immediately when you hit their site. When I ‘hit’ one, it makes me sad.
In these times of no meeting and greeting potential clients in person, the only impression they get of you is from your website. Someone should be managing your website daily. You need current articles and high-quality pictures of your partners and other leaders. Your site needs to give the impression that you are modern, future-focused, and extremely knowledgeable. If your website says (without using words) that you are an “old school” firm, you are in trouble.
For progressive firms, a significant number of new clients come to the firm because of their website. How many are coming to your firm because they simply looked at your website and were impressed?
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You only get one chance to make a good first impression, and yours may be in the hands of the receptionist.
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Harvey Mackay
Wednesday, August 12th, 2020
“What we care about is the work done, not how long it took to do it.” – Seth Godin
The following is one of those Seth Godin posts that I just copy and share. It is an important question for CPAs. Are you selling results?
Selling Your Time
We don’t pay surgeons by the hour.
And if the person who cuts the lawn shows up with a very fast riding mower, we don’t insist on paying less because they didn’t have to work as hard.
Often, what we care about is the work done, not how long it took to do it.
And yet, some jobs, from law to programming, charge by the hour.
When you sell your time, you’re giving away your ability to be a thoughtful, productivity-improving professional.
Sell results.
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In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is a failure. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.
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Seth Godin
Monday, July 13th, 2020
“Great salespeople are relationship builders who provide value and help their customers win.” – Jeffrey Gitomer
Times have changed and the pandemic has caused marketers to rethink their activities and strategies.
Sales calls are becoming a thing of the past. Plus, a prospective client already knows SO MUCH about the firm because they study your website and check you out on social media.
In a very informative article in the July issue of Inside Public Accounting (I hope you have read your copy), Carrie Steffen, founder, and president of The Whetstone Group says relationships can be nurtured even if meetings aren’t in person.
- Check in with clients (use Zoom)
- Check in with prospects and referral sources (organize a virtual networking lunch).
- Move forward (if a prospect check-in meeting goes well, pursue the relationship further).
- Use technology (be proficient with your video software – no fumbling around! Email is also still a good tool.)
- Find profitable opportunities. (Revisit your definition of an “A” client and match prospects to the profile.)
Read the entire article for much more information. It is titled, Business Development In A Recession: Outrun The Competition With A Digital Strategy And Strong Relationships
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Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.
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Thomas Jefferson
Thursday, February 20th, 2020
“Great salespeople are relationship builders who provide value and help their customers win.” – Jeffrey Gitomer
I bet you have heard the classic line: “I didn’t major in accounting so that I could become a salesperson.”
If you are working in public accounting, you must embrace marketing and sales. It is the lifeblood of a growing and successful firm.
Many accountants actually have a fear of attempting to “sell” services to a potential client. I always claim that you can land new clients if you simply like people. It is about connecting to others and building relationships.
Begin by building your own self-confidence. You have SO MUCH valuable knowledge – you are worth every penny a client pays you. You have helped so many clients in the past. Take that air of success with you as you approach potential clients. Tell success stories.
Jeffrey Gitomer (famous sales guru) recommends that you keep the story of “The Little Engine That Could” in mind – “I think I can. I think I can.” He says that thinking you can is 50% of the outcome. Never show doubt or uncertainty – you are a winner and can be such an asset to that potential client’s future success.
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Attitude drives actions. Actions drives results. Results drive lifestyles.
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Jim Rohn
Tuesday, February 18th, 2020
“I recently went to a new doctor and noticed he was located in something called a Professional Building. I felt better right away.” – George Carlin
Are you teaching your young accountants how to become successful as rainmakers? If they want to be on the ownership track, they need to be able to bring in new business to the firm. That’s an overwhelming assignment for new hires.
The journey begins in their first week by having new recruits meet with your marketing director as part of orientation. The MD will simply explain how it all works and share all the tools the firm has available to help them succeed.
No expectations are set (that happens later down the road) except that the beginner CPA needs to be visible and attend business, civic and charitable events along with a more experienced CPA.
A helpful exercise is to host a lunch and learn where two or three of the firm’s best business developer partners participate in a panel discussion about how they became successful at attracting new clients to the firm. Each partner will have a slightly different success story and the entire staff is invited to the lunch and learn to listen and ask questions.
Never let marketing/sales be a surprise to your team members. Make it part of your culture and provide the tools necessary to help them succeed.
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Nine tenths of education is encouragement.
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Anatole France
Wednesday, January 29th, 2020
“There’s definitely an old school element to my music, but I also think it’s modern.” – Lenny Kravitz
How is your firm viewed by clients and prospects?
Progressive, innovative, passionate and future-focused or “old school”?
Many firms still have partners, in their 60s or older, who have been long-time rainmakers still out there being the “face of the firm.” Young partners, managers, and staff are often completely happy letting them do it.
