An Accountant's Guide to Consultative Selling

An Accountant's Guide to Consultative Selling

Selling for Accountants

We're all familiar with high-pressure, hard-sell salesman who won't take "no" for an answer until the client's or customer's check is written. While most accountants probably aren't very comfortable with "sales" no matter how it's done, it is far better to take a "consultative selling" approach to selling in order to get and keep the client for the long term.

In consultative selling, the salesperson becomes a consultant focusing on the client's needs, asking questions before recommending solutions and establishing ongoing relationships. You, as a seller of your services, add value by developing and exploring options rather than by selling a service. Services and products become your tools to hit your clients' goals.

The difference between product-oriented selling and consultative selling is the difference between sales and marketing, asking not, "What do I have to sell?," but "What does the client want to buy?" And, consultative selling often goes a step further when the service a client prospect eventually wants and buys isn't what he originally thought he wanted. The needs analysis, questions and evaluation of the answers on your part actually help client prospects clarify their own needs.

Determine the Need

In a consultative approach to selling, ask open-ended questions to understand the client's needs, feelings and attitudes. This helps the consultative salesperson not only develop a complete understanding of the buyer's situation, but also builds client confidence.

Be a good listener. Avoid offering opinions before all questions are answered, and avoid correcting what a prospect says.

Never present any products or services until you learn the client's objectives, needs and problems.

Present the points relevant to those concerns, but also give some thought to what the client hasn't told you. You can add value by recommending additional products or services, if warranted. The client will admire your proactive thinking.

Seal the deal not only after it's clear that a product or service meets the client's needs, but also after the customer has said he or she has no more issues to discuss relative to the purchase.

Consider every completed sale as the beginning of a long-term relationship and strive to become a sustaining resource to the client.

Addressing Concerns

No matter the quality of appropriateness of a CPAs recommendations, every client eventually raises concerns with an offered service. The most effective way to deal with these concerns is to restate them, which causes clients to further explain why they feel the way they do. If a client objects to a plan that requires spending more money a month, you might ask if he or she doesn't have the funds to address this goal. You can review the budget and show the client how the funds will be worth the investment.

Consultative selling bridges the gap effectively between consultant and seller of financial products and services. The trust you've built with your clients over the years opens the door for detailed discussions about your clients' feelings and objectives - and more insight than is the case with most other accounting professionals.

While the paradigm may be different, a consultative approach is well worth exploring. The payoff of long-term relationships and business can take your practice to the next level.


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An Accountant's Guide to Consultative Selling
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Hugh Duffy, BYF CEO and Co-Founder

Hugh is the consummate marketing coach for accountants and takes pride in the impact that it has on their practice, and lives. Hugh has more than thirty years of marketing experience. Since 2003, he has been teaching accountants on how to improve their marketing and make more money from their accounting practice.

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