The webinar, “Cloud Migration: Tips to Convert Clients to Xero,” presents strategies for accounting professionals to effectively transition clients to cloud-based accounting. Daniel Hustler, a Xero expert, shares insights on positioning the cloud’s value, delivering impactful product demos, and handling common client objections. Key topics include understanding the client’s needs, demonstrating how Xero addresses those pain points through a customized workflow, and emphasizing the benefits for business owners like improved visibility and faster payments. The aim is to empower advisors to confidently guide clients toward cloud adoption, showcasing how it streamlines operations, enhances collaboration, and ultimately contributes to business growth.

Cloud Migration to Zero: A Comprehensive Study Guide

Quiz

Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each.

1. What are the three key considerations to keep in mind when positioning the cloud and Zero to clients?
2. Why is it important to know your audience when trying to move them to the cloud?
3. What are three benefits of Zero that commonly resonate with business owners?
4. What is the “Rule of Three” and how can it be used in client communication?
5. Why is a product demo a powerful tool for convincing clients to switch to Zero?
6. What is a client needs analysis, and how can it help you prepare for a Zero demo?
7. Describe one workflow that can be showcased during a Zero demo.
8. What are the key elements of the profit and loss report in Zero?
9. Name three common objections clients have to moving to the cloud.
10. How can offering Zero training via Zoom webinars help clients adapt to the new software?

Quiz Answer Key

1. Knowing your audience, knowing the benefits Zero can bring, and communicating those benefits effectively. It is important to understand the specific needs and pain points of your clients, and you must be able to articulate the advantages of using Zero in a way that resonates with them. Effective communication can make all the difference in whether a client is convinced to switch.
2. Because understanding their specific needs and technological capabilities is essential. Some clients might be enthusiastic about online solutions, while others might be more resistant or unfamiliar with them. Tailoring your approach to their level of understanding and comfort will increase the likelihood of a successful transition to the cloud.
3. Business visibility, collaboration, getting paid faster, saving time, and staying compliant. These benefits address common concerns of business owners, such as gaining clarity over their business performance, working more effectively with their advisors, improving cash flow, reducing administrative burden, and avoiding issues with tax authorities.
4. The Rule of Three is a persuasive communication technique of structuring content in groups of three. Because the human mind remembers in threes, speaking in threes is more memorable. It can be used to frame benefits, features, or reasons for switching to Zero to enhance memorability and impact.
5. It allows clients to see the benefits of Zero firsthand and how it addresses their specific pain points. A demo can illustrate how the software works in a real-world scenario, making the value proposition more tangible and convincing than simply describing its features.
6. A client needs analysis is a document of your client’s pain points and goals. It helps you tailor your Zero demo to focus on the features that will be most relevant and impactful for that specific client, ensuring that the demonstration resonates with their individual needs.
7. A common and impactful workflow is going from the dashboard to creating invoices, managing bills, reconciling bank transactions, and generating reports. Showing how these tasks flow seamlessly within Zero highlights the efficiency and time-saving benefits of the software.
8. Income, expenses, and net profit or loss. This report gives a quick snapshot of a client’s income and expenses.
9. Competition with other software, cost concerns, difficulty learning a new system, unstable internet connections and fear of change are all common objections. These concerns often stem from uncertainty about the value proposition, fear of disruption, or technical limitations.
10. Zoom webinars allow accountants and bookkeepers to provide scalable training to multiple clients simultaneously. They can address common questions and concerns, showcase Zero’s features, and provide ongoing support, helping clients become more comfortable and confident in using the software.

Essay Questions

1. Discuss the importance of tailoring your sales pitch to the individual client, as described in the source material. What are the risks of using a one-size-fits-all approach? Provide examples of how you can adjust your communication based on the client’s needs and concerns.
2. Evaluate the effectiveness of using a product demo as a sales tool for Zero. What are the key elements of a successful demo? How can you ensure that the demo resonates with the client and addresses their specific pain points?
3. The source material emphasizes the value that accountants and bookkeepers bring to the table when working with clients on the cloud. Discuss the unique role of the advisor in helping clients transition to Zero. How can you leverage your expertise to support clients and ensure a successful implementation?
4. Analyze the common objections that clients have to moving to the cloud. Develop a strategy for addressing these objections and overcoming client resistance. How can you proactively anticipate and mitigate potential concerns?
5. Explain the importance of upskilling and staying current with Zero’s features and capabilities. How can continuous learning benefit both you and your clients? What are some strategies for staying informed and expanding your knowledge of Zero?

Glossary of Key Terms

• Cloud Accounting: Accounting software and practices that utilize remote servers to perform accounting tasks. Data is stored on the Internet rather than on a hard drive.
• Zero: Cloud-based accounting software designed for small businesses and their advisors.
• Positioning: How a product or service is perceived in the minds of the target market.
• Client Needs Analysis: A detailed assessment of a client’s specific challenges, goals, and requirements.
• Demo Company: A sample company within Zero pre-populated with fictitious data for demonstration purposes.
• Workflow: The sequence of steps involved in a particular business process, such as invoicing or bank reconciliation.
• Value-Based Pricing: Pricing strategy that focuses on the perceived value of the services provided to the client.
• Flat Fee Pricing: A fixed price for a specific set of services, regardless of the time spent completing them.
• Zero Partner Program: A program that offers benefits and resources to accountants and bookkeepers who use and promote Zero.
• Invoice Reminders: Automated notifications sent to customers to remind them about overdue invoices.
• Bank Reconciliation: The process of matching the balances in an entity’s accounting records for a cash account to the corresponding information on a bank statement.
• Profit and Loss Report: A financial statement that summarizes the revenues, costs, and expenses incurred during a specific period of time.
• Aged Receivables Report: A report that lists outstanding invoices by customer and aging category.
• Hubdoc: A document management tool that integrates with Zero to automate bill and receipt capture.
• Open-ended Questions: Questions that require more than a “yes” or “no” answer, designed to encourage clients to share detailed information.
• Legacy Software: Existing software or systems that are outdated but still in use.
• Value-Based Pricing: A pricing strategy where the price is determined by the perceived value the client receives from the product or service.
• ISOC Compliant: Meeting the standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Cloud Migration: Zero Partner Strategies

Okay, here’s a briefing document summarizing the key themes and ideas from the provided transcript of the “Cloud Migration: Tips to Convert Clients to Zero” webinar.

