CFO Chronicles: The Secrets Behind Success

Spreadsheet Killer: How to Dominate Sales with Zero Experience

• James Donovan • Season 2 • Episode 35

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Most accountants run from sales - Vanessa ran toward it.

 After 9 years behind the books, she pivoted into a full-time sales role and never looked back. In this episode, we unpack her journey from accountant to closer - and the mindset shifts that made it possible.

We get into:
 – How to make a career leap without starting over
 – Why mindset > tactics in outbound sales
 – What to do when the leads don’t say yes
– How to stay sharp, take feedback, and actually enjoy the game

Whether you’re scaling your firm, shifting roles, or just want to get better at closing—this one’s a must-listen.

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Speaker 1:

Today's episode is a masterclass in career pivots, mindset and making moves. I'm joined by Vanessa, an accountant turned sales pro, who's rewriting the playbook on what it takes to succeed in outbound sales. We talk about how she made the jump from numbers to negotiations, why mindset is everything in sales and how staying open to feedback can turn a good salesperson into a great one. Plus, we dig into real strategies you can use if you're thinking about making a leap in your own career or if you're just trying to sharpen your sales game. Oh, and stick around till the end, because Vanessa shares some amazing book recommendations and her go-to methods for constant self-improvement. Let's get into it. I'm so excited for this episode. We have a very special guest on who is going to dive into the world of sales, an area that I know many CFOs and accounting firms aren't super comfortable with. But before getting to the guest, I have some very exciting news I want to announce.

Speaker 1:

We have a new sponsor of our podcast, universal Accounting Center. They are a post-secondary school for accounting professionals working with owners of bookkeeping, accounting and tax businesses who help offer quality services and get paid what they're worth. They've been so generous to share a couple of resources to help all of the listeners that will drop in the show notes. Make sure to check them out. Roger and his team are amazing at what they do. Thank you so much. Universal Accounting Center Really appreciate your support To our guest, vanessa Evanson from Orba Cloud CFO Services. Vanessa, thank you so much for coming on the show. I'm so excited to dive into the world of sales, especially your journey going from accountant to the sales side of things. That's not a transition that many seem to make, so I can't wait to dive into that a little bit more. But thank you so much for joining the show.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, thank you for having me. Yeah, I don't think it's super common, but I'm really enjoying it.

Speaker 1:

That's awesome. That's awesome. So talk to me a little bit about how that transition happened. How long were you behind the desk doing the day-to-day accounting? And then let's move into when the offer was made or the opportunity came up to get into the sales role.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so in general I've been doing accounting work for over 90 years before I transitioned to this sales position and, to be clear, I'm staying with the same company just doing sales within the same company that I was also doing accounting work for and this is a public accounting firm, so everyone's also doing accounting and what else? Yeah, so it was like roughly nine years I had worked in companies privately as their internal accountant before working in a public firm and I've always loved accounting and I still love accounting. And in terms of the opportunity, really our firm has some major growth goals. So we realized we can't just rely on our referrals anymore. We need dedicated sales staff.

Speaker 2:

So our essentially our department COO she took the lead initially building out the sales role, but she realized that that's not her. You know her love in terms of work. Although she was good at it, she wants to continue being operations focused. So we had originally planned on hiring an external person like season sales person to take on this role and then just learn the accounting business. Not that they would learn all of accounting, they would just learn the business of accounting. And they announced that to the team and I just simply volunteered and I just said I would love the chance to learn sales, and they didn't even think that anybody on the accounting team would want to learn sales. You know this big scary thing. But I was like, yes, please, I volunteer.

Speaker 1:

You volunteered as tribute. Yes exactly that's so cool. What is? What's the I guess, day to day like now, where you're, I'm guessing, probably pretty in the weeds and doing a lot of the strategy and, obviously, the accounting work for your clients? What's that transition been like? Now, where you're on the prospecting side, the sales front, you're chasing proposals, you're doing the follow-ups. I've never been on the accounting side of things, but I can only imagine it's just two completely different ends of the spectrum.

Speaker 2:

Yes and no. It is a very different type of work, but a lot of the cadences are actually really similar. So when you're doing accounting work, whatever level you are, whether you're a bookkeeper, senior accountant, controller there's always these daily core tasks that always have to get done or you're not going to meet your deadlines. And when you look at sales, sales is incredibly deadline driven everywhere, in every stage of it. So I'm very used to kind of the higher pressure environment of public accounting and there always being another deadline you're working on in sales is there's always the next proposal to, always the next call.

Speaker 2:

Um. So in terms of like structuring my day, there has been a bit of a learning curve in like what those core activities are, but I'm used to kind of having to independently motivate myself to stay on track and in like the day to day now is, you know, I start at the beginning of my day either with sales calls or, if I don't have any schedules, making reach outs in whatever form, whether it's LinkedIn, email or phone calls, so that I can have more of those calls scheduled. And then the rest of the day is either, you know, doing the work to to push deals along, or just admin work to support the team. I still do some accounting work here and there to fill in for the team, but that's getting smaller and smaller and smaller.

