Freelancer’s Guide to Sales: Followthrough
Quite often sales is like dating. The no-no’s in the land of courtship are exactly the same cardinal sins of the land of sales. Talking about yourself through the whole meeting. Never asking any questions about your date’s situation and needs. Taking the time to ask those questions, and not listen to their answers. Thanking them repeatedly in a gushing and desperate manner for meeting with you. Forgetting to make a friend. If you were a gecko on the wall of a meeting where those occurred, you would probably wince, laugh or both. And yet we have all done them.
Peter and I often talk in detail about sales, and yesterday, the conversation fell upon one of the most detrimental sales bloopers: walking away without booking another meeting in your calendar. What is your goal if you go out on a date? Have fun, land another date.
We have been chasing a contract with a large server software company for some time now. Peter made a friend, demonstrated our technical capability with a savvy, professional demeanor. Heck, we even landed the sucker. We helped as much as we could to maneuver the maze that is AP. Then, a few weeks ago we got a call. Our sponsor was quitting the company.
Quitting?!?! Who is replacing you? We have a PO but no check yet! Is the project dead? and on and on … you get the idea. After a bunch of in house brainstorming, we concluded that our goal was to keep the communication going. Book a meeting from a meeting. As long as we have a meeting in the calendar, the sales cycle is not dead. To make a long story short, we got a meeting in the books (though tragically we got stood up by the new director of our ex-sponsor’s department last week), and now need to figure out how to get this company back on the calendar. Is the deal dead? Without another meeting, that is quite likely.
I was so afraid of being pushy, I didn’t even lead.
Most independent contractors I know hate sales. Why?
I don’t like conflict and don’t want to feel pushy. For a long time, I was too nice. I was so afraid of being pushy, I didn’t even lead. Quite often, the most important part of the sales process is to know the next step and guide the prospective client through each phase.
In a nutshell, we build software. We have successfully completed hundreds of projects. How many websites or applications has our potential client built? More often than not, the answer is zero. We know the routine down pat. If you take that into account, who would be better equipped to lead the process - a busy and often overwhelmed client - or an experienced software professional?
We know the next step. Rather than waiting for the client to magically divine what happens, why don’t you just tell them. Our sales success rate has gone way up since we started being direct and leading. Most of our clients genuinely appreciate being guided through what is going on and what to expect.
Setting Expectations
Have you ever watched a very close basketball game, where the score bounces back and forth. Your favorite team even drops a little behind. Adrenaline is pumping, your emotions roller coaster (and you aren’t even playing). If I walked up behind you and said, “Oh I saw that game earlier, CAL wins,” and you are anything like me, your entire roller coaster ride just ended. The drama of the game just doesn’t affect you if you know the outcome.
The sales process is quite similar. If you knew exactly how this whole process ends, then there is no reason to get all rilled up. Some of you may love being lion tamers and keeping everything a big mystery, but I prefer a calm and happy prospect. So I tell them, this is how the whole bidding and project will happen and how it ends. If they have their expectations set early and correctly, then your odds of winning go way up!
I have been thinking about sales during a recession and how it has to change just a little. You see, when opportunity abounds, you land projects and can afford to screw up just a little. If a client doesn’t become a repeat customer that is sad but not a killer. In a recession getting the gig is important, but keeping the customer with a solid win is the difference between staying in and going out of business.
The pivotal moment in setting up a long term win is in your initial sales process. SET THE RIGHT EXPECTATIONS. Often as contractors, especially software developers, we are perma-positive and wildly optimistic. Peter & I meet with the head of UI at SAP yesterday and were joking about managing software teams. “Oh, you want moon landing software - 2 weeks. Pace maker code - thats 2 weeks. From our engineers, everything takes 2 weeks.” When you are dealing with a client, the way you win is to exceed expectation and those expectation are set before you even win the project. So set them carefully.
Sales Checklist
I have a checklist that Tom made for me to review before and after each sales meet. It helped me walk into a meeting with a game plan and my own expectation in line. It was composed of five simple questions.
Did I:
Make a friend
Establish credibility
Listen and find a need
Book another meeting
Ask for a referral if they were not a fit
Simple, but in the heat of the moment, I still struggle to remember and act on each of those. Sometimes I get grumpy. Other times I am a total chatter box. A few weeks ago, I had such a great time making a friend, I forget to find a need. I can’ tell you how many times I forgot to book another meeting and as a result spend weeks trying to get back in touch.
