It sounds like a really appealing way to get clients…

Run the client’s site through one of those automated SEO checkers, share the report with your potential client and show them how BAD their site is performing.

PLUS, if they're working with an SEO already, they’ll finally see that they are wasting their money and give it to you instead!  

Perfect plan, right!?

No.

If you’ve been caught up in thinking this way, and you’ve got massive visions of that automated tool running all day and night and all that cash raining down from the sky, I understand.  On paper, it makes total sense…

… there’s an endless supply of bad sites out there

… clients want better SEO rankings

… clients might already be paying someone for mediocre results

… clients don’t want to waste money

So you just show them that there’s a problem and that you can help them out, you’ll look at the all-star.  Well, in my experience that never works out, and if it does it’s super rare.

Here’s why.

If you’re going to use an SEO audit, you’ve got to change your approach if you’re going to have any chance of getting their attention (let alone, earning their business.)

Here’s what I mean:

When you start sending SEO audits to potential clients, it either comes across as scammy or overly technical with the intent to confuse.  Neither of these things is going to result in someone thanking you for the audit and hiring you.  

Why?  

You’ve ignored the fact that you have exactly ZERO relationships with them and there is no trust.  What you’ve done is the equivalent of asking someone to marry you 10 minutes after you met them at the bar.  It’s charming at BEST, but more likely CREEPY.

Here’s what to do instead: Ask permission.

You can say something like, “I have an automatic tool that does a deep dive on your website’s SEO and spots issues that might currently be preventing you from getting better exposure on Google.   I wanted to see if you’d be OK with me running it on your site?  There’s nothing you need to do; there’s no cost and I’ll share the results with you.  I’m doing this for people I think I can help at the chance that if they see value in the report that it might lead to a conversation about how I can help.  But if not that’s OK too!  Just reply back and say YES and I’ll get started.”

Pretty simple, right?  It works because you’re not being creepy, you’re acknowledging all the reasons that might cause an objection and you’re being clear about your true intentions.

The beautiful thing is that this same script works even better on people that already know you (even a little bit.)  

At the end of the day, I believe that marketing is about being a real human being.  It can be fun and exciting to dream about how these tools could automate lead generation and client sales for us, but if that was ever a real way to get clients, it isn’t anymore.

But the good news is that you can still use automated tools and reports with clients as a great way to attract them into sales conversations, you just need to remember that you’re a human and not a robot.

Apply for a coaching call with our Director of Coaching and get clarity around what's holding you back from success with your sales pipeline so you can get more clients easily.