That being said CPA’s need to realize that the closing is near the end of the sales process. If the sales conversation has progressed well through all the other stages of the sales process, then the close is the easiest part because the client often closes himself. Being a master at the whole sequence and getting mini-closes along the way makes the process flow naturally toward a win-win solution.

The Reverse Close however, is definitely not for me. I don’t want to get prospect accustomed to saying “no”.

I only want them to get used to saying “yes”.

Regards,

Thomas F. Scanlon, CPA, CFP®

Now that getting business is tougher, ‘Marketing’ is becoming the dirty word. “We don’t want marketing. We want sales!”

–

Nice post, Rick.

I am unsure that you are correct that they are “likely doing some or all of them already.” Many aren’t using any of these techniques and will leave proposal meetings (assuming they don’t simply e-mail the proposal … groan!) without ever asking for ink, often using the excuse that “Well… they couldn’t have signed it then, anyway.” Maybe not, but you would have learned why they might not sign it, before it’s too late.

It’s a pretty simple equation of: “Don’t ask. Don’t get.”

At Porte Brown, we teach a sales and marketing process. This is professional level marketing, combined with the sales process necessary to complement your marketing successes.

One of the barriers for accountants in “closing” is the discomfort of asking the difficult questions and having difficult conversations. Being willing and practiced at asking these difficult questions, withstanding the discomfort until that no longer stands in one’s way, is the absolute key to more and better engagements. Why? Asked the right way, difficult questions deepen the relationship. As professionals, we are all in the relationship-building game.