A Positive Spin on Selling

The trick to selling is to change that old vision in your mind and develop a new a positive approach to building your revenue stream.  There is not a one size fits all solution to changing your vision. Each of us is an individual and each of us has our own hang up about why we hate the dreaded idea of selling.  First, lets look at a few answers to the question, why do you hate sales?  Do any of these statements sound familiar to you?

• I went into this profession to work with numbers, no one told me I would have to sell!
• I just dont feel comfortable in the role of a snake oil salesman.
• I like my clients to much to push stuff on them.
• I just want to do the work Im comfortable with Im not comfortable with sales.
• I have no idea how to sell, and Im really not interested in changing at this point in my life.

As a life long people lover, all I could think of was how sad when I spoke with these professional, intelligent and gifted individuals about their thoughts on selling.  Why didnt they learn in college that selling is a valuable skill to acquire, no matter what profession they aspired to?  I decided to think like a professor and I headed straight for the dictionary to get a positive definition of this four letter word!  Much to my dismay I did not find what I was looking for.  The first definition of selling is to deliver or give up in violation of duty, trust, or loyalty: BETRAY -- often used with out.

Well, lets move on to the second definition.  To give up (property) to another for something of value (as money), to offer for sale, to give up in return for something else especially foolishly or dishonorably <sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, to exact a price for>, <sold their lives dearly>.  Ok, a little closer to what sales really is, but sill not very positive!  The definitions went on but they di d not give me what I really was looking for a way to make the word sell less scary and more accounting professional friendly.

So, I turned to a great book, Selling for Dummies!  Dont laugh it is a wealth of information for those individuals who are a little put off by the concept of sales.  The definition they give is Selling is the process of moving goods and services from the hands of those who produce them into the hands of those who will benefit most from their use.  That is what we are talking about taking the valuable services we have in our firms and getting that knowledge to the individuals who have a need for them.

Now, we know what selling is, how do we start changing the way we think about selling into value for our firm and for each individual personally?  The way to change a mind-set is by finding information that makes sense to you personally, and then using that information to change your behavior.  Challenge yourself to think about the following statements, and how they apply to you.

Everyone Sells

That is right!  No matter who you are and no matter what career path you take, you will find yourself in a sales position along the way. The first one you are faced with is the sale you made when you landed your job.  Then there was the sale you made when you asked for a promotion or a raise.  You might have had to make a sale when you asked your spouse (or got your spouse to ask you) to get married.  The list could go on and on but you get the point.  We all have times when the service or goods we provide are so valuable that we can gain reward in the selling of them to another person.  Selling is not a dirty word it is a part of our life.

Everyone Likes To Provide Value

It is human nature to want to provide value to another person.  It makes us feel validated and worthy of being involved with another.  Again, think about your job.  You always feel more connected to the company if the value that you are providing is needed and valued by your employer.  It has been proven that employees will stay with an employer longer if they see how their job supports the companys long-term goals.  A marriage will last longer if each person sees how they bring value to the other person.  The same holds true with your clients.  They will feel a connection to you and the firm if they see that you are truly concerned about them.  Concerned enough to communicate services and products that will be beneficial to them.

Everyone Wants It To Be About Them

Most of you have heard the saying, Its all about me.  That is the truth in sales both from your point of view and your clients point of view.  As the accounting professional, if you learn to have a positive sales attitude, you will reap rewards in your career by building a strong client base that will enable you to build a career that you are proud of.  As the client, they will feel it is all about them when you learn to listen to their needs and provide them with the services they need to be financially secure and build their own business with your assistance.

Everyone Wants To Win

Even if you are not an athlete I have never met a person that does not like to win.  One of the best ways to win in the business world is to learn how to sell.  Take a look at the leaders in your firm, and in your life.  From partners to coaches to political figures, all of them have a common thread.  They have learned to build relationships and then provide the value (knowledge and services) that they have, to the person that needs them.  The most fulfilled individuals are the ones that win along the way.  The win is the value that they exchanged.  Sounds simple but it is a huge stumbling block for many.

