“Sales is a core part of it — whether we like it or not.”
That line lands harder than most accountants expect.
Not because it’s controversial, but because it exposes something quietly expensive: the years many firm owners spend avoiding sales conversations altogether. Not rejecting them outright — just postponing them, softening them, or delegating them to silence.
Truth be told, all accounting firms are trying to run a business. Which means, sales becomes an integral part of the conversation whether you like it or not.
There is a tendency to tone down the conversation when it comes to sales. The problem with that approach is that your clients sometimes fail to understand what it is that you are asking of them.
In this episode of Smart Outsourcing Talks, Carlos Garcia, Sales & Leadership Coach at Exceed Sales, doesn’t frame sales as persuasion or pressure. He frames it as leadership. And that reframing reveals a truth many accounting firms don’t want to confront:
The highest cost of avoiding sales isn’t lost revenue. It’s lost clarity, lost confidence, and lost growth momentum.
When Expertise Isn’t the Problem
One thing that hardly any accounting firm struggles with is capability. Either the firm owners themselves are capable enough, or they have someone who is.
They struggle with permission.
Permission to talk about value.
Permission to lead conversations.
Permission to ask better questions — and sit with the answers.
Carlos has spent decades working with professionals who are deeply competent but deeply uncomfortable stepping into sales conversations. And in his experience, the avoidance usually isn’t about skill.
“A lot of accountants shy away from sales because they don’t see themselves as salespeople,” he explains. “They see themselves as finance professionals. And somewhere along the way, those two things got separated.”
That separation creates friction.
Firm owners are very much aware that they need to grow, especially in this competitive market. They know pricing conversations matter. They know scope creep is killing margins. But instead of addressing it head-on, they work longer hours, add more clients, or try to outwork the problem.
Which only delays the real work.
The Quiet Tax of Avoidance
When you avoid the sales conversation or keep postponing it till you can, you do more harm than good.
They show up as:
- Clients who don’t respect boundaries
- Teams overloaded with underpriced work
- Founders stuck in delivery instead of leadership
- Growth strategies that rely on exhaustion instead of intention
Carlos describes this as a mindset issue before it’s ever a messaging issue.
“The shift happens when someone moves from ‘I’m not into sales’ to ‘I lead growth,’” he says. “That’s a very different identity.”
And identity matters, because the way a firm owner sees themselves determines how they show up in every client conversation.
If you see sales as something external — something you’re forced to do — you’ll resist it. Once you start seeing sales as part of leadership — something you steward — you’ll engage it.
Sales as a Conversation, Not a Performance
One of the most powerful moments in the conversation comes when Carlos reframes what sales actually is. Too many professionals think sales requires convincing, pushing, or performing.
Carlos disagrees.
“A lot of it is in the quality of the conversation. When you’re clear, when you’re present, when you’re not trying to push anything — that’s when it becomes freeing.”
Freeing is not a word often associated with sales in accounting.
But that’s exactly the point.
When sales is rooted in clarity — about value, scope, and outcomes — it stops feeling transactional and starts feeling relational. It becomes less about closing and more about alignment.
And alignment changes everything:
- Who you say yes to
- How you price
- When you delegate
- What you build next
Why Growth Stalls Without Sales Leadership?
In many firms, growth plateaus not because demand dries up — but because the owner becomes the bottleneck.
Carlos sees this pattern repeatedly: firm owners who are excellent technically, respected by clients, and exhausted by the weight of unspoken expectations.
“They want to scale,” he says, “but they haven’t built the muscle of having clear conversations — about value, about boundaries, about what the firm actually stands for.”
Without those conversations:
- Pricing stays reactive
- Delegation feels risk
- Outsourcing feels premature
- Expansion feels chaotic
Sales leadership isn’t just about revenue. It’s about creating the conditions where growth is sustainable.
Where Offshoring Really Enters the Conversation
Interestingly, offshoring doesn’t fail because of execution. It fails because of communication.
Carlos points out that when firms explore outsourcing — whether offshore talent, automation, or external partners — the discomfort usually mirrors the same sales avoidance pattern.
If a firm hasn’t learned to articulate value internally, it struggles to articulate expectations externally.
“You can’t outsource clarity,” he implies. “You have to create it first.”
When sales conversations are strong:
- Scope is defined
- Roles are understood
- Value is articulated
- Trust is easier to build
That’s when outsourcing becomes a growth lever — not a stress amplifier.
The Leadership Cost No One Calculates
Perhaps the most overlooked cost of avoiding sales conversations is personal.
Firm owners carry the emotional weight of unclear expectations — with clients, teams, and themselves. Carlos describes what happens when leaders finally step into clarity:
“There’s freedom in showing up authentically. You don’t have to push. You don’t have to perform. You just show up.”
That freedom changes how leaders lead.
They stop reacting.
They start deciding.
They stop proving.
They start directing.
And that’s when firms shift from survival mode to intentional growth.
From Technician to Growth Leader
The bottom line of the conversation between Carlos and Maanoj is clear – “accountants need to sell more.”
It’s something far more important: Accountants need to lead conversations.
Conversations about value.
Conversations about fit.
Conversations about boundaries.
Conversations about the future of the firm.
When those conversations happen early and clearly, everything downstream improves — pricing, hiring, outsourcing, and even culture.
Avoiding sales might feel safer in the moment. But over time, it’s one of the most expensive decisions a firm can make.
The Real Takeaway
Sales isn’t the opposite of integrity.
It’s the expression of it.
And the firms that grow — without burning out their leaders — are the ones willing to step into that discomfort early, honestly, and consistently.
As Carlos’ story makes clear, the question isn’t whether sales belong in accounting.It’s whether accounting leaders are ready to own it — as part of who they are, not something they avoid.
Want to know how Sales can become a part of your everyday conversation? Watch the complete conversation here: https://youtu.be/aaiKNalJ6qc?si=c_n8cWAIIulo1wTe
In this Article
editor
Maanoj Shah is the Co-founder & Director of Growth Strategy & Alliances at Finsmart Accounting, where he pioneered the “Accounting Seat” model—a revolutionary offshore embedded staffing solution purpose-built for Accounting and CPA firms. Widely recognized as an outsourcing and offshoring expert, Maanoj’s insights have been featured in leading accounting publications, and he regularly speaks at premier industry conferences including Scaling New Heights, Bridging the Gap, BKX, and Women Who Count.
A dynamic growth leader with over two decades of experience, Maanoj has incubated, scaled, and exited ventures across Fintech, HR, and Consulting sectors, holding various CXO roles throughout his career. His passion for scaling businesses is matched by his commitment to social impact. He is the Co-founder of Mission ICU, a national healthcare initiative that installs critical care units in underserved areas of India, and was recognized by the World Economic Forum for its last-mile impact.
Outside of work, Maanoj leads an active lifestyle as an avid tennis player and passionate golfer, blending strategy and agility on and off the court.
CONTENT DISCLAIMER
The content in this article is for general information and education purposes only and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. Finsmart Accounting does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, adequacy, or currency of the information in the article. You should seek the advice of a competent lawyer or accountant licensed to practise in your jurisdiction for advice on your particular situation.
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