Business Advisory

Professional Services are Bought, Not Sold

As accountants, we often struggle with the idea of selling our services.

We may feel uncomfortable or fear being seen as pushy. But here’s the good news: when it comes to professional services, they’re bought, not sold. If we can demonstrate our value and show how we can help, clients will want to buy from us.

So let’s dive into why focusing on value and doing right by our clients is crucial instead of feeling like we are “flogging” products.

Helping is not selling

First, it’s essential to understand that helping our clients is very different from selling.

We may have a negative perception of sales because we associate it with aggressive tactics or pressuring clients. But the process becomes more natural and comfortable when we shift our mindset and focus on genuinely helping clients. Remember, our role is to guide clients and provide them with valuable services that address their needs.

Focus on the benefits and outcomes

To do this, we must speak our clients’ language. As accountants, we love detail, but our clients may not share that passion. Instead, they’re interested in the outcomes we can deliver more time, freedom, or money. By focusing on the benefits they seek, we can present our services in a way that resonates with them.

Show the value you bring

Next, it’s crucial to clearly demonstrate the value we bring.

Clients are more likely to buy from us if they understand the tangible benefits they’ll receive. So instead of making generic statements like “we can help you grow” or “we can improve your profitability,” we should offer specific examples of how our services can lead to increased profits, better cash flow, or time savings. By clarifying the value proposition, we make it easier for clients to decide.

Client centric approach

Now, let’s address the idea of doing right by our clients.

This means offering services of genuine value, not just pushing products. We must take the time to understand our clients’ needs, goals, and pain points. By doing so, we can tailor our services to address their specific requirements, ensuring we provide valuable solutions that truly make a difference.

Building trust

Moreover, this client-centric approach helps build trust and long-term relationships. When clients feel that we have their best interests at heart, they’re more likely to remain loyal and recommend our services to others. This word-of-mouth marketing is invaluable and can lead to more business opportunities.

Finally, always remember that professional services are bought, not sold.

Our role is to guide clients through their options, provide valuable information, and help them make informed decisions. We don’t need aggressive sales tactics or pressure clients into buying. Instead, we can focus on demonstrating our expertise, showing how we can help, and clearly presenting the value we offer.

Demonstrate value, speak their language and do the right thing

As accountants, we must shift our mindset from selling to helping. By demonstrating value, speaking our clients’ language, and doing right by them, we can create an environment where clients want to buy from us. This approach helps us overcome our fear of selling and leads to stronger client relationships and a more successful firm. Remember, professional services are bought not sold, and it’s up to us to show our clients the value we bring.

About Clarity

Clarity® is the end-to-end business advisory suite for accounting firms.

We help accountants thrive, by realising the full potential of their team, their firm and their clients.

Clarity brings meaning to the word “advisory”. Our multi-award winning platform, education systems, and consulting team give you the structure, tools and plans to create, market, sell and deliver business advisory services; and the confidence to make it happen.

We enable you to introduce and create a profitable, repeatable and scalable business advisory service for your firm. One that increases revenue in excess of 40% and profitability by over 125%.

Significant value

Using Clarity adds significant value to small business clients. Value they clearly understand and want to pay for.

Why not book a call, so we can schedule a strategy session with you to create a customised implementation plan? We will then work with you to execute your plan.

And download our free report “The 7 Reasons Why Business Advisory isn’t Working” here.

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