Trouble Selling? You Need a Better Accountant
Behind every good salesperson stands a good accountant
In my work as a freelance CFO, I’ve learned an odd thing about salespeople. They really need accountants. And they need them bad.
I don’t mean this in the sense that salespeople are poor at accounting (I’m not saying they’re great at it, it’s simply not the point of this article!). I mean it in the direct sense that salespeople need accountants to help them sell.
If you are a salesperson reading this, I forgive you for reacting negatively to what I just wrote. I heard you say: “Woah, the only thing accounting has done for me is make my life miserable!”
That may be true in the sense we (I’m speaking for accountants) always ask for receipts, mileage logs, copies of contracts, etc. (very important things — don’t get me wrong — but I can see how you think they bring you misery).
The potential misery I’m talking about is much worse. Read carefully:
The way accounting can truly make your life miserable is by coming up with costs you do not understand or believe in.
Wait, what?
That’s right. Price quotes provided to customers are generally based on cost data coming from the accounting department. This is…