An easier way to sell services.
A reader asked for help. She prepares about 30 quotes a month. Most don't turn into business. In fact she has a hard time even getting a follow-up meeting after sending the quote.
She'd found an article I wrote on how we reduced no-shows at pre-sales meetings and hoped something similar might work for her.
Her sales process was pretty standard.
- A discovery meeting on Zoom to understand what the prospect needed and if they were a good fit.
- She'd prepare meeting notes, a proposal and a price quote.
- She'd follow up a few days later with a request for another meeting where she'd try and close the deal.
Discovery meetings took about half an hour. She'd spend four to five hours after the meeting on the notes, proposal and quote.
Her boss was trying to scale up to at least 50 quotes a month. At four to five hours per quote that'd take her 25 to 30 8-hour days. She was already working brutal hours (we spoke at 9pm on a Friday night) and didn't know if she'd be able to cope with the pressure.
Something jumped out at me as she was speaking, but I said nothing till she ran out of steam. Then I asked her what her work day would be like if she never had to prepare a custom quote for a cold prospect again. And, if she could go from begging for follow-up appointments to winning deals without them.
She's works in an industry I know well - online marketing for offline businesses. Her offering is a $2 500 to $10 000 per month service contract, with a 6-month lock-in.
She argued that it's impossible to win a $60 000 marketing contract without custom quotes and follow-up meetings.
She's right.
Bigger value projects do take a lot of work to sell. You have to have the discovery calls, meeting notes, customised proposals and quotes. And, you often need several follow-up meetings.
That time and work is a waste if the deal doesn't happen (most don't). We've come to accept it as part of doing business, but it doesn't have to be this way.
Enter the pilot-project.
A pilot-project is a small, fixed price service. It delivers real value to the client, but without a big investment or long-term commitment.
Instead of trying to sell a $10 000 per month ongoing contract, you sell a $1 000 once-off project.
I used this approach to sell Google Ads management services. I'd meet with prospective clients to see if it was likely that Google Ads would be profitable for them. If it looked promising I'd propose a two-month long test campaign. Four out of every five prospects said yes during the first call.
Near the end of the campaign I'd ask the client if they'd like to continue getting leads. Almost everyone said yes. And why wouldn't they? By this time they knew that Google Ads was a good fit, and they trusted my work. It's an easy sale to make.
How to come up with a pilot-project that's easy to sell today and prepares the client to say yes to a bigger project later.
Your pilot-project must be valuable to the client in its own right - even if they don't sign up for anything else. If it doesn't deliver value it won't build the trust needed to sell bigger projects.
My Google Ads pilot campaign delivered value in a two ways:-
- 50 to 100 sales leads. Most of the time one sale would cover the cost of the pilot.
- Data in the Google Ads account to kick-start future campaigns - even if the client didn't hire me.
If you don't already have an idea for a pilot-project think about the first steps a client has to take to get what they want. We did this to come up with a pilot-project for an immigration consultancy.
Someone wanting to move to another country needs a visa and usually a job. The country my client works with has a range of visa options. Some depend on having a job, others depend on qualifications or work experience. Others need a job and the right qualifications.
Applying for the wrong visa can waste tens of thousands and set immigration plans back by years. Deciding which visa to apply for is an important part of my client's work for their clients.
We extracted some of this work into the pilot-project - a personalised report on immigration options. It includes:-
- All the visa options available to the client given their education and experience.
- A recommendation of the best option for the client.
- A very detailed list of requirements for the recommended option.
- A list of possible employers in the city the client is planning to settle in.
How to price your pilot-project.
Pricing is tricky because we have conflicting requirements:-
- The price should be low enough so it's an easy decision for the client.
- But, it should be high enough to cover the costs of doing it. A pilot-project should definitely not be you working for free.
Being super-efficient in executing the pilot-project is the only way to price low and still cover costs. Efficiency comes from the design the project and doing the same kind of project over and over.
Let's talk about the design. I'll use my Google Ads pilot as an example again if you don't mind.
You need a decent website to run Google Ads. It must be fast. The pages must convert visitors into leads. And, it needs conversion tracking or analytics set up.
None of my clients had this when they first contacted me. Getting their websites ready for Google Ads was a weeks-long, time-sucking nightmare. The exact opposite of efficiency. It killed the momentum and burned all the profit.
After learning this the hard way I designed this inefficiency out. From then on we built a specialist micro-site for every pilot-campaign instead of messing with the client's website. I invested in tools to make this easier and eventually we could build a micro-site in under two hours.
The immigration report is also designed for efficiency. The research takes time but the actual report is mostly made up from reusable templates.
