FBI sales techniques applied to accounting firms: how to close more contracts through WhatsApp

Before we begin the text of FBI Sales Techniques Applied to Accounting Firms, I need to warn you that this text is part of a trilogy to fully master marketing, sales, and service for accounting offices.

[1/3] Digital marketing strategies for accounting firms

[3/3] C.O.N.T.A.B.I.L. method to organize (and optimize) the service of your accounting office

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If you have an accounting office, you've already learned here on the blog how to attract customers beyond word of mouth. And now you're ready to take the next step to close new contracts via WhatsApp.

But do you know the most efficient way to close a new contract?

Normally sales specialists will tell you that you need a WhatsApp sales script, that you need to be outgoing and you need your customer's yes at all costs...

The truth is that you have to do it differently, and the secret of the FBI sales techniques applied to accounting firms is to be simple.

And in this text I'm going to show you how to do that. Just know that...

Every sale made by you or your acquisition team needs to be done as well as if your life depended on it. After all, this is a new stage in your accounting firm's growth strategy, and the goal is predictable and consistent growth.

Speaking of consistent strategy...

Once, not long ago, I read a book about sales With a FBI high-risk negotiator. He applied the same technique he used while working to save lives in a kidnapping to sell products and services.

But it's those same principles that your sales department can use to convert many more prospects (leads) that arrive at WhatsApp from the office, those who consumed your content and your advertisements, in clients.

Therefore, from this book of experience of such radical negotiations involving lives, the author drew the following lessons that can be very useful for the formation of your team to acquire new customers:

• Use a soft or cheerful voice;
• To empathize is not to smile and agree;
• Apologizing brings us closer;
• Ask open-ended questions until the other side actually says what it thinks and feels.

We're going to dive into each point, but you're probably wondering:

Why does this work in the world of customer acquisition for accounting?

It was a strategy developed through trial and error, without a theory behind it, and it needed to work, because in his case the hostage would die and, in your case, you could bankrupt your office.

Having new clients is the only option for your office to continue growing and to have a healthy cashier!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that your client is your enemy, far from it, he's your ally.

But in sales communication, we need to act strategically, Why is the mind complex and social interactions as well. We, human beings, NO Do we really say what we think or what We want Personally, can you imagine through WhatsApp?!

This is just a technique so that your customer can open up. Not a script.

Speaking of screenplay...

THE WhatsApp sales script of your service team, if there is a formalized script, would you support a sale in the face of the argument of an agent trained in FBI negotiations?

Probably not, because the path your collaborator is going to take is predictable, as if unconsciously your client were dealing with a robot And you probably already know that Humans have NO empathy for robots Why isn't there emotional connections.

Then, its sale, through the script, makes a game of seduction somewhat plastered.

In this case, the ideal is that the training of your reception sector provides employees with tools so that they can Dominate the part of the brain responsible for emotions and, based on a more rational approach, break any purchase objection.

But how to reach that objective with FBI sales techniques applied to accounting offices?

This is not a straight line, the human being is composed of emotions (among them, the one that speaks loudest when buying is selfishness) and rationality, and each individual reacts differently in each situation depending on the context to which they are submitted.

This is an unconscious process that gives us the perspective we have of the world from a certain perspective. That's called cognitive bias.

You probably know the most famous of them, which is the”Aversion to loss”, which is covered in the book “Fast and Slow - Two Ways of Thinking”, which we will still talk about in this text.

And to understand what cognitive bias is, you first Do you need to understand the human mind and turn scientific learning into something you can use in practice.

Therefore, starting with “Fast and Slow” we can understand the brain from two systems:

#1 Emotional System

This system concerns our Animal mind that processes instinct and emotions. This is a fast system, that is, it is responsible for guarantee our survival by means of urge.

And you must be wondering: how to ensure survival?

In dangerous situations, our body has stress mechanisms that make us alert to escape. This still happens with our body today, but it's not something recent, it's been an instinct since the beginning of humanity.

For example:

When you hear a lion roar, are you going to sit still wondering if it's really a lion? No, you'll probably run to save yourself without actually knowing if you're a lion and you'll only look back once you're in a safe place.

And this is the same system that acts on impulse buying, by an instinct to meet the apparently necessary needs instead of missing an opportunity.

#2 Rational System

The rational system, on the other hand, is the system of logical, the system of thinking before doing an action, in short, is the system of rationality.

For example:

By analyzing the budget before making an account and thinking about the cost-benefit of the product, you use the rational system.

Now tell me...

In your experience, which one has the most influence on a purchase?

Emotions, values, beliefs, and even what others think (superego, according to Freud) provide the tools for logic to happen.

After all, there's no math if there aren't numbers, right?