Speaker 1:

Interesting. What keeps you motivated, Vanessa, to keep going out and getting no's and just getting hit with rejection nonstop? Because that is the world of sales. There's so much rejection and I think so many are fearful of that, but it sounds like you've really taken this role and you're running with it. But what gets you motivated, like you said, to come in? You're making calls, you're doing the outreach, you're following up on proposals day after day after day.

Speaker 2:

So I guess I don't really see things as no. I guess I don't really see things as no. But I guess I should also clarify we don't have a fully operating outbound process, but I'm working on incrementally growing that. So maybe I'm not hearing that as much as maybe people doing heavy, heavy amounts of cold calling. We've had a really successful inbound sales process and I'm slowly growing the outbound one. But I mean, even with an inbound sales process when digital leads have already been familiar, you know it's never like perfect. Yes, we're on board, right.

Speaker 2:

There's people who do say no, um, I guess I just know that if, if I am communicating our value and being as available as I can for those people and doing everything in my control, then it just wasn't the right fit. Like I don't personally take that as any sort of rejection. It's, you know, like I know that I've done everything in my power and I you know if, if it wasn't the right situation for them, then that's fine. Like they're gonna find somebody who's gonna serve them better. But when, when I do communicate our value and I do make myself available and I am patient and describing everything that will do for these clients, the people who it is absolutely the right match for is an enthusiastic yes. So I very much look forward to those and I know that they are coming.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, not everyone can be a yes, and I think that's what I'm hearing from you. What's been one of the biggest challenges getting into the sales role? Because there's a lot of listeners who would be thinking they are relying on referrals or in there and they're closing all of them as they should. They're coming over on a silver platter like those should be closed pretty easy. Likes and trusts. You has said go work with you know Vanessa, go work with Bob Um. But what's been working with inbound or outbound leads? What have you found to be one of the biggest challenges that you're either still trying to overcome or you have been able to overcome?

Speaker 2:

I think the hardest part of sales is your mindset. Sales is what I. This is what I love about sales so much is that it is extremely merit-based and you know, even in accounting, like, of course, talent and skill shines through. But sales, more than any other role, like if you aren't doing what you need to do and showing up the way you need to show up. People are brutally honest, but I love that because I want to, you know, be the best version of myself, be the best professional I could be. But you have to be very ready to be very honest with yourself, very vulnerable with yourself. Did I show up in the right way, like it? You have to be ready to change yourself.

Speaker 1:

That's so powerful. I love the the piece about you know it's all merit-based. I don't think anyone gets into, or shouldn't get into sales if you're just looking to kind of coast by and check the boxes on a day-to-day basis. I haven't met anyone successful in sales who just goes in to check the boxes.

Speaker 2:

But sales is a beautiful role because it's one of the few roles that you can do without any credentials, without any degree. But you do have to be educated. You just don't have to have any formal sign up on your education. You have to make sure that you are truly understanding the sales flows. Even though I came from an accounting background, I've always had an interest in sales, at least a little bit, but there was never really an opportunity. So I've read several, several books and really enjoy them, and I think why I've had the interest in sales is I just really enjoy connecting with other people and when you can make that connection and actually help somebody where your, your service, your product can make a substantive difference in their lives, that is very meaningful to me and that also keeps me going with it.

Speaker 1:

That's so good. You touched on a really important point there. It's about helping them. It's not about you in the sales role, and I think too many who are getting into sales don't see it that way and they think how can I make a sale versus how can I help someone. And when you're thinking about how you can help someone, it really changes the whole mindset and the conversation that's taking place and it removes that like kind of use car salesman stigma that a lot of people have.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I feel like if I'm addressing everything that they're asking for, whether directly or indirectly, like I don't have to hard sell anything, you know, when it gets to closing time they're just like where is? Where's the dotted line, you know? Because they feel hurt. Everything that that they've wanted is already there. And that makes me feel really good that people are getting truly what they need. And I think also that's why I don't feel so bad if I do hear a no, because we also want to make sure that clients are the right fit for us. We really genuinely don't want to sign every single client. We want to make sure we can actually support them and that they're going to get the most value from us.

Speaker 1:

That's so good. What are you doing? You mentioned you read. You've read a couple books. What else are you doing? To you know, keep sharpening your sales skill, your sales acts, for lack of better words.

Speaker 2:

Well, several things. You know I go to weekly sales coaching. I just routinely put myself out there. I'm okay, making mistakes.

Speaker 2:

I know I'm not going to be perfect, but if you can get, it's so hard for people in most blocks of life to give you truly candid feedback. And if you've ever tried to get candid feedback, you know how hard it is to really get people to be honest and direct with you. So I feel like when you go and put yourself in situations where it's people are more strangers than friends, even though they may be friendly, you can get some of the most candid feedback. And that is like such crucial information to know because when I'm putting myself out there in front of new prospects, I want to know, I want to be sure that I'm Putting myself out there in the way that I need to to attract the right kind of client and make sure that they're clearly understanding what I can do for them. So, yeah, yeah, coaching, put myself out there.