You need some backing documents to help sell the pilot-project.
You need:-
- A why and what document.
- A project scope document.
- A contract or service agreement.
- A client information document.
- A follow-up email sequence.
The good news is that you only need to prepare these documents once. They're the same for every client.
They why and what document.
This document sets out why you're doing the pilot-project and what you're going to do. The why describes the client's problem. The what shows how the pilot-project solves the problem
You need this because sometimes the person you're speaking to will have to tell someone else about the pilot-project. This saves you having to rely on their understanding and memory.
You could put it up on your website or send it by email.
I dug out the text for my original (circa 2013) why and what webpage. You can download a copy here. You'll see it's written in plain English and doesn't contain a lot of jargon. That's because the reader is likely to be a business owner rather than a Google Ads expert.
The project scope document.
The scope document sets out exactly what's included in the pilot-project. And, just as important, it sets out what's not included. This could be part of the contract if it makes sense.
The client information document.
Most pilot-projects need some information from the client. This document tells the client what you need from them.
At its simplest it's an email template. Later you might get more complicated with an intake form.
The follow-up email sequence.
If you don't close the sale on the first call, you should follow up. A series of emails works well. I've got detailed instructions on how to prepare a quote followup-email sequence..
How to sell the pilot-project (even if you hate selling).
Once again I'll speak from my experience selling pilot Google Ads campaigns. What worked was to suggest a pilot-project as the logical next step.
A typical call would start with me finding out about the prospect's business. I'd ask a load of questions trying to figure out if it was likely that Google Ads would be profitable for them. If it looked good I'd do some quick keyword research to make sure that enough people searched Google for what the prospect sold.
If there was enough traffic I'd say something like...
Based on what you've told me and the expected search volume it looks like Google Ads is a good fit for your business. But, until we run a campaign we won't know how many leads you'll get, how well the leads will fit and how much it will cost.
But, it doesn't make sense to commit to a long-term contract until we know for sure that you're going to be able to make a profit from Google Ads. I recommend that we start with a pilot-campaign. Think of it as research to make sure this does what we'd hoped instead of risking a lot of money.
Would you like to go ahead with this?
Almost everyone said yes. I'd then explain the costs, scope and get the ball rolling.
When to pitch the big project.
Pitch the big project when the client has experienced the value of the pilot-project. I my case this was a week or two before the end of the pilot-campaign.
I'd meet with the client to discuss the sales they'd made to the leads. If their sales cycle was long and they hadn't yet closed any deals we'd talk about the potential value of the leads.
If it looked good I'd ask "Would you like to keep getting these kind of leads?" and when they said yes I'd propose my regular contract.
For the immigration consultancy we had them send the report and then invite the client to meet to review and discuss it. This lead naturally into offering to help with the rest of the immigration process.
I offer 1-to-1 mentoring and consulting. You’ll get help, advice, support and answers without having to commit to a long-term contract. Details here.
Over the last few years I've done deep work with a handful of clients to increase the number of sales they made from their Google and Facebook leads. I've put what I've learned into a 9-lesson email course.
You’ll learn:-
- How to identify opportunities for improvement.
- How to generate more than enough ideas for improvement using the 2-magnets concept.
- How to apply those ideas in your business.
- How to measure the results of your work (so you can do more of what's working and less of what's not).
My experience has been that it will deliver more sales if:-
- Your business receives leads from online advertising like Google or Facebook.
- Your sales process happens offline. A lead arrives and there is a quote, assessment, demonstration etc before the sale happens.
- You have the capacity to handle a few more sales in the short term without having to hire or invest in new equipment.
Related articles
Most Google Ads advice is wrong for small businesses A small account needs a different setup and different management. You see, something that improves a $50 000 a month account might tank a $500 a month account.
Why you might want to pay Google to show an ad when someone searches for your business. It can sometimes be useful to pay Google to show your advert when someone searches for your business by name. Here's why and how...
Modernising legacy Google Ads account structure A successful restructure leaves the account easier to understand, easier to optimise and better positioned for the future. Understanding why the account looks like it does is key to getting from sticky mess to well-oiled machine.
Should I split a massive multi-country Google Ads account into separate accounts? At first glance it seems like splitting a big account into smaller accounts will make it easier to manage. But, there are downsides and, there are ways to make big accounts easier to manage.
Why we lost sales. Losing potential sales always hurts. But, if you know why you lost the sale you can make changes that'll help you win more sales down the line.
"Forget about reducing the CPC" In money terms my client paid Google about $1 400 per client he contracted with. He could live with spending $500 per new client. Here's how we're going to hit that target.
