How to get better at selling your accounting services

Selling doesn’t always come easily to accounting professionals, who may be more comfortable with the technical aspects of their work. But selling is a fact of life for any business, so it pays to explore techniques to make the process easier. If you have an effective sales strategy in place but your sales aren’t picking up, you may need to look at the way you or your team interacts with prospects. It may be worthwhile to polish up your selling skills. Approach your next sales call with patience, preparation, and these tips.

Anticipate prospect objections

There are only so many reasons why a prospect won’t buy from you, and very rarely are those reasons personal. Here are the most common reasons someone won’t buy:

• They don’t need what you sell.
• They need it, but they’re not ready to buy.
• They perceive the price as too high.
• Being prepared for these common objections can help you overcome them.

If the prospect doesn’t need your service right now, schedule another call in three to six months to see if their position has changed. If they need your service but they’re not ready to buy, ask what will help them to make a decision now. If they object to fees, talk about the value of your services. You can also mention any installment payment options.

Develop a sales script

Many successful sellers use a script to guide their conversations. Search online for free sales scripts and modify one to suit your needs. When used correctly, a script can help you avoid being stumped with a tough question. A script can help you to keep a conversation on track so you can secure an order, get that appointment, or arrange another form of follow-up. But most importantly, using a script will help you to relax. Practice the script in advance or role-play with a colleague.

Follow up with each lead

The biggest sin in sales is failing to follow-up with a prospect. Many good opportunities are lost simply because the seller failed to follow-up to a conversation or presentation. Use these tips to follow up every time.

• Schedule a follow-up task in your calendar or sales software and stick to it.
• Listen more than you talk (this is the time when the prospect will raise purchase objections as discussed above).
• Allow time after the follow-up call to fulfill any requests by the prospect for more information or additional actions.

Remember: It takes time to get good at selling! You will get better at sales over time. Not every interaction will lead to a sale and buyer rejection of your offer is very normal—just don’t take it personally. Instead, focus on learning from each selling experience and you’ll find your selling skills will quickly improve.