Showing Clients You Are the Right Fit

Do you want to know one of the big mistakes that I see people who are selling web design and digital marketing projects make over and over again? It’s when you look at the project in the sales process as if there’s a clear beginning where we ask a bunch of questions, then give a proposal and then they’re either going to say yes or no. When you look at the sales process that simply, you’re missing out on an opportunity to close more sales than you might be doing right now.

Don’t miss out on opportunities to close more sales

Now, I don’t blame you for thinking of it like that. Every book out there teaches you how to take somebody through a very rigid and strict sales process. What I see is a lot of people that could be introducing a new element to the process that will really help you close more deals. Here’s how it looks.

Let’s say that you went out to a prospect and you heard what they were doing and where they want to go. Then you came back and gave them a proposal. Maybe for a new website, for a Facebook ads campaign, for some email marketing, some SEO and those kinds of things, right? You are basically giving them your assessment of what you think needs to be done, which is what they asked you to do.

Now, what happens if what you come back with isn’t the right thing? Well, some clients will tell you and they’ll say, “This isn’t quite right,” but a lot of clients are just going to say, “We’ll think about it.” Or they’ll just tell you “no” because maybe somebody else gave them something that was more aligned with what they want.

How to build a relationship with a prospective client

The way I like to start the relationship with a prospect when I’m first talking to them is I won’t let them know that I’m going to be asking them some questions and I’m going to get an assessment of what they want, and then I’m going to come back and give them a proposal. My hope is that I knock it out of the park. That’s a grand slam. That what I come back with as my suggestion is a no-brainer to move forward with. But there’s a chance that from the time we talked today to the time that I present, things could shift and change. So, in the event I don’t knock it out of the park, if that is not the right solution, what we’ll do is we’ll just realign. I’ll gather what needs to be done and I’ll come back with the right solution. What this does is it takes the pressure off of you as the person who’s selling this project to have to deliver an absolute grand slam. You’re letting them know that ultimately you want them to have the right fit.

In the event that something has changed, like maybe they’re talking to a few of your competitors and in that process of thinking about this and talking about the project with other people, things have shifted and changed. So I don’t want the reason that you don’t get the project to be because you don’t have the flexibility to come back to them and show them a new way of doing things. Many times in the sales process, the client may think that your proposal is the final offer, like “This is it. I heard you. I’m coming back. Here’s exactly what I’m going to do for you,” and end of negotiation, right? But by framing this to the client upfront and through that process that you really want their best interests to be reflected in the proposal and you’re willing to come back and change and shift, let’s them know you’re willing to negotiate.

You’re willing to shift the way you are presenting things and the services you include in order to fit their needs. That’s going to be something that a client is really going to appreciate, and it keeps the opportunity open for you and reduces the chances that you’re in a situation where you’ve had a really great meeting with the client, but they didn’t say yes, they didn’t say no, and they’re just kind of not really committing. So, when you make it really clear that you’re open to a realignment, in fact, not just open to it, but really see it as a necessary part of the process in them getting what they want, that’s going to make a big difference for you.

Follow These Steps During the First Meeting

1. Stop trying to close them on the first meeting they have with me
2. Use the first meeting to ask them a bunch of questions
3. Use these questions to get a better understanding of what their issue is
4. Use these questions to help them better understand their OWN issue
5. Set up a followup meeting at a future date to present them the solution (aka the proposal)

If you’re having trouble closing clients, just follow these steps. I know it can feel like the process is slowing down when you have two meetings BUT when it results in more sales, and you can ask for more money each time, it is totally worth it.

When you do this, you’re absolutely going to close a lot more sales. As a bonus, I’m offering my exact questions I ask during the first meeting RIGHT HERE!

If you’re interested in seeing the exact questions I ask in the first meeting, just click here to download the PDF.

Mike Schmidt
Founder
AgencyCoach