Briefing Document: Cloud Migration Strategies for Zero Partners

Source: Excerpts from “Cloud Migration: Tips to Convert Clients to Zero” webinar transcript.

Date: (Implied – likely recent based on content)

Author: Daniel Hustler, Education at Zero (Asia region)

Purpose: To provide Zero partners with practical tips and strategies to successfully migrate clients to the cloud, specifically onto the Zero platform.

Key Themes and Ideas:

The webinar focuses on three core areas to help partners move clients to the cloud and to Zero:

1. Positioning the Cloud (and Zero) in the Client’s Mind:

• Know Your Audience: Understanding your target client base is crucial. Consider targeting clients enthusiastic about online solutions, new businesses (without legacy software), and businesses undergoing significant events (expansion, retirement). “If you are new to moving clients to the cloud then you may want to consider starting with clients that are enthusiastic about online Solutions.”
• Know the Benefits (and Communicate Effectively): Focus on benefits that resonate with business owners, not just accountants. Highlight business visibility, collaboration (the value of the advisor), faster payment/improved cash flow, time savings, and staying compliant. “Instead focus on the benefits that resonates with them and consider bringing those into the conversation.” The rule of three is introduced as a mnemonic device to make the benefits more memorable for the client, “as humans we remember in threes so if you speak in threes then it’s going to be much more memorable for the Eld audence not two not four but three”.
• Communication is Key: Ask open-ended questions to understand client pain points and goals. Avoid complex accounting jargon. Consider the setting of the conversation. Don’t make it just a sales pitch; focus on understanding the client’s needs. “Things like what are your pain points what are your goals where are you spending most of your time what is holding you back you can get a large list of open-ended questions from the likes of chat GPT now this will help your client do most of the talking from there you can understand their pain points and understand what type of benefits you might want to highlight.”

1. Delivering an Effective Zero Product Demo:

• Demo Power: Hustler emphasizes the power of a well-executed demo. “They say A picture speaks a thousand words and I would say a demo speaks a million words because it allows your audience to see the benefits that they receive with their own eyes.”
• Client Needs Analysis: Before the demo, create a “client needs analysis” based on conversations to identify specific pain points and goals. This informs which Zero features to highlight.
• Demo Workflow: Use a workflow-based demo that simulates the client’s daily use of Zero.
• Value-Driven: Continuously refer back to the value the client will receive and how the software addresses their specific pain points.
• Analogy: Use analogy’s for clients to relate to current activities like having an invoices owing to me graph, so that they don’t need to search through files.
• Customization: Every user on Zero has access to their own demo company that has fictitious data, so customize to show clients the features that fit them.
• Relationship: Be mindful of the advisor/client relationship, “don’t make it a sales pitch.”
• Key Demo Elements (Illustrated in the Transcript):Dashboard: Shows a snapshot of the business’s financial position (bank balance, cash flow, invoices, bills).
• Sales Overview: Helps manage and follow up on invoices, speeding up payments.
• Purchases Overview: Simplifies bill management and payment scheduling.
• Bank Reconciliation: Explains the process and how it provides financial insight.
• Profit and Loss Report: Provides a snapshot of income, expenses, and net profit/loss, with customization options (e.g., percentage of trading income, profitability by store).
• Aged Receivables Report: Helps track outstanding invoices, with added contact information for easier follow-up.

1. Handling Common Questions and Objections:

• Competition: Avoid feature comparisons. Focus on Zero’s value and the advisor’s value. Emphasize time savings.
• Cost: Consider value-based pricing/flat fees to bundle Zero into the advisor’s service. Demonstrate the value proposition clearly, showing how Zero resolves pain points and saves time. Ensure clients are on the right Zero plan for their needs.
• Difficulty/Fear of Change: Reassure clients with support and training, highlight available Zero resources (courses, help). If doing this with multiple clients at once use Zoom.
• Unstable Internet: Acknowledge the issue, but focus on the value that can be received.
• Trusting Cloud: Zero adheres to strong security standards such as isoc compliance and major financial institutions use it as well.

Important Quotes:

• “Ultimately positioning zero and your practice correctly could be the difference between moving clients to the cloud and getting new clients versus not moving clients at all.”
• “Consider the right industry for you as well you might have a wealth of Soul Trader clients you might be familiar with the apps in those Industries generally those clients won’t be super complex so in that case you can set them up with the right tools from the GetGo rather than having to investigate a whole lot of apps that you might not be familiar with.”
• “Collaboration never understand underestimate the value that you can bring as an advisor and how much your clients value that if you can collaborate together through the cloud”
• “Again if you can showcase the value and the benefits and how it fixes their pain points through those conversations through the demo then already they’re probably quite often more likely wanting to switch anyway.”
• “No plan and no action will lead to no results what steps can you take to help clients really realiz the benefit of the cloud is it about bringing in some tips around product positioning is it trying out a product demo or is it taking note of some of those key ideas around objection and question handling that we discussed in this webinar.”

Actionable Takeaways for Zero Partners:

• Develop a clear understanding of your target client base and tailor your messaging accordingly.
• Master the art of demonstrating Zero, focusing on the value proposition for business owners, not just accountants.
• Anticipate and prepare for common client objections, focusing on the value and support you can provide.
• Leverage the Zero partner program benefits (advisor directory, training, account manager).
• Take proactive steps to implement these strategies to achieve tangible results.

