Have We Got A Deal For You...

During my formative years, I  was not what you would call a natural born salesman.

For example, I was the only Cub Scout in my troop who actually owed money when given my annual candy consignment to sell door to door. When the troop switched to marketing light bulbs, I sold two packs-  one to my parents and the other to my grandmother, whom as I remember, was still using oil lamps.

A number of other potential prospects threatened me with an order of protection if I ever rang their doorbells again.

My father once told me that if I owned the only business in Phoenix that sold air conditioners, I would likely file Chapter 11.

Fortunately, I’ve become somewhat more polished over the years. Not that I’ve written a number of self-help books on business development mind you, I now can at least get an appointment with a prospect without having him or her  exercising their  Second Amendment rights.

I dredge up this amusing childhood memory because I’ve been monitoring the quantum changes within the accounting profession regarding business development strategies. It wasn’t all that long ago when trawling for new clients fell directly upon the often-already overburdened shoulders of the firm’s managing partner, who may, or may not have had, a background in sales and marketing.

As a result, new business often came across the transom in the form of referrals, or in other cases from networking at local events specific to a particular industry in which a firm wanted to make inroads.

But over the years, the accounting profession has gradually weaned itself from its roots of being notoriously slow adopters and began in earnest to recruit bona-fide sales and marketing people, who may be – but in many cases are often not ­- CPAs. In fact, one firm confided to me that sometimes they preferred outsiders with no preconceived notions about accounting firms.

Even 10 years ago that strategy many have been unthinkable and in cases, unrealistic in some firms, but as with any success, influence naturally follows.

As an example, I recently visited a midsized firm in which the managing partner pointed to a neatly organized paper, which he revealed was an RFP from a marketing professional auditioning for a business development assignment.

And from what I could gauge from his response, he appeared more than ready to relinquish those duties in order to concentrate on what he does best ­ -servicing clients.

As for me, I may still never win Salesman of the Year honors, but I think I’ve learned a thing or two along the way.

By the way, anybody in the market for some 60-watt bulbs? I have a lot of unsold inventory.