What to do if leads don't answer when you call. Last month a client got 4 150 leads but their sales team was unable to contact 1 277. Here's how we're going to reduce the number of non-contacted leads and help the client make more sales.
Why I don't just delete fake leads from my inbox If the only thing you do with fake leads from Google Ads is delete the lead delivery email you risk getting swamped by fake leads. Here's why and what to do to improve lead quality.
Why I never use reCAPTCHA on Google Ads landing pages Nobody wants an inbox full of spam, but preventing fake leads from submitting your form is wrong if you’re paying for online advertising. Here's why...
What to say on the first call to an internet lead. Calling leads back fast is the best way to ensure you get a sale if there is one going. Here's what to say on that call.
More sales are lost because of inertia than price. Most of your potential clients want what you sell but haven't handed over the money because they've run out of steam. Here's how to keep them moving towards a sale.
How to win more quotes without lowering your prices In a perfect world you'd win every quote but the reality is that most quotes don't turn into sales. It is possible to turn a lot more quotes into sales without lowering prices. Here's one way.
You could be shooting yourself in the foot if you send quotes in Excel or Word. There is a problem with emailing quotes in Word or Excel: There is no guarantee that the quote will look like it should.
Is your sales process chaotic? I was surprised when three small business owners used the same word - chaos- to describe how they currently handle leads.
The weak link that might be causing you to lose leads Some of your leads never make it from your website to your inbox. And, there is a good chance you don't know about the missing leads.
Leads ghosting you? A business owner complained that his leads were ghosting (ignoring) him after initially showing interest. As we worked together we uncovered a mismatch between lead temperature and his response.
60 leads a week and no sales Their first instinct was to change the adverts. It sort of makes sense. Adverts aren’t producing sales so the adverts must be broken. Fix the adverts and you'll get more sales. But, they could change their ads, spend a load more money and get no sales. This is because the adverts might not be the real problem
Grow your own big-budget clients Building a profitable agency or freelancing with small-budget clients is hard. Here's how to grow your smaller clients into bigger-budget clients.
About 25% of online leads are lost before they speak to a sales person. Losing 1 in 4 of possible sales before the process even starts is a huge waste. It's also a huge opportunity...
My client fired me, and now he’s asking for my secret sauce. A client fired you even though you were doing a good job. Here's how to make this sting less and keep the door open for future work.
You can optimise your client's business like you optimise their Google Ads account. You can give your client a much bigger ROI by optimising their business than almost anything you can do in their Google Ads account. Here's how.
A warning about Google Local Service Ads for doctors, lawyers and other professionals I investigated using Google Local Service Ads for a law firm client. Turns out that there are some privacy issues which were of concern. They may be of concern to you too.
The one number you must know if you're going to use Google Ads to generate leads. How much can you pay for a lead and still be profitable? It is obvious, and it should be advertising 101, but I've lost count of the number of people paying Google who don't know the number.
Ever get to Friday and feel like you’ve accomplished nothing? That's been me for many months. I’ve been busy but not productive. I've felt burned out, tired and bored. This all changed after I implemented time blocking.
How to handle your client's terrible ideas. Your client has a terrible idea for "improving" the campaign. If you push back you're going to lose the client. Here's how to keep the client without killing the campaign.
How do you get value from "low quality" Google Ads leads? One kind of "low quality" Google Ads lead is a genuine enquiry for something adjacent to what you offer. Here's how I helped one client make sales to them.
Do I really need 7 websites? Two groups of people visit your website: people who know what you sell and strangers who don't know you but want what you sell. One website can't serve both groups effectively.
Does PPC work for accountants? The short answer is “Yes, but only sometimes”. Google suggests that AdWords will work for any business but this is not true in real life.
Google Ads for industries with long sales cycles A client installs billboard size video screens. Here's how we used AdWords to get him in front of the decision makers early enough.
Google Reps You may get an email or call from someone claiming to work at Google. They’ll tell call themselves an account representative, strategist, advisor or account manager. You and I would call them salesmen.
Guaranteeing Google Ads. It’s uncomfortable when a potential client asks me if I guarantee that they’ll make sales from their Google Ads. In the past my first instinct was to run away. I thought that asking for a guarantee was a sure sign that they’re going to be a toxic client. I was wrong.
How do you test a business idea? You don’t want to invest time and money on a business idea unless you’re sure that it’ll get traction. Read on to learn how to use Google Ads to test an idea before committing to it.