This briefing document provides a comprehensive overview of the webinar’s content, equipping Zero partners with the knowledge and tools to effectively migrate clients to the cloud.

Zero Adoption: Cloud Migration Strategies for Accounting Clients

FAQ: Cloud Migration and Zero Adoption for Accounting Clients

1. Why is it important to position the cloud, and specifically Zero, effectively to clients?

Positioning Zero correctly is critical because it determines whether clients understand the value proposition and are motivated to switch to the cloud. Effective positioning helps them see how Zero addresses their specific business challenges and improves their operations. Without clear communication of these benefits, clients may be reluctant to change, even if Zero could significantly improve their financial processes. Correct positioning may also attract new clients to your accounting practice.

2. What are the key considerations when positioning Zero to a potential client?

The three main considerations are:

• Know your audience: Understand their current tech adoption level, business needs, and pain points.
• Know the benefits: Identify the advantages Zero offers that are most relevant and valuable to the client, like improved cash flow, time savings, or compliance. Remember benefits for you as an advisor may not be the same as the client.
• Communicate effectively: Convey these benefits clearly and simply, avoiding technical jargon and relating them directly to the client’s challenges.

3. What are some good starting points when targeting clients for cloud migration?

Begin with clients who are already enthusiastic about online solutions and technology, as they are more likely to embrace cloud-based accounting. Also, consider targeting new businesses that don’t have existing legacy software. Evaluate clients based on events taking place in their business as well as your familiarity with the apps used in their industry. It is helpful to pilot with a small number of easier clients to refine your process.

4. What are some common benefits of Zero that resonate with business owners?

Business owners often value:

• Business Visibility: Clarity and real-time insight into their financial performance.
• Collaboration: Enhanced ability to work closely with their advisor.
• Faster Payments & Improved Cash Flow: Tools and processes to accelerate invoicing and payment collection.
• Time Savings: Reduced administrative burden and more time for core business activities.
• Staying Compliant: Easier adherence to tax and regulatory requirements.

5. How can I deliver a more effective product demo of Zero?

To make your demos more impactful:

• Create a client needs analysis.
• Tailor the demo to the client’s specific needs and pain points, focusing on relevant features.
• Use real-life scenarios and workflows to demonstrate how Zero integrates into their daily operations.
• Continually highlight the value and benefits Zero provides, not just the features.
• Don’t make it a sales pitch.

6. What are some common client objections to switching to Zero, and how can I address them?

Common objections include:

• Competition: Instead of comparing feature by feature, emphasize Zero’s value and the advisor’s role in maximizing its benefits. Focus on the advisor being able to bring more value as they are also working on the cloud.
• Cost: Highlight the value and return on investment (ROI) Zero provides through time savings, improved efficiency, and better financial insights. Also make sure they are on the right pricing plan for their use case.
• Difficulty: Reassure clients that you will provide ongoing support and training, showcasing available Zero resources and making the transition smooth.
• Lack of trust in the cloud: Reassure clients that Zero has robust security standards.

7. How important is it to avoid accounting jargon when speaking with clients?

Avoiding complex jargon is crucial for effective communication. Clients may not understand accounting terminology, which can create confusion and diminish the impact of your message. Using plain language ensures they understand the benefits of Zero and are more likely to embrace the solution.

8. How can I get clients to take action and adopt Zero?

Encourage action by having a personal conversation with each client where you focus on their business goals. Follow this by setting up a meeting to discuss their goals and see if the cloud is a fit. In order to scale quickly, consider setting up Zoom webinars. The most important thing is to highlight the benefits they will see.

Cloud Migration Strategies for Accounting Clients

Cloud migration involves moving clients to cloud-based accounting systems like Zero, which can be achieved by understanding the client’s needs, demonstrating the value of the cloud, and addressing their concerns.

Key aspects of cloud migration:

• Positioning the cloud Consider how you want your clients to perceive Zero and how it fits into their business.
• Knowing your audience Identify clients who are enthusiastic about online solutions or new businesses without legacy systems.
• Highlighting benefits Focus on benefits that resonate with business owners, such as business visibility, collaboration, faster payments, time savings, and compliance.
• Communication Communicate value effectively by asking open-ended questions to understand client pain points, avoiding complex jargon, and understanding the setting of your conversations.

Product Demo Tips:

• A product demo is a powerful tool that allows clients to see the benefits with their own eyes.
• Client needs analysis Use insights about client pain points and goals to create a client needs analysis.
• Demo the benefits Focus on features that address the client’s specific needs, such as zero analysis reports or direct payments.
• Highlight value Continually refer back to the value and how it addresses their pain points throughout the demo.
• Workflows Use workflows to illustrate how they would use Zero day-to-day.

Handling Objections:

• Competition Avoid feature battles and focus on the value that Zero and the advisor can bring.
• Cost Adopt value-based pricing, focus on time savings, and ensure clients are on the right plan.
• Difficulty Reassure clients with support, showcase Zero resources, and highlight the value and benefits.
• Lack of trust in cloud Emphasize security standards, the reliability of Zero, and the prevalence of cloud technology in everyday life.

Xero: Benefits for Business Owners

The benefits of Zero relate to how it can improve business operations and address common pain points for business owners. The benefits to an advisor may not be the same as to a business owner. Therefore, it is important to focus on the benefits that resonate with the business owner.

Benefits of Zero:

• Business visibility Zero can provide clarity over their business performance.
• Collaboration Clients value the collaboration they can have with their advisor through the cloud.
• Faster Payment Using Zero can lead to getting paid faster, improving cash flow. Many clients are struggling with cash flow, so this is an important benefit.
• Saving Time Zero can reduce the amount of time spent on administrative tasks. Clients can spend more time on other things.
• Staying Compliant Working on the cloud makes it easier to stay compliant with tax authorities.

