My last article on How to Deliver the Perfect Client Pitch was very well received, and so I’ve decided to follow up with a post on other tactics I use to close sales.
1. Talk Like You Mean Business, Not an Amateur
Your client needs to know you’re an old hat at sales and that you know your product and service inside out. Prove this to them by:
- Speaking slowly and be brief
- Asking the right questions that identify the client’s needs
- Listening more than you talk.
2. Don’t Act Like It’s an Audition – Act Like You’ve Inked the Deal
Your clients are busy people who’ve got businesses to run. Acting like a thought partner will get you ahead of the ‘audition’ phase and straight to planning strategy, and execution, which then leads to the physical signing of your contract or proposal. I stress that isn’t the actual signature that’s important, but rather the psychological buy-in that you must establish in the early phases of engagement.
3. Identify What They Need to Know
You’ve got an arsenal of charts, stats, practiced responses to every objection a client can throw at you and more – Why would you spill the beans if you don’t need to? Don’t talk to your prospect about every client success, or the structure of your team, or even how you go about delivering the service if you don’t need to.
4. You’re Solving Not Selling
Everyone likes to buy but no one likes to be sold. As a consultant, aim to solve the client’s problems rather than selling them.
5. Listen, Learn and Revise
Proposals aren’t set in stone when you first pitch them to a client. Mine go through several revisions before one gets signed, not because of alterations to price, but rather due to changes in deliverables, goals, and campaign focus. It’s important to listen to what the client is exactly asking for, and answering them with a solution that fits both worlds.
Tip: Don’t budge on price without adjusting deliverables, as then you’re setting the precedent of discounting the value of your services.
Dev Basu is a regular contributor to Search Engine Journal. He owns Powered by Search, a full service internet marketing agency located in Toronto, Canada; and blogs about online marketing for small businesses, search marketing, and all matters in local seo and social media. Catch up with him at his blog, twitter, or connect on Linkedin.
