Sales Call Flow

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The 15-Hr Accountant Podcast is a podcast for accountants, CPAs, bookkeepers and fractional CFO who are starting (or thinking about starting) their own accounting practice. The podcast focuses on the key building blocks of a hyper-lean, six-figure-plus profitable accounting firm that allows for work-life balance. The perfect podcast for accountants who want to balance parenthood, grandparenthood, easy into retirement, or recover from burnout!

Erica Goode: 00:04

Hey. Welcome to the 15 Hour Accountant podcast. I'm your host, Erica Goody. In this inaugural season of the podcast, we're leveraging AI to help us think through some of the key building blocks to building a hyper lean accounting firm, working only the hours you want, making a 6 figure income. Each episode is based on an original newsletter email written by me and shared with the good folks at the 15 Hour Accountant newsletter list.

Erica Goode: 00:31

We then had our AI Bot friends here talk us through it. You'll see that they actually do a shockingly good job at helping our brains process the information. Now don't worry, everything published here has been fully vetted and reviewed by my very human ears. Anything glaringly wrong or misleading has been removed. But we did leave in the AI glitches and nuances to laugh a little, keep it real, and feel better about our humanity.

Erica Goode: 00:57

Let's dive in and see what our AI friends have to say about this topic.

Bot 1: 01:05

Okay. So today, we are diving deep into sales calls.

Bot 2: 01:12

Right.

Bot 1: 01:12

But not just any sales calls. No. We are gonna be looking at a framework that is specifically designed for a niche business.

Bot 2: 01:20

Yes.

Bot 1: 01:21

And this framework comes from the 15 hour accountant. So if you've heard of that Mhmm. That is who we are gonna be talking about today.

Bot 2: 01:29

Yeah. This will be interesting because like you said, it's a very specific framework for a very specific niche business.

Bot 1: 01:34

Exactly.

Bot 2: 01:35

And this is the 15 hour accountant.

Bot 1: 01:38

Yes.

Bot 2: 01:38

And they actually have a successful business.

Bot 1: 01:41

Yes.

Bot 2: 01:41

So it's not just theory. It's like, this is something that they actually do.

Bot 1: 01:45

They actually use. Yeah. And it works.

Bot 2: 01:47

Yeah. And it works.

Bot 1: 01:48

So I'm excited.

Bot 2: 01:49

Yeah.

Bot 1: 01:49

So the 15 hour accountant, and that is run by a woman named Erica Good.

Bot 2: 01:54

Right.

Bot 1: 01:55

And, basically, she has built her entire business model

Bot 2: 01:58

Yes.

Bot 1: 01:59

Around, a, niching down

Bot 2: 02:01

Yes.

Bot 1: 02:01

Which we talk about all the time on this show.

Bot 2: 02:03

We do. It's so important.

Bot 1: 02:04

But, also, valuing your time.

Bot 2: 02:06

Yes.

Bot 1: 02:07

And I think that this is something that we as, like Yes. You know, online entrepreneurs or whatever we wanna call ourselves, whatever you do.

Bot 2: 02:14

Such an easy thing to overlook. It is. It is. Especially when you're starting out.

Bot 1: 02:18

Yeah. And you're like, oh, you just need to get clients, and you're like

Bot 2: 02:22

Yeah. You're just so happy to have somebody who's willing to pay you. You're like, oh, yeah. I'll charge you $2 an hour.

Bot 1: 02:27

Whatever you want.

Bot 2: 02:27

Yeah. Whatever you want. Sounds good.

Bot 1: 02:30

But, yeah, she really emphasizes, like, you need to value your time.

Bot 2: 02:34

Yes. And that comes through, I think, in how you approach these sales calls as well. You know? Yeah. If you're coming from a place of, like, I'm desperate Yes.

Bot 2: 02:44

That's gonna be felt on the other end of the line.

Bot 1: 02:46

100%.

Bot 2: 02:46

But if you're like, no. I provide a valuable service.

Bot 1: 02:50

I know what I'm doing.

Bot 2: 02:51

I'm helping you out. I'm solving a problem that you have.

Bot 1: 02:54

Exactly.

Bot 2: 02:55

Like, that's a very different energy going into it.

Bot 1: 02:57

Yes. And you attract Yeah. Different clients. And so I think that that's, like, a really good thing to think about.

Bot 2: 03:03

And she really structures these calls in a way that embodies that.

Bot 1: 03:06

Yeah.

Bot 2: 03:07

You know, like, valuing your time is not just about, like, how much you're charging. It's also about, like, how are you using your time on these calls

Bot 1: 03:15

Exactly.

Bot 2: 03:15

And making sure that every minute is maximized for, you know Effective. Effectiveness. Yeah.

Bot 1: 03:21

So let's get into the actual, like

Bot 2: 03:23

Yeah. Framework. Let's hear it.

Bot 1: 03:25

Okay. So the whole call is about 30 minutes.

Bot 2: 03:29

Okay. Half an hour. That's it?

Bot 1: 03:31

That's it. That's all she does.

Bot 2: 03:33

I like that. That's efficient.