Effective Product Demonstrations: A Guide

A product demo is a powerful tool that allows clients to see the benefits of a product or service with their own eyes. A demo speaks a million words because it allows the audience to see the benefits that they receive.

Key steps for an effective product demo:

• Client Needs Analysis Before the demo, insights about a client’s pain points and goals can be used to create a client needs analysis. For example, a client may not know how their business is performing, struggle to get paid on time, spend too much time tracing invoices, have paper bills piling up, and be unsure if their retail shops are profitable.
• Demonstration of benefits When performing the demo, continually refer back to the value that the client will receive. Use a workflow that illustrates how they would use Zero day-to-day, referring back to the benefits, the value, and how it addresses their pain points. Customize the demo to suit the client’s needs by showing them features that solve their pain points and that they will use. If they aren’t financially savvy, demonstrate something basic like a profit and loss report and how it gives them insight.
• Demo example When giving the demo, act as if you are the accountant presenting to the client. Start with the dashboard, which gives a quick snapshot of the business. Show how to raise and follow up on sales invoices in Zero. Show how to remove paper bills by checking out the purchases overview screen. Explain bank reconciliation. Show financial reports, such as the profit and loss report.
• Highlight value Throughout the demo, highlight the value that the client will receive and how it makes things better for them. Use analogies to highlight the value.
• Avoid a sales pitch The demo should focus on whether or not Zero will be beneficial to the client.
• Address questions After the demo, clients may have questions and objections, which is normal when switching systems.

Addressing Client Objections During Cloud Migration

When helping clients migrate to the cloud, it’s important to address common objections they may have. Here’s how to handle some typical concerns:

• Competition Instead of comparing Zero to other products feature by feature, emphasize the unique value Zero brings, along with the added value of having you as their advisor on the cloud. Demonstrating the software can address the objection by showing its value.
• Cost Some accounting partners use value-based or flat fee pricing that includes the cost of Zero in their service. If passing the cost directly to clients, highlight the value they’ll receive. Show them how Zero resolves their specific pain points and the value that both Zero and you as an advisor provide when working together on the cloud. Focus on time savings from automating manual tasks. Also, make sure they are on the right Zero plan to get the best return on investment. As consumers, clients ask themselves if they can afford a service and if the value is worth the money, so showing value is key.
• Difficulty Reassure clients that you’ll support them throughout the transition. Point them to available Zero resources and support. If you’re migrating multiple clients, consider using Zoom webinars for training. By showcasing the value and benefits of Zero and how it addresses their pain points, clients may be more willing to switch.
• Lack of trust in the cloud You might mention that Zero adheres to strong security standards and is ISO compliant. Also, note that major banks trust and connect with Zero, and it’s a publicly listed company on the Australian Securities Exchange. Remind them that they likely already use cloud services like online banking and social media in their daily lives.
• Unstable internet connection Discuss whether the value they receive from Zero is worth the unstable connection. Explore options like portable Wi-Fi connections.
• Fearful of change Highlight the benefits of the change.

Cloud Migration: Client Needs Analysis and Effective Communication

When positioning cloud migration to clients, it is important to perform a client needs analysis. Consider your audience, highlight the benefits, and communicate effectively.

Knowing the audience:

• Consider clients that are enthusiastic about online solutions or new businesses without legacy systems.
• Consider timing, such as during tax season or expansion.

Highlighting the benefits:

• Focus on the benefits that resonate with business owners such as business visibility, collaboration, faster payments, time savings, and compliance.
• Business visibility can provide clarity over business performance.
• Clients value the collaboration with their advisor through the cloud.
• Faster payment can improve cashflow.
• Saving time reduces time on admin tasks.
• Staying compliant helps businesses avoid issues with tax authorities.

Communicating effectively:

• Ask open-ended questions to understand client pain points, and avoid complex jargon.
• Determine whether it is a meeting to discuss business goals.
• Take note of the client’s pain points and needs.
• It should not be a sales pitch, but about what is best for the client.

For example, a client might not understand how their business is performing, struggle to get paid on time, spend too much time tracing invoices, have paper bills piling up, and be unsure if their retail shops are profitable. Based on the client’s pain points, highlight the value and benefits of cloud migration.