So, from me to you - good luck with your next sales meeting. May you be a little better than you were in the one before!
A quick question to everyone. I have been wondering if you are altering your sales tactics as part of the changing business climate. What is working and what is not?
How very true. Keeping communication alive is so crucial and yet, seemingly difficult for so many people. When I was in car sales it was nearly a lost art. So many assumed that a “walk off” meant goodbye forever. Mostly, that’s true. But, you don’t assume it to the point of expressing that in your own attitude, else it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I like the “ask for a referral” if they were not a fit. I need to incorporate that because I often just sort of end it if I think the potential client is out of his mind (i.e. “I want to make a new kind of MySpace.com - but for pilots!”). Instead, I should get some contact love from his rolodex before gently breaking the news to him that I really don’t reinvent wheels that will drive you over the cliff of poverty. Not because I don’t need the money, but because I’d just feel bad.
As for your question, hard to say. So far, I have had no more trouble making a sale than ever (90% close) but my phone is just ringing a lot less. Like, a real lot less. Like scary less. I keep checking to make sure it’s working. Plus, I just invested in a toll-free number which it makes it kind of doubly-scary.
We have had an interesting few months. We have had no shortage of opportunity, but the effort to land gigs has gone sky high. We have had numerous gigs like the one mentioned above that land, and then due to the convulsions of larger companies, either unland or extend for a long while.
My conclusions are that we will do fine this year, though we will spend a significant portion of time this year in sales than last year.
I am less worried than friends who own other firms since our overhead is so low (basically our mortgages) since we chose to use all contractors and no employees.
Oh, I hear what you are saying about landing gigs being difficult this year. We’ve had a few decent ones slip by too. I’m waiting to hear back on one that’s been in limbo since December. It’s half way done, but I’m starting to think it will never get finished.
I love your tip about scheduling another meeting. That’s something I don’t specifically think about but so common sense.
To add to your point about leading, I think it’s also important to recognize when a client is saying yes. A lot of times we want to wait for them to say “yes” directly, which most of the time they won’t do.
If you wait to ask if they want it, you look insecure like, “are you really sure you want it?”. It’s good to look out for key phrases and go with the flow when you know you’ve got it. For example, “what type of payment do you accept?” can mean, “I’m ready to pay, give me the details pronto so we can get started”.
Great tips indeed. I have been thinking a lot lately about my approach to sales and modifying the processes I use. I was just having some of these same discussion recently with a close friend of mine. Along the same lines of following through, I also find it hard to decide when to place a phone call or to just follow-up via email. Each can have it’s advantages and disadvantages it seems.
I’ve also experienced more difficulty lately actually landing the gig. I have so many proposals out waiting for people to make decisions on. I try not to be pushy, but also feel like they should all just say yes so we can get started
Yaaay - go peter! Ok so we are back in the game with our server client chase - we have a meeting back in the books on friday. Who knows but I am optimistic!
@Naomi - That is such a great point. Over the years we have learned a ton of ways to find out if someone is ready to go. Asking things like “So what is the process of getting a PO number?”, “When can I expect the initial deliverables”… often theb est thing is to assume they are ready, behave like it and push until they balk. Quite often I have found the my intuition tells me to balk long before they would have. In fact quite often they are ready to get started and I am still trying to convince them that they should do business with me.
@Casey - that question of phone and email is an eternal one. I tend to use email as long as I am getting a response. I will try the phone if I have been unable to get a hold of them, but I have always felt like the phone can be quite intrusive. When I do use the phone, I always ask: “Is this a good time?” That way if it is not, they can say so, I ask to book a time and then I am not a pest but respectful.
@Naomi: Shane is referring to what is known in sales as the “assumptive close” which can be very successful if you are a) in tune with the client (a relationship has been formed) and b) if it is a needs-based sale (websites, new car when old car is on last leg or daughter going to college, a #7 drillbit for a DIY project at a hardware store, etc) and c) you are at ease and comfortable. You have to appear natural, confident, etc. Don’t worry about the client’s ease - they are getting ready to write a big check and/or make a legal agreement. They *should* be a little nervous. In fact, I’d argue that if they are *too* at ease, a little red flag should go up: you might be charging too little, or they might think they are getting a better deal than you are offering. Better a little conflict and discussion now then later.