Speaker 2:

When I say put myself out there, I mean often that's like in-person networking events where I'm trying different quick pitches and things, different quick pitches and things and just generally asking other people that are in my network that have a longer sales experience than me. I'm still relatively new in sales. Although I have seen some success, I don't want to think I know it all. That's why I'm very much reaching out in so many different ways to get feedback. Am I on the right track?

Speaker 1:

That's so good. I'm hearing a lot of just having a constant learner's mindset and just being open to knowing you can always improve regardless how much success you're having, so that's so good. What would be a piece of advice you would give someone either in sales now or who's looking to get in sales to grow their own firm?

Speaker 2:

So I feel like, for people who are employees that want to be a sales person, just I would do everything you can right now in your current position to put yourself in an opportunity where, if a sales role comes across your desk or you see a job ad online, that everything you've done makes it really easy for that employer to say absolutely, yes.

Speaker 2:

If I didn't have the same sort of mindset with my accounting work, if they saw me as somebody you know, just checking the boxes, just punching my time card, they would not have allowed me to trial the sales role and I trialed it and was successful. So they're like yes, stay here. You know I've never started my own firm, but I imagine it can't be too different if you are a firm owner, essentially your salesperson number one, and you know you're setting the tone for yourself, for future employees, and I think just putting yourself out there, getting as much feedback as rapidly as possible whether it's running a firm or learning absolutely anything new the most feedback you can get as fast as possible is the way you're going to get the most progress of knowledge towards your goals.

Speaker 1:

That's so good. There's so much valuable insight there towards your goals. That's that's so good. There's so much valuable insight there. Last question for you, vanessa which book would you recommend? Or books would you recommend for the sale, for the sales role, or just learning more about sales, or just again sharpening that ax.

Speaker 2:

I'll recommend two particular books and then just in general. Um, two particular books and then just in general. So a book that I've absolutely loved recently is Jeb Blunt's Fanatical Prospecting. I think almost every salesperson has probably seen it, but absolutely read it, read it like five times until it fully sinks in. I'm on my second read right now and, yeah, it's just going to be on repeat until I know every word. Um, and then second book I'd recommend. It's not really a sales book and it's very um. It's written very different than most books. It's very much a mindset book. This, this book is called the Four Agreements. By what is it? I think it's Don something Jr. I have to look it up.

Speaker 1:

It's all good.

Speaker 2:

I don't remember the name. That book is very, very unconventional, so you have to put your ego aside when you're reading it, because it doesn't. It's not prescribing anything, it's more of that how you operate in life, and that very much focuses on your own circle of control.

Speaker 1:

So it's easier to not take things personally that other people are doing because it's not about you everybody's operating their own life yeah um, but just in general, anything by jeff blunt is amazing too, so very good again, just that learn constant, the constant learner's mindset and a lot of ego checking, and everyone's too busy worried about themselves anyway, so no one cares what you're doing anyways, or the potential mistakes you're making, or how you look or sound. Everyone's so hyper-focused on their own bubble. So that's a lot easier said than done. But if you're intentional about it in practice, it can go a long way, so that's great. Thank you so much for coming on the show, vanessa. This was incredible. The insights you shared, the book recommendations, the conversation around mindset, how to get into sales, how to, you know, run those conversations. I hope everyone gets a ton of value from it. Where can everyone get in touch with you if they want to continue the conversation? Or just, you know, just reach out in general.

Speaker 2:

Probably. There's two ways that are best to get a hold of me. One through my.

Speaker 3:

LinkedIn.

Speaker 2:

You know my name is Vanessa Evanson on LinkedIn and my handle is the LinkedIn and then it's Vanessa-Evanson-Loves-Accounting. Or you can reach out to me at my work email, which is vevansonatorbacom. V-e-v-a-n-s-o-n at O-R-B-Acom.

Speaker 1:

Perfect. We'll make sure to have all those links in the show notes so people can get in touch. I highly recommend they do. Again, thank you so much for coming on, Vanessa. This was great.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, thank you very much, James, I appreciate it.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for tuning into this episode of CFO Chronicles the secrets behind success. I hope you found value in today's conversation. As we wrap up, I'd love for you to do two things. First, make sure to subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss any future episodes. If you enjoyed today's discussion, please rate and review the show. It helps others discover the insights we share here. Second, if you're ready to take your business to the next level and attract the high-end clients you deserve, head over to accountingleadsnowcom or click the link in the show notes to book your strategy. Call it's time to position yourself as the advisor your clients need. And don't forget you can connect with me on LinkedIn to stay up to date on what's happening in the world of accounting and financial growth. We've got exciting topics coming up, so stay tuned for the next episode of CFO Chronicles. Until then, keep pushing forward. Your growth is just one strategic move away.

Speaker 3:

Thanks for listening to. Until then, keep pushing forward. Your feedback helps us bring you the best insights in finance and marketing. Until next time, keep striving for success and unlocking your business's potential.