are you looking to get more clients onto the cloud and more clients onto zero if so then you’ve come to the right place good morning good afternoon good evening everyone from wherever you’re joining in the world and welcome to this webinar convincing clients to switch to the cloud my name is Daniel Hustler and I look after education here at zero for the Asia region um now in terms of my background my background is in accounting systems it’s also in sales as well so I do have a sales background where I used to sell and onboard businesses onto the zero platform and in my current role I deliver demos and do lots of presentations to people to Showcase Zero’s value um and make sure that they understand how to use it and love our products now the purpose of this webinar today is to give you some tips and tricks that I’ve learned that you might want to try to get more clients onto the cloud ultimately get more clients coming through your door and ultimately growing your practice we do also have a handy takeaway guide so this covers some of the things we’ll be talking about today my colleague Gracie will post a link to that in the chat box very soon alternatively feel free to pull out your phone scan that QR code and we’ll also send you through that takeaway guide in the chat box so what’s on the agenda for today over the next 45 minutes we’re going to cover some tips and tricks that you could use to get more clients onto the cloud and just get them over the line now this will include how you position the cloud in your client’s mind so that way they understand the value the second is that you’ll learn how to demo zero like a pro in my career I’ve performed demos to quite possibly hundreds of thousands of people so I’ll share a few tips and tricks in this space which you can use to get your client over the line they do say an image speaks a thousand words I would say a demo speaks a million words and it can be a really really effective tool to have in your pocket and finally how to handle some of the common questions and objections that we see I do like to customize my sessions according to what the audience are interested in so I’m going to launch a quick poll I’m Keen to understand what you’re most interested in hearing about today it is multiple choice are you most interested in learning about how to position zero in the cloud so the client understands the benefits do you want to deliver an effective product demo do you want to know how to handle some of those common questions and objections but if there’s something else put it in the Q&A box and I’ll do my best to answer it throughout this webinar at some stage so if there’s anything you’re particularly interested in feel free to leave it in that Q&A box now I’ll just leave that running for a couple more seconds I’ll end it in three five 5 4 3 2 1 I’ll end that poll I’ll share the results and it looks like we’ve got quite an even split so 40 roughly 40% want to know how to position zero and its benefits more than half want to know how to deliver an effective product demo and close to 60% are really Keen to understand some ways on how to handle those objections and questions um and we do have a answer in the Q&A which is around improving the ability and understanding of zero and the benefits so don’t worry we will cover that in the webinar as well so thank you now positioning the cloud positioning a product or service is ultimately about deciding how you want your target market to to think about that product or service in this case it’s how do you want zero to sit in the minds of your clients do they understand the value and you might even want to think about how you position yourself in the minds of your clients as an advisor and when you’re positioning say for example zero the there are a few things to keep in mind the first is to know your audience who are you looking to move to the cloud or who are you speaking to you should also know the benefits and the value that you can bring to the table with zero and on top of that you do need to know how to communicate that value effectively and it’s really important not to ignore any of these considerations for example you might know the value and benefit that zero can bring but if you can’t communicate it in a way that your client will understand and see that value then you might not actually end up with the result that you want ultimately positioning zero and your practice correctly could be the difference between moving clients to the cloud and getting new clients versus not moving clients at all um there is no one correct way for this but I’ll share a few tips and ideas in this space which you might want to consider so the first point was around the audience now if you are new to moving clients to the cloud then you may want to consider starting with clients that are enthusiastic about online Solutions those clients are already using a wealth of technology in their day-to-day lives so generally speaking they’re probably going to be easier to switch new businesses are also great because they don’t have Legacy software built-in so that way they can start fresh ultimately cons of the timing and events that are taking place as well are they in the middle middle of a very busy tax period or maybe are they in time of an expansion where they need realtime financials in which case that might be a really great opportunity um even those businesses which are looking to maybe retire soon and sell their business um moving them onto the cloud could be a good opportunity because that gives them real-time financials to sell their business at a higher price um consider the right industry for you as well you might have a wealth of Soul Trader clients you might be familiar with the apps in those Industries generally those clients won’t be super complex so in that case you can set them up with the right tools from the GetGo rather than having to investigate a whole lot of apps that you might not be familiar with and again if you are new to this pilot with a small number of clients and refine your process over time start with those easier clients before you move on to those more complex ones the second point we saw was the benefits knowing those benefits and this is important because the benefits to you as an advisor may not necessarily be the same to a business owner for example while one of the benefits that I absolutely love is power report customization a business owner may not necessarily resonate with that so instead focus on the benefits that resonates with them and consider bringing those into the conversation now what I found in my experience is that a lot of business owners and clients tend to resonate with some of the following so business visibility being able to get clarity over their business and where they’re at this is especially true for those businesses that currently don’t have that visibility and are currently managing their business based on what they see in their bank statement collaboration never understand underestimate the value that you can bring as an advisor and how much your clients value that if you can collaborate together through the cloud getting paid faster cash flow is top of mind for clients we know many clients are struggling with cash flow especially at the moment with those Rising costs so if you tell your clients that there is a way to help them get paid faster improve their cash flow then you’ve already got them hooked and for a lot of clients that’s probably going to resonate much more than say for example powerful report customization Saving Time people want to spend less time on admin and more time on doing the things that they love whether that be spending time with their friends and their family or maybe just developing a really great product or service for their own customers and also staying compliant I’m sure no one wants a letter from the local tax Authority telling them that they’ve being uncompliant so if they’re on the cloud and you can work with them closely together then this is a really easy way to solve this so have these benefits ready in in your pocket there are some benefit as well and when talking to the to to the benefit when talking to your clients about the benefits consider maybe using three of these and see how it works for you three is a very magic number and it’s me memorable in the human mind so I’m going to ask a question can I get it if you have heard of the rule of three before the rule of if you’ve heard of that then can you click the raise hand Link in the zoom toolbar so if you’ve heard of the rule of three so it looks like a very small number of us have heard of the rule of three basically it’s a persuasive technique used by public speakers writers and even politicians as humans we remember in threes so if you speak in threes then it’s going to be much more memorable for the Eld audence not two not four but three for example life liberty and the pursuit of happiness government of the People by the people for the people location location location stop look and listen friends Roman