Anyway, some ways to do this??? Here you go.
Always (always!) refer to yourself as handling the project. Do not ask, “When is this project likely to be started?”. Heavens, it is a hypothetical question. And guess what you’ll get? A hypothetical (and useless) answer: “Uh, we’re hoping to get it underway soon, by this fall at the latest.” Who cares? If they knew what they needed, you wouldn’t be there. Instead ask questions like this: “When do you want me to start?” And not even in the close. Early on, early on. You always refer to yourself as handling the project. Ignore and do not comment on their references to other designers/bids, etc, unless directly asked about your opinion on another bid. Just remember to use yourself (your company) in all references to the project and don’t use phrases like “would, could, should”. Say “will”.
Wrong: “You could have us do SEO for an additional fee.”
Right: “We will do your SEO for an additional fee.”
Done wrong, the assumptive close can backfire big-time. However, in the web design business, you have two big things going for you in using it.
First, the need is usually fairly urgent. In fact, it’s often past due. Clients have been “thinking about a new website” for quite a while before they pick up the phone and start calling web firms. Something about your website or knowledge has them already half-sold. You just need to close and don’t get in your own way (so to speak).
Second, if you spend an adequate amount of time in your presentation and fact-finding the subtle message to the client is this: “Egads, this is more than I realized it was. If I have to do this with two other web firms, I’ll be exhausted. This guy/company seems to be pretty good and his pricing is reasonable. Maybe I can just get this underway and go on to other stuff.” Nothing wrong with creating a sense of that urgency by actually not sounding urgent, but detailed. When I hear about 20-30 min presentations that didn’t get the sale, I’m not surprised. 90 minutes is a minimum.
One trick to get that commitment is this: When they call for an appointment, schedule only a start time. When you later send the email confirmation, put 90 minutes: 9:00am - 10:30am. They see that and already tacitly commit to 90 minutes with you then you know you are already sold. Just close. Close for 90 minutes. Or more.
If they call for an appointment to have you present for 20-30 minutes (assuming this is a first-meeting), you can decide whether you want to do it or not, but I guarantee your success rate will fall drastically. Often, getting that important second meeting as Shane mentioned becomes a near-impossibility when your first impression is limited to 30 minutes. Getting a client/customer to commit their time is a crucial first step in getting them to committing their wallet.
@Casey: I hear you when you say you try not to be pushy. But in sales, that’s what you have to be. Not obnoxious, but pushy. You are competing. Not with other web firms, but sick children, Burger King ads, tire rotations, catchy song on the radio, Rush Limbaugh, wife’s latest furniture purchase and delivery, etc. The world is rushing past your client at the same pace as it is for you. In fact, if your client isn’t as technical as you, it may in many ways be seemingly going faster for them. You have to insert yourself into that equation: more often, and with more clarity.
I recommend you get a book called “How to Become a Rainmaker” by Jeffrey J. Fox. Especially if you have lots of proposals gathering dust and if you still feel uncomfortable making waves. He’ll give you lots of great ways to stay in front of prospects without being obnoxious or intrusive.
I don’t necessarily agree with Shane about the email followups. Decisions are never made by email. Rarely anyway. Depends on the client I suppose so use your judgment. “As long as they are responding”, I suppose. But his first point (in the post) about getting that next meeting is so very crucial. We are all humans. That connection is vital. Proposals are humanless, godless documents that communicate facts and figures. They show no emotion. They evoke no goodness, no happiness. But you do. You are the champion of your services - not your proposal.
Are you sending these out in response to RFP’s? Don’t. Send a two-page summary (no more) if required, but put the rest into a PowerPoint presentation (with a printed takeaway) and request a face-to-face with the stakeholders. You bring the donuts (whatever). And your personality. You overwhelm. You amaze. You shock and awe. Sure, they have the takeaway for the decision. But don’t be surprised if the shove the other proposals into the wastebasket right in front of you and hire you on the spot halfway through.