Bot 1: 03:34

Exactly. And she breaks it up into these sections. So first, you have, like, your ice breaking, and that's only, like, 2 to 3 minutes.

Bot 2: 03:40

Okay. So it's quick. You're not spending the whole time, like, you know?

Bot 1: 03:43

Exactly. Exactly. So I think a lot of times, you know, people get really caught up

Bot 2: 03:48

in Like, 20 minutes of, like, how's the weather?

Bot 1: 03:51

Yes. Exactly. And that's not what she does. It's very much like she has some you know, she'll find out where they're located Yeah. And see if, like, maybe they know somebody.

Bot 2: 04:01

Oh, interesting. Like, building that rapport.

Bot 1: 04:03

Yes. Building that rapport, like, immediate.

Bot 2: 04:06

Really smart.

Bot 1: 04:07

Yeah. So that's, like, the first couple of minutes.

Bot 2: 04:08

Okay.

Bot 1: 04:09

And then she goes into expectation setting, which I thought was really interesting. And she only spends, like, a minute on that, and it's very much like

Bot 2: 04:15

Oh, okay. So setting expectations for the call itself.

Bot 1: 04:18

For the call. Yes. Exactly. And it's basically like, this is what we're gonna be covering. This is how it's gonna go.

Bot 2: 04:24

I like that a lot, actually.

Bot 1: 04:25

Yeah.

Bot 2: 04:26

Because I think sometimes, you know, you can get on a call and you're not really sure, like, what's the purpose of this call. Yeah. What am I supposed to be getting out of this?

Bot 1: 04:35

Exactly.

Bot 2: 04:35

But if you know from the get go

Bot 1: 04:38

This is the goal.

Bot 2: 04:39

This is what we're doing. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's

Bot 1: 04:42

really helpful. I love that.

Bot 2: 04:43

It keeps everybody on the

Bot 1: 04:44

same page. And I think it I think it probably really helps with, like, not wasting time. Because I think a lot of times, you know, things can go on these, like, tangents.

Bot 2: 04:52

You get sidetracked. Yeah. You go down these rabbit holes, and then all of a sudden, your 30 minutes is up, and you haven't actually accomplished anything.

Bot 1: 04:59

Exactly. But if you're both very clear from the beginning, like, this is the goal. This is what we're doing.

Bot 2: 05:04

I love that.

Bot 1: 05:05

So that's expectation setting.

Bot 2: 05:07

Mhmm.

Bot 1: 05:08

Then, it's my favorite part. She spends 10 minutes on things. Client needs deep dive.

Bot 2: 05:13

Oh, wow. So she really lets them talk. Yes. That's interesting.

Bot 1: 05:17

And it's all about letting the prospect talk. So, like, you're not even

Bot 2: 05:20

You're not selling at that point. You're just listening.

Bot 1: 05:22

You are listening. You are drawing them out.

Bot 2: 05:24

Gathering information.

Bot 1: 05:26

Yes. And I think that that is so important, especially with what we were just saying about

Bot 2: 05:30

Like, really understanding where they're coming from. Yes. What are their pain points? You know? Yes.

Bot 2: 05:36

What are they struggling with?

Bot 1: 05:37

And she actually says that this is where she really listens for their pain points and, like, opportunities.

Bot 2: 05:44

That makes a lot of sense.

Bot 1: 05:45

You know, she'll kinda, like, suss those out.

Bot 2: 05:47

Because if you can identify those

Bot 1: 05:48

Yeah.

Bot 2: 05:49

Then you can really tailor your pitch to address those specific things. You know? That's fast. It's not just a generic, like, here's what I do.

Bot 1: 05:56

I'm an accountant. Hire me.

Bot 2: 05:58

Yeah. It's like, here's how I can solve your specific problem.

Bot 1: 06:01

You told me you're having this problem. I can solve that.

Bot 2: 06:03

Yeah. I'm the solution.

Bot 1: 06:05

I love that.

Bot 2: 06:05

Much more effective.

Bot 1: 06:07

So then after that, once she's, like, really gathered all that information

Bot 2: 06:11

Okay.

Bot 1: 06:11

She goes into showcasing value, which, again, another 10 minutes.

Bot 2: 06:15

Okay. So she spends as much time listening as she does talking.

Bot 1: 06:20

Isn't that interesting?

Bot 2: 06:21

Yeah. I like that balance.

Bot 1: 06:22

I do too.

Bot 2: 06:23

Because I think a lot of people, when they think of sales, they think of, like, talking at someone. You know?

Bot 1: 06:28

Here's why you need to buy my thing.

Bot 2: 06:30

Yeah. Exactly.

Bot 1: 06:31

And it's not it's not that at all.

Bot 2: 06:33

No. It's about understanding and then providing a solution. Yeah. Like, you're a problem solver.

Bot 1: 06:38

And she really emphasizes, like, tailoring your presentation to what they just said.

Bot 2: 06:43

Okay.

Bot 1: 06:43

So it's not like she has, you know, one thing

Bot 2: 06:45

One size fits all.

Bot 1: 06:47

That she's, like, going off of. It's very much like, okay. You said this. This is how I can help you. I can help you with

Bot 2: 06:54

this. That's smart.