The same thing happens in the sale. Your salespeople need to get to the customers' emotions to finally follow the path of logic.

For example:

You open Facebook and see an advertisement for a brand new red Ford Fusion.

Your eyes shine and you really want to buy, you're even ready to swipe your car shopping card without even thinking about what you're going to eat tomorrow (or whether you'll have any money left over for that). But he decides to talk to the seller on WhatsApp before closing the deal.

Seeing his interest and knowing the product's differentials, the seller decided to schedule a video call.

The emotional side (you, in the case of this story) are in love with the sedan with its luxury...

But upon seeing your crush on the video call, your wife (representing the rational side) turns to you and says:

“Honey, you already have a car to get around standing in the garage, which is even that same shade of red”.

You have a Celta standing in the garage, not even a Ford Fusion! How can she not see the difference?

But let's face it...

Rationally, there's no difference.

See:

Both cars have wheels, serve as locomotion, and even have the same color.

So what is the seller's role in this case?

Help your emotional side convince the logical side.

Because the Ford Fusion is:

• more economical;
• the resale value is higher;
• will improve comfort and safety when traveling;

Therefore, The seller will provide tools for the emotional to have logical arguments to present to the rational system. That is, he will give you the knife, but in the end, you are the one who will cut the cheese.

This example of the couple was to make everything crystal clear in their mind, so the mind was divided into two people, and this process also takes place within your own mind in a buying process.

In a sale, the seller needs to focus their efforts on emotions.

But how to do this in an accounting office?

The first step, when a new client arrives on WhatsApp from the office, is listen, demonstrate understanding and being wholehearted In the will of understand and help. The attendant wears his vest of Consultant to guide your client to light and actually solve the tangle that his company's financial life is.

In the first moment, your mission is to extract all possible information through questions that will encourage the other to speak without force. This can be a bit trickier in a text conversation. So encourage your customer to speak via audio or schedule a quick video call to talk face to face.

As basic as this sounds, what What we usually do is make assumptions and search for our own opinion within the other person's speech, because our brain is programmed to make a selective listening and not the truth in fact.

In contrast, the role of the attendant at this time is Make the customer safe to talk, talk, talk until you feel safe to say what is in fact your pain or what is in fact your objection so as not to close the hiring of your office at that exact moment.

But to make that security palpable, there's a tip:

Beware of tone of voice when using FBI Sales Techniques applied to accounting offices.

What tone of voice to choose when welcoming potential customers by audio or video call?

In this initial process, voice is a powerful form of communication and there are basically 2 tones of voice that your salesperson should use:

The voice with Lower tones, speaking slowly and clearly (but without sounding like a psychopath), a good example, is the voice of meditation apps. In this way, the voice will be understood as gentle but assertive.

The second type of voice is Cheerful voice, in which your salesperson puts a smile on their voice. A good tip for this second tone is: truly smile, even over the phone or text message. This will show in your voice (or in your text). That's a more inviting tone and sounds like a question even in affirmations.

Remember when we talked earlier about open-ended questions?

This is another technique called mirroring by Chris Voss (author of the book “Negotiate As If Your Life Depended On It”).

It basically consists of imitation. When two people have movements, or repetitions of speech that are mirrored, this means that they are in tune, because we are attracted to others.

However, there is a way to do this intentionally to create that bond:

Repeat the last three words of your interlocutor, so he “will reason about what was just said and sustain the connection process” according to Chris Voss and the FBI Sales Techniques.

But why do that?

When your client feels listened to, he leaves the defensive posture and is taken to a rational part of the brain and begins to reflect with you on the solution to the pain and why it is a good deal.

Finally, we need to talk about another fundamental sales and service base:

Empathy

Remember that your sales process isn't a battle, it's a dance (as we've seen in the mirroring technique) in which the two need to be in tune.

Based on this principle, using a smile to break the ice (even in WhatsApp audios, the smile shines through the voice), using mirroring to generate connection and using the right tone of voice, will transform someone who has an aversion to sellers into someone who is receiving advice from a close friend.

But other than that, Empathy is reading between the lines and understanding what isn't said in your client's speech or prospectus, paying attention to what he says and what he shows without making pre-judgments, much less trying to find something in his speech, simply understanding (even if you don't agree).

That's why the”I'm sorry” works so well.

Another way to show empathy and for your salesperson to show empathy is to name the oxen.

Calm down, I'll explain.

Your client is in pain, right?

He has problems that your product can solve, but sometimes he can't say for sure what the problems are, he just feels like he has one.

Therefore, you, aware of what pain this is, can transform that feeling into words and then respond to how your company's product can help.

