Using Sales Professionals

Source: Inside Public Accounting

Following are excerpts from the article “Deploying Professional Sales Staff: Experiences from the Trenches.”

The golden years of double-digit growth are coming to a screeching halt, say business development experts. Rainmakers are looking for help.

The position of sales professional is getting renewed attention because of current economic conditions. Here are excerpts from two of the firm interviews conducted by IPA:

Lattimore, Black, Morgan & Cain, Tennessee—Corey Napier is director of business development. He refers to himself as a quarterback and a door-opener and reports to MPs Mike Cain and David Morgan. Some partners don’t want a lot of help and some are still building their portfolios and looking for assistance. He has given the firm a more structured approach to sales, utilizing a customer relationship management system and a pipeline report. He makes presentations with marketing leaders, helps write proposals, and researches prospects.

One piece of advice he gives is to keep the process simple. Don’t start with a list of 50 prospects. Try five.

He says, “At the end of the day, people enjoy meeting new people and sharing ideas and learning, and I think if you enjoy helping others, and you offer help, you’ll find plenty of ways to develop business for a firm.”

Watkins Meegan Drury & Co., Bethesda, MD—Joseph Fitzpatrick is director of business development and strategic planning. He believes firms need a full-time, dedicated sales presence. He reports to Michael Micholas, managing member.

He identifies and meets with potential clients, then brings in the team that would provide the services. His goal is one new client every month but says, “That’s going to have to increase in 2009.”

He advises to develop trust and relationships with the partners. He also advises against hiring a traditional “hard-charging” sales person. Potential clients need to view a business development director as a peer.

One of his key initiatives is to empower the rest of the staff to feel more comfortable selling the firm’s services.

To read the complete article, click here.

From Inside Public Accounting, February 2009, p. 1, The Platt Consulting Group, www.plattgroupllc.com. Subscription $389 per year; back issues—nonsubscribers $50. 317-733-1920.