Bot 1: 06:55

And another thing she says is she uses a lot of visuals. So whether that's, like, reports, software demos, because, obviously, she's an accountant, so she's gonna have, like, you know, visual things.

Bot 2: 07:06

Sure. Yeah.

Bot 1: 07:07

But I think that that can apply to any business.

Bot 2: 07:10

Oh, absolutely. People are visual. Oh, yeah. Like, we like to see things. Yeah.

Bot 2: 07:14

It makes it more real. You know?

Bot 1: 07:16

Yes.

Bot 2: 07:16

It's one thing to hear someone talk about numbers. It's another thing to see it in a graph or a chart. Exactly. That makes sense. Yeah.

Bot 1: 07:22

So I think that that's, like, a really good tip. Even if it's not something that you think is like, oh, I don't have anything visual, I'm sure you can come up with something.

Bot 2: 07:29

You can get creative. Yes. Yeah.

Bot 1: 07:32

And then the very last thing, like, the last couple minutes of the call is strategic next steps.

Bot 2: 07:37

Okay. So what does that look like?

Bot 1: 07:39

So it's not like a, okay. Well, you know, here's my, you wanna get started. Here's my contract. Right.

Bot 2: 07:45

It's not it's not a hard sell.

Bot 1: 07:46

Yeah. It's not a hard sell because, again, she's very big on, like, not every client is the right fit.

Bot 2: 07:53

Yeah. You're not gonna get every client, and that's okay. Yes. You don't wanna work with everyone. You wanna work with the right people.

Bot 1: 07:59

And I think that that's so important because I think so many times we get caught up in Yeah. Like, oh, I need this sale.

Bot 2: 08:05

I need this one. Yes.

Bot 1: 08:06

That we're, like, willing to work with anybody.

Bot 2: 08:08

Or we're willing to, like, you know, bend over backwards and do things that we don't really wanna do

Bot 1: 08:13

Yes.

Bot 2: 08:13

Exactly. To get them to sign, and then you end up regretting it later because you're like, oh, this is not the kind of client I wanna be working with.

Bot 1: 08:20

Exactly. And I love that she does this.

Bot 2: 08:22

Yeah. It's smart.

Bot 1: 08:23

So, basically, strategic next steps. It's either, like, okay. I'm gonna send you a proposal, or it's let's get it on another call. You know, let's talk about this further. But it's very much dependent on the client.

Bot 2: 08:36

Tailored to them

Bot 1: 08:36

Yes.

Bot 2: 08:37

I like that.

Bot 1: 08:37

And what their needs are.

Bot 2: 08:39

So it's basically like taking all of that information that she gathered in that first, you know, 20 minutes of the call

Bot 1: 08:45

What's this?

Bot 2: 08:46

And then using that to inform how she moves forward.

Bot 1: 08:49

Exactly.

Bot 2: 08:50

That's really smart. I like it.

Bot 1: 08:52

So I know we just, like, threw a lot of information at you.

Bot 2: 08:54

We did. That was a lot.

Bot 1: 08:55

But I do wanna emphasize, like, she's very clear that this is just a framework. This is her framework. This is what works for her, and you need to find what works for you.

Bot 2: 09:05

Yeah. Your flow. Yeah. Exactly. What feels natural to you.

Bot 1: 09:07

And what feels good and what feels, you know

Bot 2: 09:09

Perfect.

Bot 1: 09:10

Authentic. Yes. And I think that that's just you know, that applies to everything in business. It's not one size fits all.

Bot 2: 09:15

You gotta figure out what works for you.

Bot 1: 09:18

So I guess as we're wrapping up here, like, what do you think is there what's, like, one thing that you think that you could apply

Bot 2: 09:27

From this Yeah. To your own business?

Bot 1: 09:29

From what we talked about today.

Bot 2: 09:31

That's a good question.

Bot 1: 09:32

Or, like, even just in your communication in general.

Bot 2: 09:35

Yeah. I think I mean, I love that expectation setting piece.

Bot 1: 09:39

I

Bot 2: 09:39

think that's something that I could definitely be better at. You know?

Bot 1: 09:43

Even in your personal life.

Bot 2: 09:44

Oh, a 100%. Just being like, hey. This is what I'm hoping to get out of this conversation, or this is, you know, what I'm thinking.

Bot 1: 09:51

This is the goal.

Bot 2: 09:52

This is the goal. Yeah. Exactly.

Bot 1: 09:53

I love it. Well, that's all the time we have for today, but, hopefully, you learned a little something.

Bot 2: 09:59

I know. I did. Too.

Erica Goode: 10:05

Hey, it's very human, Erica, again. I hope that helped you think through that topic a little more. If you wanna hop on the 15 hour accountant newsletter that these episodes are based on, come hang out with us. Or check out my free ebook, The 15 Hour Accountant, Anatomy of a $200,000 1 employee, 15 hour per week accounting firm, where I pull back the curtain and show you the inner workings of my own firm. I'll leave a link to both the newsletter and the ebook in the show notes.

Erica Goode: 10:32

Until next time.