If you just send out proposals, you’re just helping some lazy business (and as yet, non-committed) collect a big pile of proposals. As if anyone there had the intelligence that you do to even interpret half those proposals. Just the way their front desk collects resumes from prospective employees. Just the way kids collect Manga comics. Might feel nice for them to have a nice little collection. But it’s useless and doesn’t accomplish anything. Not for them, not for you. Don’t ever think that they are just choosing the “best proposal” that “fits their needs”. Maybe one business in a hundred has the ability to do that. They wouldn’t know the best proposal for their needs if it ran over them in a Mac truck and did figure-eights in their front lawns.
Lastly, in your response to your question about timetables for followups. Make it a principled practice to followup on every prospect with a set timetable. I put mine below. But you can make up your own.
Why do this? First, you are fretting/worrying over when is the right to call so-and-so, what to say, etc. Not just you. Anyone would. It’s natural. Kind of like worrying when is the right to call a girl after your first date. Or when to call a friend after a death in their family. It can be awkward. We turn to Ann Landers for stuff like that, I suppose. Or Miss Manners.
But for sales, you have to make up your own schedule. Then stick to it. Just do it. Don’t get creative - at least, not until you are closing 80% or better. That way, you don’t have to think about it. It’s just part of your morning routine.
Also, don’t get discouraged. Remember, that most of the time, the day you get the call for the first meeting is, generally speaking, the height of your prospect’s interest in “getting this thing done”. It tends to wane over time. But every so often, he/she gets the urge again and it becomes priority again. Hope that your disciplined followup schedule will hit him/her right between the eyes when that happens.
Note: Some of the stuff I’ve mentioned doesn’t work well with really big clients (IBM, SunMicrosystems, defense contractors, etc.) with huge and evolving specs and bid processes. But if you are getting invited to do work for companies like that, I hardly think you have much to worry about.
All the stuff below is pre-scripted (calls and emails). I don’t have all my scripts here (comment is probably overlong as it is). Maybe I’ll post them somewhere. I don’t care if you cool peeps can use them, just don’t want my local competition to steal from me.
Prospects stay in the pipeline until they are either a) sold, b)disappeared (phone disconnected/email bounces) c)tells me to back the heck off, d)has the work done elsewhere (and there is nothing further left it in it for me to do/offer, or e) dies.
Also, some dates can be skipped if client makes reasonable followup (”Can you call me back next Tuesday”), but not if they ask for a ridiculous timetable followup: “Busy right now. Can you call me in October? (And it’s May). Then, they get a “Delay of Game” penalty. That’s ten yards. Ouch! Seriously, if they are serious, I’ll respect it for phone calls and emails, but they still get mailings.
Followup Schedule (use nearest business day of client).
Days after followup (use RTM or Goog Cal) or you can try PipelineDeals.com (they have a free plan, but it’s only $15/month and they designed this ground up with stuff like what we do). .
The newsletter emails are pre-written and not specifically addressed to the client. They also get put on the Client email list after two months.
2 - Email Thank You: “Looking forward to working on your (interesting|intriguing|stunning) project.”
5 - Phone call. Request for Project Start Date, Signed Agreement.
7 - Postcard Mailed. “You have made a great decision”..
10 - Phone call. Request for Agreement.
14 - Email Newsletter. Detailed Advantages of BWH (my business).
21 - Email Newsletter. Busy week. Productivity benefits of a well-designed website.
28 - Email Newsletter. “Eight Mistakes Companies make when Hiring a Web Designer”
45 - Cheerup! You are helping them. They will love you one day! Call. Schedule new meeting. Buy lunch if necessary. Want to show them what I did for another client and would like their opinion.
50 - Email to other Client telling them about Prospect’s praise. Copy Prospect.
60 - Email Newsletter. “Worker’s Love New Website” article.
65 - Put on general Client Email List.
90 - Email Newsletter. “Business is Slow. Have extra time to get your project completed this month. Five percent off.” (Note: This is the first price concession I give unless they came to me from a coupon or something in the first place).
180 - Email. “Been busy. How’s everything?”
270 - Email. “Hope all is well.”
365 - Phone. Followup.
(Repeat last two every six months, ad naseum).
@Lawrence - Wow, that is one comment! Will you be my friend?
Very true about using “will” instead of “would, should, etc”. I learned that one from my fun telemarketing days. Yes, I know, I know, don’t hate me.