countrymen these are all used and threes these are examples of the rule of three and it becomes very memorable in the uh in the human’s mind but knowing the audience and kn knowing the value is one thing being able to communicate it is just as important if not more important you might have the greatest product or service in the world but if you don’t communicate it in a way where the audience will understand then it’s going to be a whole lot more difficult to get the outcome that you desire so again there’s no one way to get this right but I’ll share a few tips and ideas that you might want to consider in your client conversations and see how it goes some of these you might be aware of some of these you might not be aware of the first is to ask open-ended questions things like what are your pain points what are your goals where are you spending most of your time what is holding you back you can get a large list of open-ended questions from the likes of chat GPT now this will help your client do most of the talking from there you can understand their pain points and understand what type of benefits you might want to highlight again it’s helpful because you will understand those pain points one of the questions that I asked at a business owner at an event recently was what is keeping you awake late what is keeping you up late at night and what they said is they spent all of their evenings sending out invoices in Microsoft Word and they’re struggling to keep on top of payments um now the reality is is if they were aware of let’s say for example um the ability to send invoices through zero and the ability to accept those online payments um that would have removed that whole pain point and and they were much more receptive when they saw that zero had this particular ability to do that um I would also say avoid complex jargon where possible as we know um a lot of clients don’t understand accounting jargon and terminology things like accounts receivable accounts payable statement of comprehensive income if you add a lot of confusing terminology it’s probably going to take away the message that you the underlying message that you ultimately want to convey but of course it does depend on who you’re speaking to as well if you’re speaking to a financial controller they’ll probably want you to speak their language also consider the setting is it a meeting that you’ve set up with them to discuss their business goals or are you just passing by their office and you say hey move switch to the cloud and when you’re in the conversations take note of their pain points and their needs because that’s going to be very helpful for when you want to talk about the benefits or even when you want to perform a demo and finally really important here it’s not a sales pitch pitching a software can sometimes come across as impersonal so one idea would be to set up a meeting to understand their pain points and goals but again this just depends on your relationship with them and sometimes zero might not be the best option for them and if that’s the case that’s perfectly fine ultimately it’s all about what is best for the client which again may not always necessarily be zero and that’s perfectly fine now after we’ve had those conversations with a client we might even want to consider bringing in a product demo a demo is a very powerful tool to have in your pocket as I mentioned earlier they say A picture speaks a thousand words and I would say a demo speaks a million words because it allows your audience to see the benefits that they receive with their own eyes now again I like to keep my sessions fairly interactive so I’m going to launch a second poll you should see it appear on your screen shortly and don’t worry it’s completely Anonymous um how much do you agree with this statement I am confident in running an effective product demo do you strongly agree with the statement do you somewhat agree with the statement do you somewhat disagree with this statement or do you strongly disagree with this statement so we’ve got a lot of answers flowing through I’ll just give a few more seconds to answer that and I’ll end that poll in 5 4 3 2 1 and I’ll just go ahead and share those results so it looks like about 12% of us strongly agree more than half of us somewhat disagree so somewhat agree and then the rest are about 30% are falling and either somewhat disagree or strongly disagree um thanks for those answers so in my role it’s basically to perform product demos right so I’ve done product demos to hundreds of thousands of people and it’s very very powerful because it really showcases the value that a product or service can bring and it can make people want to use it so no matter what spectrum what what area you’re falling in on that poll hopefully I can bring in a few tips and tricks for you in the space now before we do jump into the demo in the earlier conversations with your clients you may have found a number of pain points or goals that they’re working towards especially if your asking those open-ended questions maybe you’re already familiar with with what their goals are and you can use these insights to create what is known as a client needs analysis in this case let’s assume I’ve had a conversation with a client and these were some of the things that I noted the client has no idea how their business is performing they feel like they’re Flying Blind they struggle to get paid on time they spend too much time tracing invoices they have paper bills piling up on their dining room table and they’re not sure if any of their retail shops are profitable this information is gold for my product demo because I know exactly what I need to show to wow them and get them excited about the product with that in mind um I would also let’s take a look at the time where running with that in mind let’s take actually I would love a couple of suggestions from the crowd actually so in the Q&A box I would love to hear what features you would consider demoing in this in the demo what features would you demo based on this client needs analysis so can I get a few ideas from the Q&A box what features would you demo zero analysis report direct payments hubdoc and online payments tracking reports these are all fantastic answers um p&l absolutely so these are all some really great features that you can highlight in your demos depending on what your client needs are so with that in mind I’ll actually jump into zero and take a look at how I would demo this based on on that information we have at hand when doing this demo I’ll assume that I’m the accountant and I’ll PR present back to you as if you are the client a few things to note here is that I’ll use a workflow which illustrates how they use zero daytoday and what you’ll see is that I’ll continue to refer back to the benefits the value and how it addresses their pain points so we’ll get started with the St demo and again I’ll assume that you’re the client the first screen that you’re going to log on land on when you log to zero is going to be the dashboard and the dashboard is to give is designed to give you a quick snapshot of your business the moment that you log in so that way you have all that information at your hand I can see how much money is in my bank account so that way I don’t need to log into internet banking in order to figure that out I can see how much I can see the total cash in and cash out graph because we do understand that for businesses cash flow is king um we do understand as well that sometimes you might not know where you’re spending your money so we you can also add any accounts you want to add through to the account watch list moving further below we have the invoices ow to you graph so rather than spending your mornings trying to figure out who owes you money and chasing those online chasing those payments I can see that information the moment that I log in and that way I can get paid faster further down below we also have the bills you need to pay graph so again we’ll be able to see all of the bills that we need to pay so that way they’re not piling up on that dining room table now we do understand as well that you spend a lot of time sending those sales invoices so let’s take a look at how you raise and follow up on sales invoices and zero the sales overview screen is designed to give you a snapshot of the status of all of your invoices we can see what’s in draft we can see what’s a waiting payment we can see what’s overdue likewise a list of the customers that owe us the most money so again this is already giving us some great Insight around who we need to follow up on to get paid faster and we don’t have to spend all our evening searching through trying to figure this out and if we want to raise an invoice it’s really easy in this case I just need to select the who which will be Bayside Club I can also see how much they currently owe maybe we might want to follow up with them on those unpaid invoices before we send another the due dates have autop populated for us as well as the invoice number now we know you spend