How much is a Facebook like worth? I've just run a quick calculation and can confidently say that a Facebook like is worth $0.007. Let me explain
"I have no idea if his recommendations will increase my conversions..." A friend is trying to hire someone to manage her Google Ads. She's worried that they'll cost more than they bring in. Or, worse, they'll kill the flow of leads her business depends on. Here's how to reduce that risk.
Is AdWords scaleable? There are a finite number of people who want what you sell, can afford what you sell and are in an area you can reach. Some portion of those people will use Google. That number is the upper limit of AdWords scaleability.
Is AdWords worth it? "Is Google Ads really worth it? I have found that through tracking my CPC, I am not having that much success." was asked on Quora. My answer saved below.
Nobody is buying! Can’t you write better ads? Nobody is buying! Can’t you write better ads? That's the last thing you want to hear in a meeting with a new client...
Optimise your words There are a handful of non-PPC tools I'd hate to run my Google Ads business without. Hemingway is one.
Resources for Google Ads agencies and freelancers. Tools, reading lists and discussion groups for digital marketing agencies and freelancers offering Google Ads as a service.
Selling to strangers is different Ask 100 small business owners how they find customers and 99 of us will say "word-of-mouth". What we won't tell you is that our word-of-mouth marketing is not well tuned engine that spits out a steady stream of great prospects. They arrive by luck or magic.
Should I use my competitors' names as keywords in Google Ads? Should I use my competitors' names as keywords in Google Ads? The answer is, it depends. Read on to find out how to make the right decision for your business.
The AdLeg Google Ads Software Suite. I interviewed Kyle Sulerud, creator of the AdLeg Software Suite about how he started in Google Ads (AdWords) and why he built his Google Ads creation and management software.
The cost of zero. Every small business owner needs to understand the cost of zero before they next invest in marketing. It does not matter what medium it is: Google Ads, Facebook, LinkedIn, magazines, radio, or anything else. The reason these campaigns fail so often is never as obvious as you might think.
Things you should never advertise on Google. Making money advertising identical branded goods on Google is really hard.
Which are the specifically right targets for a small paper pallet company? This question was asked on Quora. Saving my answer here.
Will Google Ads work? Thinking about advertising on Google? There are thousands of people who've used Google Ads and never made a sale. You don't have to be one of them. Read on to learn how.
Zombie Hunting Wednesday 3pm. You in? We’ve all got zombie leads. These are people we’ve quoted who haven't said yes. They haven’t said no either. Instead they’re ignoring us - our emails go unanswered and they’re always too busy to talk.
Google Ads delivers leads not sales What’s the most important problem in your industry? In my industry the most important problem is that Google Ads delivers leads but doesn’t deliver sales. Here's what I've been doing about that...
How to get leads from different sources into your CRM automatically I’ve got a client in the motor trade who gets about 2 000 leads a month from 22 different online sources. Here's how we put them into his sales engine automatically without expensive computer code.
I can’t get to the decision maker. "I‘ve got a great product but I can’t get to the decision maker." That’s a problem we smaller business owners face a lot. Can I tell you about how a former client of mine got the decision makers to come to her?
How do I know which of my leads came from Google Ads? Here's the problem... Conversion tracking or analytics can tell you how many leads you got, but not who they are. Read on to see how to fix this.
How to turn leads into sales. Two businesses in the same industry. One converts 5% of website leads into sales. The other converts 60%. Read on to find out why.
Make more sales from PPC leads by understanding why people enquire. Understanding why people buy is key to making more sales. Here's how you can get started right away.
Marketing Lessons from a Chimney Sweep There was nothing special about his customer-finding system. But, his customer-keeping system was the best I've ever seen for a small business.
How we turned no-shows into $185 150 worth of new business every month No-shows cost my client $283 328 a month. Here’s how we turned them into $185 150 worth of new business every month - without spending more on Google Ads.
How do you convince a potential client to trust you if you don’t have a track record? How do you convince a potential client to trust you if you don’t have a track record? This happens a lot when people go out on their own after working in-house or for an agency. Read on to find out how I solved this problem.
How to take over an existing Google Ads account. You’ve taken over a Google Ads account that’s in trouble. You're going to turn it around - more conversions, lower costs, 10 quality scores etc. There’s a lot riding on getting this right...
Should I specialise or be a generalist? I often get asked whether it’s best to specialise or be a generalist. I understand why but I think it's the wrong question. I think a better question is ...
I've inherited a mess. Crazy structure, gibberish naming convention and 22 conversion actions that might or might not mean anything. Here is a collection of principles, tips and ideas for when you inherit a messy Google Ads account.
How to make OK money from small clients You have to work with the clients you can get, not the ones you hope for. Sometimes you might not be able to attract big-budget clients. Here's how to do OK with smaller clients.