Episode 112

How Accountants Can Sell More Confidently & Effectively

Liston Witherill is the founder and creator of Serve Don't Sell where he helps professional services firms build the confidence and systems they need to win the business they know they should. He’s also host of the Modern Sales podcast, a podcast that’ll help you sell more by understanding how people buy. Liston has spent his career in professional services and consulting, with a focus on marketing and selling services. Prior to running his own company, he was the Director of Business Development and Marketing at a consulting firm that grew from $8M to $12M in three years. Shownotes:

  • The critical difference between marketing, business development and selling when it comes to professional services
  • The profile of a classic rainmaker in a professional firm, and why it's hard to teach people to do it
  • What accountants need most of all if they want to build a referral based business
  • The fantasy of having a sales or business development person in your accounting firm that can win lots of work on their own
  • Why sales and selling is not comfortable for smart technical professionals like accountants
  • Why very few partners in accounting firms have had any kind of formal training in sales and business development
  • Why the natural sales people and top work winners in an accounting firm are often very poor coaches and mentors
  • Why continued growth and business development succession is so difficult in many accounting firms
  • The key differences in selling products and services for an accounting professional
  • The two critical factors for accountants who want to sell more 'intangible' services like advisory
  • Why fixed pricing beats the billable hour in accounting services
  • The art of turning accounting services into products for better pricing and better profitability
  • The two things accountants need to be if they want to be better at sales and win more business
  • The criteria required to justify bringing in external professionals to help an accounting firm win more work
  • The dilemma for accountants in devoting time to fee-earning and to building a portfolio of new business.

Liston Wetherill on the Accounting Influencers podcast with BD Academy founder Rob Brown

When he’s not working, Liston makes beats, exercises, and is an avid reader of business, economics, and history books. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, dog, and cat. You might be surprised to know that Liston has recorded a nationally televised rap song, and can still dunk a basketball despite his aging knees. You can reach him here...

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About the Podcast

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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.

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About your host

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Rob Brown

Rob Brown is the founder and host of the Accounting Voices Podcast, the flagship solo show of the Accounting Voices Network. Each episode offers sharp analysis and commentary on the trends, ideas and people shaping the global accounting profession.

Through this Accounting Voices Podcast, Rob helps accounting firm leaders, decision makers and professionals stay relevant and make sense of disruption in areas like AI, automation, M&A, private equity and soft skills beyond the tech. His perspective blends clarity, insight and curiosity, making complex issues relevant and practical for professionals and decision makers across accounting and finance.

He also leads two monthly panel shows, Accounting M&A and Accounting AI, which bring together senior voices to explore consolidation, strategy and the impact of technology on firms and people.

Rob is the author of the bestselling book Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and a TEDx speaker whose talk The Personal Brand of You has more than 400,000 views. Over his career he has hosted and moderated more than 1,000 conversations with accounting and fintech leaders worldwide.

Based in Nottingham UK, Rob is a stroke survivor living with epilepsy, a black belt in kickboxing, a decent chess player and an average player of four musical instruments.