understanding this is part of mastering the art of sales.
by august j. aquila
price it right: how to value accounting services
no matter how good your marketing tools are, there is one tool that needs to be especially sharp, and that is your salesmanship. all the marketing tools we mentioned previously will be of little value if you don’t know how to “ask for the business.”
more: four steps to a successful email marketing campaign | three types of marketing message, and which is best | why you need progress billing | five tips for cross-selling and upselling | five keys to successful marketing | twelve fundamentals of planning | one question to guide your growth plans
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
you need to understand the selling and buying cycles. they are critical for your success.
while there are many ways to make a sale, i prefer the consultative partnership approach (cpa) to selling accounting and consulting services. this approach is based on three key principles:
- seek consultative relationship with clients as true business partners.
- use consultative selling skills to solve client problems.
- embrace a sales orientation as part of your professional role.
when you learn the necessary skills to implement these key principles, you will be successful in asking for the business.
you will need to learn some key sales skills to become effective at consultative selling including
- how to identify opportunities,
- knowing how to ask probing questions to identify the prospect’s real problem,
- being able to listen effectively,
- presenting your solutions in a way that highlights the benefits for the prospect,
- overcoming and handling objections that are placed before you, and finally,
- making sure that you ask for the business.
clients today are seeking partnerships with those who provide them with services and products. most prospects are not looking for a one-time sale. partnerships work where there is a real win-win relationship. this takes time and mutual trust to develop. the consultative selling approach is based on the principle that you as the salesperson can identify what the prospect needs and provide a workable, cost-effective solution, rather than just what you want to sell.
a potential client may retain you as a consultant for one of the following reasons:
- the prospect is trying to solve a specific business problem.
- the prospect wants to improve, change or enhance an existing operation.
- the prospect is seeking to outsource some or all the functions of an existing area.
- the prospect needs help in a specialized service.
- the prospect is looking for profit improvement advice.
- the prospect needs help with a specific systems project.
unless you know what’s really on the client’s mind, you won’t be able to identify the proper solution.
it’s easy to fall into the trap of selling what you want, but not what the client needs.