Social Selling Strategies for Accounting Professionals - Accounting Voices Podcast

Episode 84

Social Selling Strategies for Accounting Professionals

Published on: 9th January, 2020

Tim Hughes is a world leading pioneer in Social Selling. He is currently ranked Number 1 by Onalytica as the most influential social selling person in the world. He is also Co-Founder and CEO of Digital Leadership Associates and co-author of the bestselling books Social Selling - Techniques to Influence Buyers and Changemakers and Smarketing - How To Achieve Competitive Advantage Through Blended Sales and Marketing (both published by Kogan Page). Shownotes:

  • Social has changed society and the way we do business
  • A social selling approach is not just layering social on top of tradition sales and marketing
  • There is a difference between social selling and spamming, which many people get wrong
  • The right social presence build relationships, draws people to you and makes them want to meet you
  • How social scales better than a 1-1 phone conversation in enabling your content to reach more people
  • People aren't interested in your company your firm and your products - they're interested in theirs
  • The power of a personal brand to build trust and relationships online
  • Why it's important to get the people at the top on board with social, no matter their age or generation
  • In the old days, there was prime selling time where you could reach prospects - this no longer exists in an 'always on' world
  • Accountants - ever considered your firm's alumni as a great source of new clients and introducers?
  • The rules of sales have changed - buyers now expect sellers to be different
  • Why pitch slide decks talking all about your accounting firm are no longer relevant
  • Most sales meetings are a waste of your time - there is a better way
  • Good news for accountants - why it's actually easier to sell now that it ever has been
  • Shout out to the BANT approach to selling - budget, authority, needs, timescale
  • How social selling and inbound marketing cuts down selling cycles for professional firms
  • Research from Gartner says that buyers are up to 57% of the way through their buying process using online means before they contact potential suppliers or advisors
  • Social and HR - smart accounting firms are using the networks of their employees to find new talent
  • Social is changing sales but also other functions such as HR, procurement and finance
  • It's prudent for accounting professionals to have a wide, deep and diverse business network
  • You should have at least 2000 relationships on LinkedIn before you can say you have a good network
  • LinkedIn is the most trusted network for professionals like accountants because it's most often where their clients are
  • Traditional networking is dying as the online and social means of connecting become more dominant
  • What's coming up in the world of social over the next 3-5 years, particularly using augmented and virtual reality
  • Artificial intelligence will become omnipresent like the website has become
  • The importance of ground rules to decide who you connect with on LinkedIn
  • Tips for looking and sounding different on LinkedIn (hint - there a million 'thought leaders' on there!)

Tim Hughes on the Accounting Influencers podcast with BD Academy founder Rob Brown

Tim's background in sales has been in selling accounting systems so he knows the accounting world very well.When not working, he likes opera, theatre and music concerts. He's into cycling also did the 'couch to 5K' app 12 months ago and is now running.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyhughessocialselling/

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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.