For example:

You've been experiencing back pain for several days. He's been to the doctor, no apparent problem, he's been to the orthopedist, but his bones are perfectly fine, he changed the mattress and nothing. Until one day, you talk to a massage therapist friend and he says:

Do you feel pain when turning clockwise or lifting your right arm? If so, you probably have a rare disease called Costitis and you can improve this in a very simple way, but for that, I need you to come to my office. Send me a WhatsApp so that we can make an appointment.

He didn't cure her illness, but by naming it he took that connection of trust and empathy to another level. This is a confidence shortcut, a direct shortcut to your customer's heart.

And this is not a shortcut you have to take just for FBI sales techniques applied to accounting offices, I recommend using this methodology throughout your operation, including in relations with your collaborators, because we are more than writing a sales script, we are talking about human relations.

And here we have the consultative selling manual in a different way.

Now, you need to know about something very important that if you don't comply you can end everything you've built with your client so far:

NONE OF THIS IS ABOUT YOU...

That's one The hard truth, but The central figure in a consultative sale is your customer, so avoid using “me”. “I think”, “I understand”, etc. When naming your client's feeling and pain, use something like “It seems like...”. When you take the “me” out of the conversation, your client feels more and more embraced, because it's about him and not about you.

It seems like a minor detail, but...

A successful sale isn't about boasting, it's about helping others.

After that first contact, understanding the problem, showing empathy with your customer's situation, your seller will need to finalize the sale through the same channel that you started, namely, WhatsApp itself. And that's great for your quality control of care.

But the situation makes it favorable for your client to ask: “shall we close?”

Probably such a direct approach isn't ideal.

So, now you've understood how to communicate with your potential customer, what tone to use, what tone to listen to in order to actually understand the customer's problems and present your solution as a solution to those problems. You don't have to say you're doing DRE to a client who just wants an income tax follow-up.

You already have the tools, but you still need a methodology to approach the client, so pay close attention to the following 10 steps, because they are a road map and not a script:

1- Introduce yourself and ask the client to talk a bit about what they are looking for in an accounting service.

In this part, your client will probably be a bit stuck expressing himself because of writing on WhatsApp, encourage him to send audio, so he can say everything that is in his heart, also stimulate the conversation using the mirroring technique, this makes him safer to continue chatting.

2- Listen carefully and take note. Ideally, you should have a specific place to write down all important customer information within the conversation.

In this case, you can use a CRM or a tool such as PinkApp which has note cards inside conversations. This allows you to save all the information without losing anything.

3- Repeat the points raised with the client along with the last 3 words they used.

Using the client's vocabulary also works well as mirroring (both in text, audio, and even in video calls) and makes intimacy faster. This is a technique for making friends. Because, after all, the customer doesn't want to talk to a seller, he wants to buy with a friend.

4- Let him agree that this is his pain (looking for a genuine yes to activate your future client's sense of coherence). If he agrees with you and is your friend, why wouldn't he hire your accounting office?

5- Present the points that your office can help you (benefits) and why your office will work very well in partnership with your future client's business.

6- Give him space to think, silence is not bad. It's processing all the information you passed.

7- After 3 minutes of silence (if applicable) ask if there were any questions or any points that he would like to clarify better.

8- If the client hesitates, repeat the mirroring technique with open-ended questions until they feel comfortable saying their objection.

Speaking of objection, we have a blog post about How to break objections to a sale, and we believe it will add a lot to your sales dossier.

9- Break objections using open-ended questions and mirroring techniques.

For example: I believe that this is an unfeasible option for my cashier because it is expensive.

In that case, you would respond. “I get it. And what do you believes To be a feasible option For yours teller?

See? You repeated the very words he used and returned an open-ended question to him.

So you can offer an installment payment or cash discount and break any price objection.

10- Last but not least, offer a maximum period for that offer.

This stirs your client's emotions and activates the loss-aversion key, that is, human beings prefer not to gain anything than to lose. This is crazy, but it stifles the feeling of justice (and losing is unfair). Even though it's something he hasn't lost yet, as we mentioned earlier when we mentioned cognitive bias.

Therefore, we can see that the key to a successful sale is in the mind and not in a robotic script, everything works as a mechanism and the harmony makes the sale concrete.

This is the way to finalize a sale that started there in the customer acquisition part, but doesn't stop there. Because...

Closing a sale is just the beginning. Now that your prospect has become your customer, you need to deliver your promise of a solution to their problems.

You need to deliver the best possible service! You need your after-sales to be just as good. And you need to have control and visibility of all services to know how you can improve and what to adapt. But probably the way you do it today with multiple WhatsApps it's impossible.

For this reason, We separated another article here for you about how to organize your departments, provide good service and automate as much as possible with chatbots to make your employees more productive.