Show notes
Welcome to another episode of Building the Premier Accounting Firm. Today, Roger Knecht and Nikki Rausch discuss how to master authentic sales in the accounting industry. Learn to differentiate marketing from sales, build lasting client relationships, and effectively price your services for maximum value and client satisfaction. This episode provides actionable insights to transform your approach to attracting and retaining high-value clients. In This Episode: 00:00 Welcome & Guest Introduction 01:00 Marketing vs. Sales Explained 03:12 Mindset Shift in Sales 06:06 Engaging on Social Media 10:52 Red to Black Book Ad 12:18 Relationship-Based Selling 16:46 The 5-Step Selling Staircase 22:53 Mastering Curiosity in Sales 28:46 In the Black Book Ad 29:39 Pricing Strategies: Top-Down & Anchor Offers 35:00 Delivering on the Anchor Offer 36:12 Increasing Influence Through Questions 39:35 Turnkey Accounting Business Course Ad 40:42 The Power of Community 42:02 Key Takeaways and Resources 45:52 Upselling Existing Clients 47:25 Closing Remarks & Further Resources Key Takeaways: Differentiate marketing as lead attraction and sales as lead conversion to improve your client acquisition strategy. Cultivate relationships by viewing sales as a collaborative process, making "rapport deposits" to build trust and overcome challenges. Implement the "Selling Staircase" framework—introduction, curiosity, discovery, proposal, and close—to guide clients through a comfortable sales journey. Increase engagement in your marketing and sales by asking curiosity-driving questions, focusing on individual readers rather than a mass audience. Optimize pricing strategies by presenting offers top-down with an "anchor offer" to position your desired package as the best value. Featured Quotes: "Marketing's job is to attract potential buyers… sales' job is to take that lead and actually convert it to a place where we exchange dollars for services." — Nikki Rausch "Your job is to understand: Does this person have a need? Do I have a solution that meets that need? And third… do I have permission to put that offer in front of them?" — Nikki Rausch "You don't have to brush all your teeth, only the ones you want to keep. And I compare this to creating curiosity because you don't have to create curiosity with every single person… just the ones that you're trying to establish, is this a potential client for me or not?" — Nikki Rausch Behind the Story: This episode delves into the often-misunderstood world of sales for accounting professionals. Roger Knecht and Nikki Rausch tackle the discomfort many feel about selling by emphasizing authenticity, collaboration, and relationship-building. Nikki Rausch shares her "Selling Staircase" framework and the crucial role of curiosity in engaging potential clients, drawing a vivid analogy between calling dogs and cats to illustrate effective communication. The discussion extends to strategic pricing, highlighting the psychological impact of top-down selling and anchor offers to position services for higher perceived value. Conclusion: Thank you for joining us for another episode of Building the Premier Accounting Firm with Roger Knecht. For more information on how you can establish your own accounting firm and take control of your time and income, call 435-344-2060 or schedule an appointment to connect with Roger's team here. Sponsors: Universal Accounting Center Helping accounting professionals confidently and competently offer quality accounting services to get paid what they are worth. Offers: I have a free training to gift your listeners ($47 value) - it's called "Seal The Deal, questions that close sales": https://yoursalesmaven.com/roger Are you ready for a change, both personally and professionally? Then accept and participate in the Accountrepreneurs Challenge. This is a FREE opportunity to apply best practices and make this the best year yet in your career. Get a FREE copy of these books all accounting professionals should use to work on their business and become profitable. 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The Accounting & Bookkeeping Tips Facebook Group The Universal Accounting Fanpage Topical Newsletters: Universal Accounting Success The Universal Newsletter Lastly, get your Business Score to see what you can do to work ON your business and have the Premier Accounting Firm. Join over 70,000 business owners and get your score on the 8 Factors That Drive Your Company's Value. For Additional FREE Resources for accounting professionals check out this collection HERE! Be sure to join us for GrowCon, the LIVE event for accounting professionals to work ON their business. This is a conference you don't want to miss. Remember this, Accounting Success IS Universal. Listen to our next episode and be sure to subscribe. Also, let us know what you think of the podcast and please share any suggestions you may have. We look forward to your input: Podcast Feedback For more information on how you can apply these principles to start and build your accounting, bookkeeping & tax business please visit us at www.universalaccountingschool.com or call us at 8012653777