It really makes me angry...

BinderGang · 08-08-2009, 12:30 PM

I know it's been talked about before. I'll keep this short and sweet.

So, I'm talking to a prospective SEO client and quote him what I will do and what it costs.

He tells me, he needs none of that, it's already been done.

Now, I didn't just pull my proposal and pricing out of the air. I researched the clients website. Absolutely none of what I mentioned was done. Nothing.

Why did he tell me it had been done? Whoever worked on his SEO before told him. He told him he optimized his website's pages, started link building, etc. Yet, the search engines barely knows his website exists. Now, obviously, he's wary of SEO. He wants it (probably because he knows his competitors are doing it), but doesn't see it's reward.

I've been talking with him and trying to make him understand and feel like we've been progressing. But nothing bothers me more than those who take money from someone and don't perform the service (to the best of their abilities or AT ALL).

taju44 · 08-08-2009, 12:40 PM

they are your employee you decide what to do on them .I can not expect you whom i trust to perform below my expectation infact such a person or group of person does not give course for trust.If i were you i would find another reliable person to give

BinderGang · 08-08-2009, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taju44

they are your employee you decide what to do on them .I can not expect you whom i trust to perform below my expectation infact such a person or group of person does not give course for trust.If i were you i would find another reliable person to give

I have no clue what you're talking about. Did you read the post? No one was my employee.

Jillian Slack · 08-08-2009, 01:42 PM

Hey BinderGang,

Sometimes you just have to walk away.

If you've given it your best shot and tried to make this potential client understand, but he's still not getting it, just move on and start communicating with your next potential client.

Not everyone will understand this. Some will sink and some will swim.

It's your job to present everything and then, they will either hire you or not.

I know it can be frustrating. Sometimes we feel like we must save these business owners or take them along with us so they don't sink.

If you gave it your best shot, stick him on your ezine or print newsletter list to stay in touch. He'll see the success stories that you talk about each week or each month. He'll see the testimonials from other clients who are getting great results from your services. That will make him come around (or not).

But at least you gave it your all, and now you'll be doing to this client exactly what you are preaching he needs to do with his clients (continuing to build the relationship via the ezine or newsletter).

Jill

Andrew Leatherland · 08-08-2009, 02:43 PM

Have you thought about politely asking your client to show you what SEO he thinks has been done and again as politely as possible demonstrating what in reality has happened. Is there some way you can propose a head to head test over a time period with a mock up site. The content & SEO he has against what you're proposing. In your site, place a link to his current site and then compare the stats of where his main site's traffic is coming from. Do all this on the basis that it comes down after so long and he agrees to talk to you again after that.

MacFreddie · 08-08-2009, 03:03 PM

Nothing bothers me more than IMers who don't know how to Market themselves!

You should learn from this Young Grasshopper! Consider this a blessing.

Maybe, just Maybe, the Prospect "thinks" it was done but doesn't understand or he got ripped off.

In the Prospects mind YOU failed to show him a ROI, YOU did not gain his TRUST. Did you try and sell him immediately or was this over several weeks. You must earn trust Grasshopper.

Did you send him Images or Snag It pics showing him how YOU researched his Keywords and he does NOT show up in the SERPs or the Local Business Center?

Did you show him the Source page for his site and explain to him nothing was done.

Did he complete a Questionairre about his business? Did he tell you everything about his future plans.

Did you do enough Digging?

I'll bet NOT.

Quit acting like an SEO guy and act like a business owner.

WIIFM (Whats In It For Me)

The ONLY reasons someone walks away is because YOU failed to show him a Return on his Investment, he didn't have the money, or he got it from someone else because he thinks you're a Commodity.

Now I will teach you how to be a Professional. Send the Prospect a Thank You letter (not email grasshopper) thanking him for spending time with you. Enclose some literature like a Mind Map, his page source, pics of Google showing he doesn't rank. He may come back or give you a referral grasshopper.

Learn from YOUR mistakes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BinderGang

I know it's been talked about before. I'll keep this short and sweet.

So, I'm talking to a prospective SEO client and quote him what I will do and what it costs.

He tells me, he needs none of that, it's already been done.

Now, I didn't just pull my proposal and pricing out of the air. I researched the clients website. Absolutely none of what I mentioned was done. Nothing.