The word on the street becomes, “they’re old school.”
Even in the age of online visibility and branding, the importance of being heard and seen in your local business community is still very important for most accounting firms. Educate your entire team about being “on stage” and representing the firm not only during business hours but after hours, too.
Older rainmakers, it is your duty to replace yourself. ALWAYS take a younger person along when you are out and about. Younger, less experienced CPAs – it’s your responsibility to ask them to take you along.
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I don't exactly know what I mean by that, but I mean it.
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J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Thursday, January 16th, 2020
“What differentiates sellers today is their ability to bring fresh ideas.” – Jill Konrath
In many CPA firms, the most successful rainmakers are still in the baby boomer category. Yet, as we all know, baby boomers are retiring at the rate of 10,000 per day.
Who will replace your top rainmaker(s)? This is a valid concern in many accounting firms. But, times are changing and so is the role of the CPA firm rainmaker.
In an informative article via Accounting Today, written by Lee Frederiksen, he notes that the rainmaker model is beginning to dry up!
Attracting new clients used to be based on the personalities of certain partners. These partners were out and about in the business community and made contacts that led to new business.
Now, a prospective client has checked out the firm, it’s leaders and the services they provide before anyone at the firm has actually met them. Future clients are searching for the firm with the right expertise to solve their specific business challenges. Hopefully, your firm possesses the services and expertise they are looking for and they can find it on your website.
Be sure to read the entire article.
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The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.
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Walt Disney
Monday, December 2nd, 2019
“I’m just a friendly person; that runs in my family.” -Dolly Parton
The person who greets your client and other visitors is so much more than a receptionist. It is such an important role, especially if you, like many firms, have an office where people feel comfortable just stopping by.
Many firms are now titling their receptionist the Director of First Impressions and that is exactly what they are. Visitors to your office, whether they are a client, a prospective client, a delivery person, an interviewee or a person making a sales call, will talk about your firm. Make sure they are saying, “Wow, what a friendly place!”
Little things make the biggest difference in this area. Does your DOFI offer refreshments? Do they hang up the client’s jacket/coat in a cedar-lined closet? Do they have a menu prepared that lists the types of beverages you have available? Do they engage in small talk in an informative, entertaining and helpful manner?
They are truly an ambassador for your firm. It is not a job that should be looked down upon by other people on the admin team.
If you have an all-star in this role, I hope you are paying them a premium. I know a firm that once won a huge client partly because they liked the way they were treated when their executive team visited the firm’s office.
Read this interesting and helpful article by Jeffrey Gitomer called Receptionist Selling.
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We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It's our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.
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Jeff Bezos
Monday, July 15th, 2019
“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.” – Woodrow Wilson
Maybe they didn’t talk about it when you were interviewed for the job. That interview might have been this year, last year or MANY years ago. Sometimes, it is even a big surprise to a Manager in a firm. If you want to be really successful, advance to owner and make a lot of money working in public accounting, you need to bring in new business.
You love accounting and making sense of it all to help clients become successful. You love tax and all the challenges and creativity that advising clients demands. You do NOT love selling.
But wait! It’s easy. The most important aspect of bringing new clients to the firm is liking people and enjoying making new friends.
It is something you should have learned in pre-school or kindergarten, meeting other people and making them your friends.
If you like people, they will like you. If you don’t really like (and enjoy) dealing with people, why are you in PUBLIC accounting?
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Friendship consists in forgetting what one gives and remembering what one receives.
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Alexander Dumas
Tuesday, June 4th, 2019
“Approach each customer with the idea of helping him or her to solve a problem or achieve a goal, not of selling a product or service.” – Brian Tracy.
I have heard it repeated for years and years by accountants of all ages and genders – “I didn’t go into accounting to be a salesperson!”
Get over it. Everyone has something to sell. Sales is a fundamental skill. Selling is not pushing people to buy something they don’t want. Selling is moving somebody else to action. No matter what your role, you are continually selling yourself!
Firm leaders should not wait to introduce young accountants to marketing and sales. Teaching and including them at the very beginning of their career makes it a natural part of their career advancement.
Too many managers have told me that they didn’t realize the importance of marketing/sales until they were almost ready to become a partner.
In an accounting firm, the secret to practice development (bringing in clients) is to simply like people. People are naturally drawn to CPAs because they realize the knowledge you possess. Selling is also all about understanding what you are selling. Do your young accountants know?
Read this article via HBR – How to Improve Your Sales Skills Even If You’re Not a Salesperson by Rebecca Knight. Send a link to all you young accountants
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Keep Your Sales Pipeline Full By Prospecting Continuously. Always Have More People To See Than You Have Time To See Them.
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Brian Tracy