That’s very interesting about what you say about the necessity of presenting in person. That’s one of the biggest problems we have. Here in Spain, the web design market is quite bad. So, we get most of our work internationally, which means we work virtually almost all of the time. Getting a decent project this way feels very difficult. We’re going to be moving to the U.S. soon though, so hopefully that will change.
Thanks for the great tips, I’m going to save this.
@Lawrence - I went ahead and took your recommendation and bought the audio book of “How to Become a Rainmaker” by Jeffery Fox. Looking forward to reporting on it.
Thanks for the in-depth, insightful, yet whimsical lowdown on sales!
@Lawrence - Those were some great ideas. I’ll have to look into that book recommendation.
I’d also be interested to hear other books that you’ve all read (or listened to), that provide great advice on marketing, business building, and sales. I’m always on the lookout for books and resources that can give me new insight.
@Lawrence - I am about 1/2 way through your
commentpost. So far you are spot on .. more after…@Casey -
Acres of Diamonds,
Self made in america (http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ASIN=0201608235&tag=shpeinbl-20&lcode=xm2&cID=2025&ccmID=165953&location=/o/ASIN/0201608235%3FSubscriptionId=1N9AHEAQ2F6SVD97BE02)
How I raised myself to a success - http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ASIN=067179437X&tag=shpeinbl-20&lcode=xm2&cID=2025&ccmID=165953&location=/o/ASIN/067179437X%3FSubscriptionId=1N9AHEAQ2F6SVD97BE02
If you don’t have big breasts - put ribbons in your pigtails
http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ASIN=1591840333&tag=shpeinbl-20&lcode=xm2&cID=2025&ccmID=165953&location=/o/ASIN/1591840333%3FSubscriptionId=1N9AHEAQ2F6SVD97BE02
I’ll post more when I think of them
@Naomi - I have mixed feelings on the in person. It certianly helps, but you can build a virtual communication strategy that goes quite a long ways. I would say that we only ever meet about 50% of our clients during the sales process (internation conglomerates etc…). That said, the bulk of our projects are multiple month gigs. This would be a great topic for qa post. Let me think on it.
@Shane: Yes, I think that comment, er, post, was perhaps a bit long. Sorry about that. Hey, free content for S&P for SEO, I guess.
@Casey & Naomi: You both have lovely sites. Very nice. I subscribed to both your business blogs. Casey, I like your candidness on your blog and how you are very transparent with your business on it.
@Peter: I’m honored you took the suggestion so much to heart that you bought the book. Boom! A man of action, eh? I hope that it brings you even more success.
@et. al.: Shane’s right about the Self-Made in America book which I actually won from him and Peter in a little contest they had here on their blog. Great book. I wish I could say I’m finished with it, but I’m not yet. But over halfway through, I’d say it is definitely inspiring.
The only other ‘must read’ I’d ever offer up to those in sales (and will be required reading for all my junior sales reps I hire one day when I’m rich and famous) is a now-obscure book called “Selling Retail” by ex-furniture salesman (and millionaire) John Lawhon. It’s sometimes on the online bookstores as used (although only a fool would sell his copy - even for food), but you can get it and find out more about it at http://www.sellingretailinc.com.
I can’t say enough about the book. It is not a tactic or closing book. It is about sales - mostly how not to screw it up. The book is specific to furniture sales and in every poor salesman that I’ve seen come and go, it’s because they haven’t mastered the basics. If it applies to a sofa, it applies to multi-million dollar accounts even more. It’s technically two books in one. After having read hundreds of sales-oriented books, many of which are good, I still go back to the fundamentals described by John. When I later in life went into car sales, I wasn’t surprised to find out that many of the tactics taught to me by professional training programs were loosely-based on what I already knew fro Lawhon. Sadly, they use the sauce, but leave the meat back home (one reason for the high turnover).
He’s got a few other books, but I’d start with Selling Retail. The only other good thing I’ll say here is that, unlike so many other sales books where you read out of obligation, or where you spend your time waiting for bullet point after dullness, this book is actually a readable and highly interesting book. Even if you don’t like sales books, you’ll at least find it interesting (much of it is written like a first-hand account of his own trials in the business). It’s a story, as well as a guide.