Why did he tell me it had been done? Whoever worked on his SEO before told him. He told him he optimized his website's pages, started link building, etc. Yet, the search engines barely knows his website exists. Now, obviously, he's wary of SEO. He wants it (probably because he knows his competitors are doing it), but doesn't see it's reward.

I've been talking with him and trying to make him understand and feel like we've been progressing. But nothing bothers me more than those who take money from someone and don't perform the service (to the best of their abilities or AT ALL).

chrisgarrett · 08-08-2009, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacFreddie

You should learn from this Young Grasshopper! Consider this a blessing.

Maybe, just Maybe, the Prospect "thinks" it was done but doesn't understand or he got ripped off.

In the Prospects mind YOU failed to show him a ROI

Yup, the prospect is asking you to demonstrate value. Listen to his EXACT concerns. Show him what you do is an investment that will pay back more than the price, blow away his objections, give him a brilliant guarantee.

All the stuff you would do on a sales letter, but in person.

joebtisme · 08-08-2009, 03:30 PM

Wait so has he understood hes been screwed or is he not accepting it?

chrisgarrett · 08-08-2009, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joebtisme

Wait so has he understood hes been screwed or is he not accepting it?

It seems he does not understand he has been screwed, he thinks the work is done already. So it is the consultants job to show that he is not getting the results he wants, needs and paid for, and that the consultant can get those results.

snazzie · 08-08-2009, 05:20 PM

Whenever a perspective client comes to me wanting SEO the first thing I do is ask them if they were searching for a site like theirs, what keywords would they use? I then ask them to search those keywords in Google. They then come back to me with statements like "my site didn't even come up!" or "my website is way down in 99th!".

This way, right from the start they realise they need work done on their site. Therefore, whether or not they think it's already done, or even if they understand SEO they realise something needs to happen and their minds are open to your expertise and skills.

It's possible that they'll go away and never come back, but I would prefer to work with clients that actually understand they need my services anyway.

Good luck with yours.

watershawl · 08-08-2009, 05:32 PM

Sell the value, not the product. Like the analogy of selling the hole, not the drill. Go down the road to the end result...more sales, more hits, whatever the conversion is, and sell that. The client doesn't need to know how they got there, that's your job. Sell the value.

Zeus66 · 08-08-2009, 05:45 PM

Good stuff in this thread. Let me chime in with the fact that you're also selling yourself. What I mean is, even when many biz owners start off thinking about hiring you for your expertise, a lot of them end up hiring you and staying with you long-term based on the relationship you build with them.

To that end, I think the OP has already started down that path. This sentence is the most important one in the OP's entire post:

Quote:

I've been talking with him and trying to make him understand and feel like we've been progressing.

That feeling you have that you've been progressing is the relationship starting to gel. If I were you - and if the prospect is worthy of more of your time - I'd stop talking specific features of what you can do for him (SEO-wise), and start talking about benefits.

Sales are made most often when you get the prospect thinking about the good feelings he'll have after hiring you. Don't keep explaining the "how" of what you do. Shift to the benefits by speaking in "when" terms.

Example: Say "When I'm done, you won't have to worry about finding leads... they'll come to you." -OR- "When you see what I can do for you, you'll wonder why you've been working so hard to land new customers when it's really a lot easier than you think right now."

Those are getting to the real issues every business owner deep down cares about. Talking about 'SEO' and 'search engines' and 'on-page' and 'linking' - all of that is lost on most non-tech biz owners. Go around it and get to the way your services will make them feel.

John

BinderGang · 08-09-2009, 12:23 AM

Thanks everyone for your valuable tips. I knew what I was doing, I was just venting here. But, it was still nice to read through everything. Picked up some tips for the next time around.

I've been selling SEO to local businesses for a bit now and know how to explain. This was just my first experience with someone who was burned by someone else AND didn't know it. I got across to them and now they understand.

I've had a number of businesses come to me for SEO after being burned previously. I was just venting on that. I'm sure a number of you optimizers on here have come across that.

