Sales for Bookkeepers: Why Sales Is Not a Dirty Word | Stephanie Crawford
Sales for Bookkeepers: Why Sales Is Not a Dirty Word
Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, all the times I talk about sales in a bookkeeping business, only to be met with a shudder and a look of horror.
I’m not sure how and when the idea of salespeople as disingenuous and pushy became so firmly entrenched, but if you find yourself feeling that you need to coerce or push a potential client into working with you, then either you are doing sales very wrong, or they are not your target market.
I spent a good part of my earlier career in sales roles with some success. So, if sales is not that, then what is it?
What Sales Actually Is (And What It’s Not)
The definition of sales is pretty simple, actually: the act of exchanging a commodity or service for money.
My take on sales, especially in the business-to-business space, is that it is all about building relationships and, just as importantly, providing good-fit solutions to real-world problems.
Sales Is a Two-Way Exchange
To put a different perspective on this, let’s think about this from the other side of a sale, from the buyer’s perspective.
See, the thing is, we all want to be sold to, because, well, we all like to buy things. Sales is like double-entry bookkeeping in that there are always two sides to the transaction.
When we go looking for something we need, we’re pretty happy to find someone who can help us.
At this point there’s certainly an expectation that we will part with our money, and we’re generally OK about that so long as the solution sold to us meets or exceeds our expectations.
We’re looking for the right fit and the best value.
What Good Sales Looks Like in a Bookkeeping Business
With that in mind, you need to determine whether you’re offering good value and if your product or service is a good fit.
And you can’t do that well without understanding the issue from the other’s perspective.
What’s frustrating them right now?
What have they already tried?
What would a great outcome look like for them?
This is where a genuine conversation needs to happen, one where you, first and foremost, listen, then seek to truly understand the environment your potential client is operating within and the challenges they’re looking to overcome.
What it is not is you telling them all about what you do and how great you are, and how much they absolutely need what you’re offering, with them not able to get a word in edgeways.
Your potential client needs to feel listened to and understood, and to feel that you have their best interests at heart over your own, and only then will they start to trust you.
Be curious. Listen. Be genuine, authentic, empathetic and sympathetic to their needs. If you genuinely feel that you have a good-fit solution for them, then that’s great. Here’s to a long and happy working relationship.
When the Right Answer Is “No”
Conversely, if you are not what they need, then it’s in both of your best interests for you to advise as such and walk away.
Better still, refer them to someone else you know who would be a better fit.
Generate goodwill with your honesty.
A Real Example of Sales Done Right
Let me show you what this looks like in real life.
I have a valued client who tells me often how much he values me, and he also often repeats the story of when we first met, way back in about 2010, as it was so impactful for him.
I’ve been a QuickBooks (now Reckon Accounts in NZ and AU) Accredited Consultant for many years now, and it was in this capacity that we first spoke.
He was looking to move from a custom-designed but fast-becoming aged and clunky DOS-based accounting system to something more modern and up-to-date.
Side Note: Bear in mind that "more modern and up-to-date" in 2010 was QuickBooks Desktop - web-based software was still relatively new back then, and we made a margin selling the physical software that had to be installed via a physical disk. It's amazing to think how different our world is these days.
He spoke on the phone with another software consultant about the brand they were representing, and she brusquely informed him that there would be a cost to her visit to come and show him the software. It was pretty cut and dried as he recounts it, and he felt no rapport with her.
He then spoke to me, and I took the time to ask him lots of questions about his business and what features he needed. Then I said that I thought QuickBooks would be a good option for him and suggested I come and demo the product for him so he could see how it worked and ask questions.
He asked how much it would be for me to do that; that's obviously how it worked based on the previous conversation he'd had, or so he thought.
He says he still vividly remembers my surprised pause on the other end of the phone before I informed him that no, I wasn’t going to be charging him for what I considered to be a sales call.
That level of service has stuck with him for years and, as I’ve said, I’ve heard him repeat that story several times.
He says that he knows that I always have his best interests at heart, and that started at day one.
You can’t buy or fake that level of trustworthiness. You just have to demonstrate it.
Why This Approach Works Long-Term
An important point to mention here is, that upfront time has paid off in spades.
Not only did I get that initial sale, which as I said, I made a margin on, but I also got the many hours of training and implementation of the software, the subsequent upgrades in years to come, consistent income from my once-a-month visits for years since then, and referrals to other businesses for similar services, again providing years of income.
But above all that, what I value even more than that is the much-valued relationship we established over that time, to the point that all these years later, we consider each other trusted friends.
And that, in my opinion and experience, is how you do sales in a bookkeeping business.
If you’ve been avoiding sales conversations or second-guessing yourself when you do have them, this is exactly the kind of thing we can work through together.
Book a free 30-minute Bookkeeper Breakthrough Session and let’s look at how you’re currently approaching sales, what’s working, and where you might be holding yourself back.
No pressure. Just a really useful conversation.
PS: If this resonated, you might also find this article helpful:
How To Approach Sales Conversations