a lot of time chasing those unpaid invoices so why not add a big pay now button to the top of your invoices which your customers can click to pay you now rather than spending all of my time typing up the same detail in Microsoft Word I can simply set up an item that I’ve sent up set up I can preview how the invoice will appear both in the web and the mobile version I can go ahead and email this off the email template will autop populate for me and what that means is I don’t need to continually draft up an email over and over again I can send this off and look how quick and easy that was compared to maybe the current process that we’re using of sending those invoices through Microsoft Word but of course we do also understand that um we want to follow up on those unpaid invoices so in this case we’re going to choose to turn on the friendly little robots in zero called invoice reminders now in this particular case I’m going to choose to automatically email a customer when whenever an invoice is seven days overdue 14 days overdue 21 days overdue or maybe I might want to send them a friendly little reminder when an invoice is due in 3 days not only is this going to help me get paid faster not only is this going to save time but it’s also going to avoid those awkward followup conversations which none of us like to have now in order to remove those paper bills piling up on the dining room table we can check out the purchases overview screen this has a full list of all of the bills that we need to pay and if we want to get these bills into zero it’s actually very easy every single organization in zero has their own unique bills email address if I was to if we were to forward a bill through to this email address then it will be automatically created in zero as we can see here with this forwarded bill now after we’ve approved those bills maybe we might want to schedule to pay a number of these bills say for example on the 20th of the following month so that way on December the 20th we know exactly how much money we need in the bank in order to pay those bills so that way we feel we won’t feel like we’re Flying Blind now we also understand as well that we really want to get oversight over how your business is performing and part of that is through a bank reconciliation which we’ll take a look at now now as a business owner you might not be familiar with what a bank reconciliation is so let me explain on the left hand side we have all of those Bank transactions in that happen in your bank account so your actual physical bank account and on the right hand side we need to say what it is for for example is it for sales is it for maybe some expenses is it for power is it for rent etc etc so let’s take a look at how it works we can see further down below that we have a statement line for Cooper Street Bakery the who in this case is for Cooper Street Bakery the account code which is what we spent it on was for a staff lunch so entertainment and I’ll just say staff lunch and this is what is going to give us insight about our business and on our financial reports but if I scroll further down down below you will be able to see that we have a number of another Cooper Street Bakery line zero has remembered the details from last time it’s autop populated that information for us all we have to do is click okay and that’s going to update our financial reports which you’ll see in a moment and also give you the type of visibility that um you may be wanting um on top of that since we’re both working on the cloud um if you’re not comfortable with this process I can even do that for you so that way we can make sure you’ve got the upto-date financials and can make those better decisions so let’s take a look at those financial reports the first report that I want to show is the profit and loss report now the profit and loss report is a very useful report at the moment I understand you don’t have this type of ins currently but to provide some context this report is designed to give you a quick snapshot of how much what what your income is where your expenses are going and what you’ve got left over which is your net profit or loss but with a few minor tweaks we can get some really great insight about your business one example is the percentage of trading income so this will help you to identify where your costs are high relative to your income for example I can see that for every dollar in sales about 177% is on motive will be on Motor Vehicle expenses so this is the type of insight you may not have had before um you also have I know that there are multiple stores as well that are being operated so if you want to see which stores are profitable then that’s very easy you’ll actually be able to get that side by side comparison simply listed here so again you’ll be able to see which of your stores are profitable and which are not now one other report that I thought I would show is going to be the age receivables report um again understand that quite a bit of time is being spent chasing those unpaid invoices and this report is helpful because it’s going to show what is owed to us and who owes us money a very helpful report but with a few minor changes we can get some really great Extra Value in this case I’ll add the phone the primary person the mobile column email and I’ll click update so at a glance we’ll have all the contact details that we need to follow up on those unpaid invoices we know who to contact in the business we know the person name we know their phone they know their email everything that we need to get paid faster is listed right here and on top of that is going to save us time around searching through the um your contact details trying to figure this information out so that’s it in the space of I would say about 12 minutes performed a very highly effective demo which continually refers back to the value that the client will receive now this particular demo is something that I’ve done many times before um it usually gets a lot of high ratings um so I thought I’d just share a few other tips for you when performing a demo again entirely up to you if you want to use these or not but these are just some ideas to see if it works for you the first is to consider the relationship between you and your client what is your relationship with them again you know don’t make it a sales pitch um but consider the relationship I would also suggest to use the demo company every single user on zero has access to their own demo company it’s prepopulated with fictitious data so use it where possible also customize the demo to suit your client needs ideally show them features that solve their pain points and features that they will use for example if they’re not someone that is financially Savvy or doesn’t do a lot of complex reporting then don’t show them complex reporting don’t show them things that will make us as accountants excited just show them something basic like a profit loss how it gives them insight and maybe that percentage of trading income if they don’t use multicurrency then we don’t need to show that either um value value value cons continually highlight the value that they receive and how it makes things better for them use analogies like I did which was as an example by using zero and chasing those unpaid inv and having that invoices o to to me graph I don’t need to spend my morning searching through different folders on my computer trying to figure it out those are tasks which they are already doing so the so continually highlighting the value will really resonate with them also workflows work well in this demo we went from the dashboard through to invoicing through to bills to bank wck and then through to reporting a workflow works really well because it shows how they will use it daytoday and in a way that makes sense so that way it doesn’t feel disjointed and finally it’s not a sales pitch ultimately we’re focused on whether or not zero will be beneficial to our client we don’t want to force something on them which they are not comfortable with we just want to highlight the benefits so what I’ve actually usually found is that off the back of a highly effective demo quite often you will see a client’s face light up in excitement sometimes though they may have some questions and also some objections which is again perfectly fine as well and perfectly reasonable if they’re making a switch on their systems but I do like to keep again my sessions interactive and I like to customize it to my audience I will cover off a few objections and ideas that I sometimes speak to accountants about but if you have anything that you want to know about then can you let me know in the Q&A box what type of objections do you sometimes get let me know in that Q&A box and I’ll try my best to um answer those questions along the way so um not making enough money at the moment yes um employee onboarding unstable internet connections absolutely price can’t justify the cost the competition yes um clients who don’t trust the cloud that’s that that’s one as well so um Gracie if