As you consider these statements, you should start t hinking about selling a little differently.  It is all about the relationship you build with the people around you.  It is also about putting a process into place that allows you to take the relationship you build and turn it into a comfortable communication strategy, which will provide you an avenue of delivery, while appearing seamless to your client.  As the accounting professional, you should find comfort in the words analytical, client based and relationship focused.  The process of selling is strategic and no matter what book you read, or professional you talk to, you hear a similar process:

1. Educate yourself on the services of the firm
2. Identify your prospecting base
3. Make the contact with the client
4. Qualify the client
5. Present the service to the client
6. Address concerns of the client
7. Close the sale
8. Follow up and get a referral

At first glance, this looks like an easy 8 step process.  It is!  All it takes is a little thought and dedication.  Anyone, regardless of their education or position, can follow these steps and succeed in the area of sales.  Lets take a brief look at each step.

Educate yourself on the services of the firm

This may seem a little strange, but the truth is that many firms have a variety of services available to the client and most of the individuals in the firm have no idea that the services are available.  If you do not know what services you have available, you will not recognize the need when you hear it.  You must arm yourself with the appropriate education on the services of the firm.  This is often done by internal training through your learning coordinator, or mini sessions completed by each department head.  But it must be a high priority if your firm wants to take full advantage of their entire human resources team.

Identify your prospecting base

Who are your clients today?  That is your first list of great prospects.  I realize this is not a new concept, but I am constantly amazed at how professionals still do not mine their first line of sales opportunities with the clients that already trust and respect them.  I can read your mind you are thinking yes, but I dont want them to think Im just trying to be a money grubber.  That is the OLD way of thinking.  What you should be thinking is What does my client need and do we have the appropriate service for them?  Here is a little advice: they are going to spend the money with someone, and if you are truly their advisor, then you are doing them a disfavor by not telling them about the services your firm offers.

Make the contact with the client

One of the most common roadblocks that is communicated when you ask an accounting professional why dont you sell more is that they dont have the time.  Time is obviously an issue, but you must start thinking that the most important part of your job is to build a relationship with the client.  That means communicating with them on a consistent basis through e-mail, phone and face to face contact.  If is only with those touch points that you will build a relationship that will be sustained for many years in the future.

Qualify the client

The more often you contact the client, the bett er information you will have about them personally, and their business needs.  Communicate with them.  By communicating I do not mean talking to them; I mean listening to them.  Ask them questions about their situation: What are the dangers the business is facing; what are the opportunities that they hope to build upon; what are the strengths that the company can count on in the future?  Really getting to know them will be the key to finding the services that they need.

Present the service to the client

Once you identify the need of the client, your next challenge will be to present the service to the client in a way that will provide the value that they need, or solve the challenge that they have been struggling with.  You will need to provide them with a general overview, and then deliver the details.  Remember that every client is different.  Some will be satisfied with just the overview, others will need to really find the facts.  Be prepared with a variety of information, but only give them what they need.  Dont overload them, but make certain that they have the information they need to make a decision.  Again, knowing what information they require will be apparent after you talk with the client and know them well.

Address concerns of the client

The client now has an answer to the challenges they are facing.  The question and answer period has begun.  This is where you might need to pull in an expert in the service area that you are offering.  Dont try to be the expert in an area that is not yours.  Team work is imperative in the sales process, particularly if the service area is not yours.  Remember, the goal here is that it is not all about YOU; it is all about providing the value to the client.

Close the sale

There are about a million books written on how to close the sale.  I encourage you to pick a few and read them.  Then find your own personal style for how to approach this part of the process.  There is one thing that I know, if you dont ASK for the business you will never GET the business.  The close may be the scariest part of the process, but without it well. you know the results!

Follow up and get a referral

You thought you were done!  No, you still have one more important step in the process.  Follow up with the client and make sure that they are happy with what you have provided them.  A great question for the follow up is did we do what we said we would do? It is a simple question, but extremely powerful!  The last thing to ask, Is there someone else that you know that would benefit from this service?  You will get your best referrals from happy clients that are still feeling the after glow of the service you have provided.

Now, how do you feel about the word SELL?  My guess is you may feel exactly the same as you did when you started reading this article.  I dont expect that your mindset will change over night.  However, if you follow the process described above, work hard to build relationships and provide extra value to your clients; I expect that you will soon begin seeing sales in an entirely different and far more positive light.  Good luck and happy selling!