5 Lies Professionals Believe About Sales

I’ve been selling for over 25 years, focused primarily on working with CPAs and financial advisors for the past 10. Of all of the CPAs, attorneys, financial advisors and other business owners I’ve worked with in my sales career, there is a common denominator that holds back many who struggle to grow or to achieve their goals. 

It’s the nasty little “S” word...selling. 

For those of us who make our living selling, it’s hard to wrap our heads around NOT wanting to learn about our clients and cast a vision to guide them away from pain or to achieve their goals. 

After working with so many CPAs and firm owners, I get it! You didn’t go to school to become an accountant to - gulp- SELL!  

But, actually, you did. 

If you want your ideal clients to pick YOU- and not another accountant...or lawyer...or financial advisor...or whatever your business is - you have to embrace the truth about the sales skills you need as a professional.

Lie #1: I don’t need to sell. My business is built on referrals.

Ok. Let’s talk about those referrals. Are all of them good ones? Do they allow you to partner with them, or do they just suck up your time (and clutter your inbox) for very little in return?

Assuming most referrals are good for your business, the other problem with this argument is that you can’t count on or project referrals. If you have a revenue goal (and you should), you need to have a plan in place that you execute to make that happen. Referrals are not predictable revenue.

Lie #2: I didn’t become a CPA (attorney, financial advisor, business owner) to sell.

Did they forget to mention this in school? It doesn’t matter what your profession or type of business- to build your business, you absolutely must have some level of sales knowledge. Clients must have a reason to want to do business with you over your competition, and it’s up to you to show them you are the best partner to guide them on their journey to either a.) avoid pain or b.) achieve a goal.

As a professional business owner, you have a valuable bank of knowledge in your head that is your product to sell. 

Lie #3: I’m a professional- I can’t be ‘salesy’ or ‘pushy.’

Heck, ya, you’re a professional! You have years of expensive education and/or an investment in starting your firm. 

Forget what you think or know about sales people regardless of any experience you’ve had. As a professional, you shouldn’t be salesy OR pushy- ever. (As a matter of fact, no professional salesperson I’ve ever worked with is salesy or pushy either.) 

Your mindset shift should begin with defining who your ideal client is. 

What’s the demographic? Male? Female? Is age important? Are your clients businesses? What type? Do they share a common problem or pain point? Are they in a specific industry? 

Think about your very favorite and most profitable customers, and spend the time to define exactly who it is that you want to have as clients for your business. Write it down.

Now, think about the value you bring to this perfect client. Or, maybe you have clients who’ve given you testimonials or thanked you or raved about how much you’ve helped them! How have you helped them avoid pain (ex. tax liability) or achieve a goal (ex. higher profits or cash flow stabilization)? When you have the professional expertise to help someone, you are providing a service by sharing that with the people you can help! 

If you aren’t able to communicate your value- how is anyone going to know what you bring to the table?

Lie #4: I could never sell. I don’t know how you do it. 

I met an FBI agent a few years ago who asked me what I did for a living. Judging by the look of horror on his face when I told him I was in sales, I thought he assumed I had some sort of white collar crime ring going.

He immediately said, “I don’t know how you do that. I can’t imagine having to sell something for a living.”

This comment from an FBI agent...who puts a lot more on the line than his ego when he goes to work!

The moral of this story. Refer to debunked Lie #3. We are not in 1995 making cold calls. And, we are not going door to door selling professional services. You provide a valuable service. One that either helps your clients avoid pain or achieve a goal. You are the link between pain avoidance or goal achievement and your client. You owe them the service of educating them about how you can help. That is how to sell.

Some won’t need you or like you, and others may take time to build relationships with. So? You’re a grown up! Put on your big girl undies and move on to the next one!

Lie #5: I don’t have time. 

Yes, you do. You have time for anything you prioritize. How important is it for you to achieve your revenue target this year? If you are an accounting firm trying to shift your focus to advisory services, you absolutely need to make the time before other firms beat you to it.

As I continue to work with accounting firms across the country, and I’m seeing the dividing line grow quickly between those who embrace putting a process and the right marketing message together to attract advisory services clients and those who continue to tell themselves they are too busy with tax returns to get to it...until maybe next year.

Once you’ve identified exactly who your ideal target clients are, your next step is to clarify your firm’s message and brand. Everyone in your business should be crystal clear on what you do for clients in 1 or 2 sentences. Your website should tell a compelling story, have clear calls to action, and provide valuable information for visitors to want to stay. Having sales funnels, lead magnets, and appropriate follow up processes in place to convert prospects to clients drives inbound leads to your business. This paragraph may make your eyes cross like mine would if I had to prepare a tax return. Just like I wouldn’t attempt to do my own tax return, you might consider outsourcing this to a marketing professional.

Additionally, you and everyone in your firm should have a professional presence on LinkedIn. If you own a business or are a professional service provider- you need to be on LinkedIn.

Finally, you should invest in a sales coach who understands your industry and can help craft (and practice) conversations that uncover opportunities, close deals, and that don’t skip straight to price.

Now that you know some of the truths behind these ugly little rumors about “sales,” I wish you the energy and inspiration to prioritize the future of your business and to share your value with clients who never knew you existed!