you could just leave these questions open I’ll try to answer these along the way I have got three qu object qu three objections listed and I’ll talk through these ones first and hopefully this should answer some of them the first is competition here are a few ideas and suggestions in the space the first is to avoid feature battles don’t start comparing one product to another instead focus on the value that zero can bring and the value that you can bring as an advisor when you’re both working on the cloud quite often this particular objection can be addressed through the demo where they actually see the value that they receive if you start comparing features one product versus another it ends up in a spiral of taking away the underlying message you want to push which is the value um focus on the time savings as well and how doing things in the cloud is much more simple this one pops up it’s popped up a few times in the Q&A box which is cost individual circumstances ultimately depend how you address this so many of our accounting and bookkeeping Partners have adopted value based pricing and flat fee pricing that lets them bundle the cost of zero into their service that way the client has one bill to manage which includes their zero software and the cost isn’t an issue but if you are passing the cost directly to your clients then address this by going back to the value they receive as consumers when we look at a product or service there are probably a couple of questions we ask ourselves the first is can we afford it some clients won’t be able to afford it and that’s perfectly fine but if we can afford it then we ask is the value I receive worth the money we spend so if you can show the value that they receive very clearly through the conversations and through the demo then cost often doesn’t become an issue if you can wow them show them those amazing features and show them how it will make a difference in their life then you’ll sometimes be surprised at how um how cost doesn’t always become an issue show how it resolves those pain points and communicate the value that not just zero but you as an advisor can bring to the table when you’re both working on the cloud um again focus on the time savings as well they’re probably spending a lot of time and costs on manual tasks so if you focus on how zero can free up that time by automating those manual tasks then that in itself is actually a lot of value um another area which is sometimes overlooked is making sure that they’re on the right plan that will deliver them the best return on the right best return on investment sometimes clients aren’t put on the right plan which will deliver them the most value um and the third one is difficulty so I’m on my current system I don’t know how to use the new system so just reassure the clients tell them that you’ll be with them every single step of the way that you’ll support them through their Journey if you’re doing this with multiple clients at at once you know a really good way to support them is just even through Zoom webinars at zero we use zoom webinars to scale our training across our accounting partners and our small business clients in bulk so maybe this is even an opportunity for you but definitely reassure your clients they highly value you as their trusted advisor showcase to them the zero resources available as well show them zero show them the courses that are available show them how they can get help and support if needed and again just highlight the value and benefits that they receive if you can showcase the value and the benefits and how it fixes their pain points through those conversations through the demo then already they’re probably quite often more likely wanting to switch anyway um fearful of change again you know that’s a great one C I’m just looking at the Q&A box some customers are scared of change completely understandable again just highlight the the benefit um one is hubdoc is difficult to use can’t sort out documents easily um again for that one reassure them support them um show them the resources that are available um clients who don’t trust the cloud so if a client doesn’t trust the cloud so thank you Courtney for your question um there are a few suggestions here um one you could say is that zero for example is um adheres to the strongest security standards we are isoc compliant some of the biggest banks in the regions trust zero they connect with us zero is a publicly listed company on the Australian Securities Exchange um and of course we use cloud daytoday anyway in our day-to-day lives so internet banking um Facebook all of these tools that they’re probably using anyway is already on the cloud um we have covered quite a lot there are just a few other question things I’d want to tick off so just to recap what we discussed we spoke about positioning the cloud and your service in here there were three key considerations to be aware of the first was to to know your audience to know the benefits that can bring those audience because again the benefits for us an advisor may not necessarily resonate with a a business owner and the third was being able to communicate those benef benefits really effectively we also took a look at how to demo zero like a pro maybe give this a try in yourself um just a couple of tips in this space include avoiding complex jargon continually referring back to the benefit and also um using a workflow is a really good idea as well demos are also great for training clients and bulk across zoom and I do I do know that some partners actually use demos as a way to um get new clients through the door and also we took a look at some suggestions to um handle some client questions um don’t forget about the benefits that you receive as part of the zero partner program as well um promote your practice on the Zero advisor directory this is available to bronze partners and above it’s a great way to grow your client base help you get new clients and again it’s available to bronze partners and above um continue to upskill yourself with our free education content and I would also suggest if you’re wanting to grow your firm spend take the time to connect your account manager they’re dedicated to helping your practice grow and Thrive so speak to them about what other partner program benefits are available now if you’re not on the partner program already but you’re an accountant or bookkeeper in in in practice then I will also post a link to the partner program in the chat box so I’ve posted it now before we wrap up with some final thoughts let me level you with this quote no plan and no action will lead to no results what steps can you take to help clients really realiz the benefit of the cloud is it about bringing in some tips around product positioning is it trying out a product demo or is it taking note of some of those key ideas around objection and question handling that we discussed in this webinar that actually does bring us to the end of the webinar I’m going to take a look to see if there are any unanswered questions but if you do have any more question question please continue to put them in that Q&A box and um I’ll do my best to answer them so one of them is how to call to action to ask client to join so Unice it sounds like how should I begin the conversation um around a move to the cloud um there is no right or wrong way ultimately it depends on your relationship with your client but sales pictures depending on your client can sometimes seem impersonable so maybe one idea that I have off the top of my head is maybe even just set up a meeting to discuss their their business goals their pain points um and from there you can see whether or not a switch to the cloud might be helpful for them um and thank you Rowena that was really really nice cont uh comment we absolutely love to hear that you thought this webinar was engaged in um clients who have unstable internet connections that was a that looks like that was uh what’s the word an objection oh that’s that’s definitely a tough objection I guess for unstable internet connection it will be very much around you know do they is the value that they receive worth that unstable internet connection um or maybe if they’ve got let’s say for example um hotspot or something like that will which will allow them to continue to use zero there’s all sorts of of Technology available out there including portable Wi-Fi connections portable internet connections that customers can use to try and get better internet connections um but I think everything has been out answered thank you all for listening to that I really really appreciate it again register for more webinars and we’ll see you at another one in the future and please let us know what you thought in that um feedback survey as well but again thank you everyone for listening and we look forward to seeing you at another webinar in the future take care everyone bye

By Amjad Izhar
Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
https://amjadizhar.blog

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