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We’ve
been impressed with the philosophy behind Rick Solomon’s approach to
sales training because it doesn’t push people to change their
personalities. It advises CPAs to be themselves, tell the truth, and
demonstrate their competence. Here’s a sampling of Rick’s “Sales
Tips”:
Creating
a compelling client experience and a high perception of value should
not be left to chance.
Leveraging
Opportunity (Range 350 – 399)
Sales
Tip #384: Maximizing profits after tax season
While
tax season is still on everyone’s mind:
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Hold
a brief meeting to uncover additional client service opportunities
that team members became aware of during tax season
-
Call
those clients to set up “Discovery” meetings to explore ways
in which your firm may be of further service to them.
You’ll
be amazed at how much opportunity there is to increase business –
with virtually no marketing cost!
Sales
Tip #371: Want better results? Ask better questions.
Why
not hold a post tax season review with team members, while it’s all
still fresh? Ask a few questions, and take notes.
-
What
did we do this year that worked really well?
-
What
are some of the difficulties we encountered?
-
What
can we do differently to make next year easier and improve our
results?
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How
can we create a more compelling client experience?
From
this, you can formulate your game plan for next year’s tax
season
Sales
tip #357: How much opportunity are you missing with your current
clients?
Discussing
additional services to existing clients is the easiest and most
effective marketing you can do. Think about your best clients. Do you
know their goals and dreams? Have you discussed with them the
additional ways in which you might be able to help them achieve those
goals and dreams? Do this, and wonderful opportunities can open up.
Don't do it, and maybe someone else will.
Importance
of Selling Skills (Range 400-449)
Sales
Tip #412: I’m pretty good at acquiring new business, why do I need
the Solomon Method?
Prospective
client’s are seeking to fulfill fundamental human needs. Whether
they are aware of these needs or not does not matter. A simple way to
explain this would be to talk about gravity. Gravity doesn't much care
if you understand how it works or what it is, if you drop something,
it will fall. Recognizing and addressing these needs serves as a
foundation for building profitable relationships.
Sales
Tip #427: Whether or not people can articulate their basic needs, they
are driven by them
Prospective
client’s are seeking to fulfill fundamental human needs. Whether
they are aware of these needs or not does not matter. A simple way to
explain this would be to talk about gravity. Gravity doesn't much care
if you understand how it works or what it is, if you drop something,
it will fall. Recognizing and addressing these needs serves as a
foundation for building profitable relationships.
Sales
Tip #423: Why, after telling a prospective client great things about
your firm and how you can help, are they still not convinced?
When
we deliver commercials, even good ones, they’re generally not
believed. That’s because people are desensitized to sales messages.
Instead, why not learn how to model the relationship you will have
with the client, so they experience, in the moment, the real value you
bring. When done properly, this creates a compelling experience that
draws the client to you as opposed to you going after them.
Selling
Myths (Range 450 – 499)
Sales
Tip #453: I do not want to become a “salesperson.” It’s just not
me.
The
belief that success in selling requires engaging in behavior that does
not feel comfortable to you is an unnecessary obstacle to success.
Selling can be quite rewarding when performed as a service to others -
as long as you have an approach that is consistent with your values
and integrity as a professional.
Sales
Tip #462: Our desire to “get” someone as a client actually
undermines the integrity of the meeting
Any
desire to "get" the prospect as a client is actually a
desire to control the other person, which creates unnecessary
resistance and inherently lacks integrity. Why not create a safer and
more open space by shifting your intention to being of service?
Discover who they are and what they need. Explore ways in which you
might help them. When you do this, they are likely to move toward
you.
Sales
Tip #457: I’m just not the kind of person who is good at selling.
Perhaps
one of the greatest myths about selling is that you must be born with
a certain personality type to be successful. This is simply not true.
What sells best is truth, authenticity, you being you. It really comes
down to letting go of old beliefs about what you think selling means,
and redefining it from a different perspective.
Personal
Growth and Success (Range 500-549)
Sales
Tip #531: If success is defined as doing work you enjoy, with people
who appreciate your value, and
making a lot of money in the process – how successful are you?
Having
effective sales and communication skills is not just about bringing in
more business for higher fees, although that's quite nice. Beyond
that, developing your sales communication skills frees you to pick and
choose more profitable clients, and to do more rewarding work..
Sales
Tip #533: To communicate that we understand, we must be understanding
You
can't tell someone you are a good listener, you must be one. When you
learn to really listen in a fully present manner, you communicate
empathy and understanding in a way that is indeed rare. This behavior
creates a high perception of your value while it differentiates you
from other practitioners. Sometimes your most powerful selling tool is
silence.
Sales
Tip # 539: When clients see you have their best interest at heart,
they’ll be more inclined to work with you.
How
do you apply this? Rather than beginning a meeting by talking about
yourself and your firm, ask questions and learn about them first.
Then, when you later talk about your expertise and experience, you can
relate it to what was discovered. Having a process to do this makes it
easier and more effective.
Sales
Tips #536: People do not hire us because they understand what we do.
They hire us because they feel we understand them
Rather
than explaining the details of what you do, learn how to model the
relationship you’ll have with the client, so they experience, in the
moment, the real value you bring. When done properly, this creates a
compelling experience that draws the client to you. As an example,
rather than talking about how you take the time to understand your
client's needs, actually do so in the meeting.
Rick Solomon is president of The Solomon Company. He can be reached at ricksolomon@msn.com.
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