Digital Transformation & Social Selling for Accountants - Accounting Voices Podcast

Episode 62

Digital Transformation & Social Selling for Accountants

Published on: 8th August, 2019

Alex Low

Alex Low is a change consultant for professional firms. He advises accountants on topics such as social selling, digital transformation, sales and marketing online and engaging more using digital. He has over 15 years sales experience, lead social selling programmes for an International Law firm and Global Commercial Real Estate firm.

He is the Professional Service lead at DLA ignite and is at the forefront of understanding the latest technology platforms and how they can be used in a social context, including AI & Machine Learning. He has been featured in LinkedIn case studies talking on social selling and the real world benefits organisations can achieve leveraging the technology and processes in the 21st Century. Shownotes:

  • What digital transformation means in the real world
  • Accountants only talk a very good game when it comes to digital transformation
  • Social media is not just about cute cats and posting pictures of your latest pizza
  • Social selling is business development and sales/marketing for the 21st-century
  • Social selling challenges traditional sales approaches, especially for accountants
  • Digital in simple terms is technology and in sales and social selling, the outcome remains getting business meetings
  • Some progressive accounting firms are embracing digital transformation – Kingston Smith’s website now allows voice search
  • PWC now have a practice focused on drone technology
  • Change takes time and people fear it, which is why culture is slow to adopt digital transformation
  • Professional service firms like accountants have a fixed mindset (see Carol Dweck) which makes them slow to change
  • People still buy people and that hasn’t changed in this age of digital transformation, but more and more people are communicating online
  • Buying behaviours are changing – people don’t like being sold to, they do their own research and ask their trusted network
  • LinkedIn is one of the most accepted and professional business to business selling platforms
  • People used to buy by word-of-mouth – this has now just moved into the social media arena
  • Our attention span is diminishing technology and we are becoming more and more lazy – this is why we save time asking others for recommendations
  • Amazon has reprogrammed the way people buy in the 21st-century
  • Google are blocking 100 million email marketing messages every day and marking them as spam – people do not like being interrupted
  • 4.3 billion people in the world are now online and over 2 million have installed ad blockers on their email, so the majority of paid-for advertising is not working
  • Social selling is 21st-century lead generation – it creates awareness and starts conversations
  • Tips to help accountants dip their toes into the world of social selling
  • Attention is a currency so any social media activity must cut through the noise
  • The power of hashtags to label your conversations online and create engagement
  • How Microsoft (who own LinkedIn) are trying to drive engagement
  • The role of the marketing team in shaping social media approaches for individual accountants
  • Permission and fear are some of the biggest challenges that prevent change happening in accounting firms
  • How EY are trying to change the partnership model of accounting firms from a pyramid to more of an ecosystem.

'#Accountants only talk a very good game when it comes to digital transformation' says #accounting social selling expert @alexander_low on the Accounting Influencers Podcast #accountex 'accountancy #advisory #accountinginsight

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Alex Low on the BD Academy Accounting Influencers podcast with Rob Brown

Alex Low

When Alex is not working, he geeks out over BBQs, and loves both skiing and heli-skiiing. He met the Queen last year and his Great Great Uncle invented the tank. Contact Alex directly:

Alex on LinkedIn

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Liked your Accounting Influencers Interview with Rob Brown" target="_blank">Alex on email

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About the Podcast

Accounting Voices Podcast
Accounting Voices helps people in the accounting world stay relevant visible and vocal. Host Rob Brown interprets trends reshaping the profession and gives listeners insight to build authority influence and a stronger voice in firms and markets.
Accounting Voices, hosted by Rob Brown, helps decision makers and leaders in accounting and finance stay relevant, visible and vocal in a profession being reshaped by technology, private equity, regulation and shifting client expectations. Each episode interprets the trends disrupting accounting and finance such as AI, automation, M&A, talent and the move to advisory and translates them into practical insight that strengthens authority and influence.
Accounting Voices is also a platform for the wider ecosystem of networks, associations, educators, consultants, software vendors and technology experts who serve accountants and finance professionals worldwide. It extends into regular Accounting Voices networking sessions that connect this audience and amplify ideas that move the profession forward. With its international reach and long shelf life the show delivers credibility and commercial value for listeners and sponsors alike. Search for "Accounting Voices" on YouTube for all episodes and connect with Rob Brown on LinkedIn to find out more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobbrown

About your host

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Rob Brown

ob Brown is the creator and host of the Accounting Voices Network, a media platform that includes the flagship solo podcast Accounting Voices and the panel shows Accounting M&A and Accounting Tech. He chairs conferences, panels and virtual events worldwide and is recognised as a leading advocate for the accounting profession.

He is an accomplished speaker and authority on trust, reputation, employer brand, talent, succession, executive presence and the forces shaping the future of accounting. Rob is the author of the bestselling book Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and his TEDx talk The Personal Brand of You has been viewed more than 400,000 times.

A former co-founder of the Accounting Influencers Roundtable, Rob now focuses on amplifying the voices of leaders, firms, networks, vendors and influencers across the global accounting ecosystem.

Outside of work he is a stroke survivor, lives with epilepsy, holds a black belt in kickboxing and is based in Nottingham, UK. He plays chess and backgammon, loves orange chocolate and is allergic to grapefruit.