09-29-2015
When a little working for free gets you paid. And when it won’t.
Dear House Rules,
I’ve secured trusted relationships with some of my biggest clients by sharing my expertise. Although I have read books on negotiating and getting paid for ALL work, I find that demonstrating my experience is what closes the majority of my deals. What is your advice on how much to give away while marketing a business?
Sincerely,
Should I Share?
Dear Should I,
Relationship building is an extremely important step in business sales. It enables you to separate the suspects from prospects and move viable accounts forward. Once you determine that a network contact has the interest and means to do business with you, a little sample of the work can propel the interaction to the proposal stage. This does not mean you work for free. There are plenty of ways to demonstrate your capability and deepen the relationship without sacrificing revenue or competitive advantage.
6 Ways to Prove Your Value and Close the Deal
- Testimonials
- Case studies
- Customer References
- Graphs and Charts that show Measurable Results
- Needs Assessment
- Consultation
The quality of your presentation makes all the difference in these documents. Branded materials build momentum towards the close by further enrolling the prospect to believe in you. Rather than just referring someone to your website, make it personal by packaging the information in a custom branded presentation. Prior to suggesting a fee-based assessment or consultation, send a carefully worded and an evocatively illustrated follow-up package. Some prospects will be inspired to sign the full contract while other will be moved to purchase the preliminary evaluation. The difference is in the details and we recommend you invest in the design and imagery that a professional design firm can provide.
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