08-08-2009, 12:30 PM	#1
BinderGang Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: New York, NY Posts: 64 Thanks: 8 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	It really makes me angry... I know it's been talked about before. I'll keep this short and sweet. So, I'm talking to a prospective SEO client and quote him what I will do and what it costs. He tells me, he needs none of that, it's already been done. Now, I didn't just pull my proposal and pricing out of the air. I researched the clients website. Absolutely none of what I mentioned was done. Nothing. Why did he tell me it had been done? Whoever worked on his SEO before told him. He told him he optimized his website's pages, started link building, etc. Yet, the search engines barely knows his website exists. Now, obviously, he's wary of SEO. He wants it (probably because he knows his competitors are doing it), but doesn't see it's reward. I've been talking with him and trying to make him understand and feel like we've been progressing. But nothing bothers me more than those who take money from someone and don't perform the service (to the best of their abilities or AT ALL).

08-08-2009, 12:40 PM	#2
taju44 Warrior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: It really makes me angry... they are your employee you decide what to do on them .I can not expect you whom i trust to perform below my expectation infact such a person or group of person does not give course for trust.If i were you i would find another reliable person to give

08-08-2009, 01:42 PM	#4
Jillian Slack Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Missouri, USA Posts: 714 Thanks: 24 Thanked 94 Times in 62 Posts	Re: It really makes me angry... Hey BinderGang, Sometimes you just have to walk away. If you've given it your best shot and tried to make this potential client understand, but he's still not getting it, just move on and start communicating with your next potential client. Not everyone will understand this. Some will sink and some will swim. It's your job to present everything and then, they will either hire you or not. I know it can be frustrating. Sometimes we feel like we must save these business owners or take them along with us so they don't sink. If you gave it your best shot, stick him on your ezine or print newsletter list to stay in touch. He'll see the success stories that you talk about each week or each month. He'll see the testimonials from other clients who are getting great results from your services. That will make him come around (or not). But at least you gave it your all, and now you'll be doing to this client exactly what you are preaching he needs to do with his clients (continuing to build the relationship via the ezine or newsletter). Jill

08-08-2009, 02:43 PM	#5
Andrew Leatherland HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: , , United Kingdom. Posts: 192 Thanks: 50 Thanked 25 Times in 17 Posts	Re: It really makes me angry... Have you thought about politely asking your client to show you what SEO he thinks has been done and again as politely as possible demonstrating what in reality has happened. Is there some way you can propose a head to head test over a time period with a mock up site. The content & SEO he has against what you're proposing. In your site, place a link to his current site and then compare the stats of where his main site's traffic is coming from. Do all this on the basis that it comes down after so long and he agrees to talk to you again after that.
	Power up your backlinking - you can find out why and how to make money from it: http://fastattacklinksreview.blogspot.com/

08-08-2009, 03:30 PM	#8
joebtisme Warrior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: It really makes me angry... Wait so has he understood hes been screwed or is he not accepting it?

08-08-2009, 05:20 PM	#10
snazzie Warrior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Tauranga, New Zealand Posts: 7 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: It really makes me angry... Whenever a perspective client comes to me wanting SEO the first thing I do is ask them if they were searching for a site like theirs, what keywords would they use? I then ask them to search those keywords in Google. They then come back to me with statements like "my site didn't even come up!" or "my website is way down in 99th!". This way, right from the start they realise they need work done on their site. Therefore, whether or not they think it's already done, or even if they understand SEO they realise something needs to happen and their minds are open to your expertise and skills. It's possible that they'll go away and never come back, but I would prefer to work with clients that actually understand they need my services anyway. Good luck with yours.

08-08-2009, 05:32 PM	#11
watershawl Warrior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 15 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: It really makes me angry... Sell the value, not the product. Like the analogy of selling the hole, not the drill. Go down the road to the end result...more sales, more hits, whatever the conversion is, and sell that. The client doesn't need to know how they got there, that's your job. Sell the value.

08-09-2009, 12:23 AM	#13
BinderGang Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: New York, NY Posts: 64 Thanks: 8 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	Re: It really makes me angry... Thanks everyone for your valuable tips. I knew what I was doing, I was just venting here. But, it was still nice to read through everything. Picked up some tips for the next time around. I've been selling SEO to local businesses for a bit now and know how to explain. This was just my first experience with someone who was burned by someone else AND didn't know it. I got across to them and now they understand. I've had a number of businesses come to me for SEO after being burned previously. I was just venting on that. I'm sure a number of you optimizers on here have come across that.