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[NEED OPINIONS] Half now, Half later - or - Full Payment Later?

by iRunThis
13 replies
Here's my question for all of you experienced offliners out there. I'm young, 18 years old. I'm selling SEO services at the moment, although, I haven't made my first sell yet. I plan on having a brief 2 or 3 minute conversation on the phone and setting up a meeting to explain everything and to close the deal if they're interested.

I do look young, and on top of that, I'm black (believe it or not, there are a lot of people that will take race into consideration when hiring for services, right along with age... At least in America.)

With this being said, I was thinking to conquer this issue, mainly the age issue, I'm not worried too much about the race thing because I wouldn't want to help anybody that discriminates out anyways. I was thinking I could offer a half now, half later payment plan. I do plan on charging close to, if not more than, $1000 to bring them to the first page for their keyword. I feel like more people would be willing to test out somebody young if they offered to do the job and receive payment after it is completed.

What do you guys think about this?

ALSO, do you guys know of any good threads that give short scripts for setting up meetings locally?
#full #half #opinions #payment
  • Profile picture of the author jspmedia
    Never works w/o any kind of up-front payment...
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    Maryland Local SEO Firm

    Local Web Marketing
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  • Profile picture of the author kirbymarketingconcierge
    good for you.

    If you listen about what they want and need, they will pay upfront.

    dealing with the youth and race issue, good Bravery.

    face the world as it is, don't cry and complain and focus on utopia.


    business is Risk and Reward.

    you take more of the risk? you deserve more.

    hope you do Well! from an old, not good looking, white guy.
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    • Profile picture of the author iRunThis
      Originally Posted by kirbymarketingconcierge View Post

      good for you.

      If you listen about what they want and need, they will pay upfront.

      dealing with the youth and race issue, good Bravery.

      face the world as it is, don't cry and complain and focus on utopia.


      business is Risk and Reward.

      you take more of the risk? you deserve more.

      hope you do Well! from an old, not good looking, white guy.
      Hahahaha thanks man. I like your comment.

      Yeah, I try not to complain because I realize every situation could always be worse. I also agree that business is Risk and Reward, I don't think I would have a hard time closing meetings if I had previous experience, a portfolio or something to show these people.

      I have a question for you, old, not good looking, white guy, or kirby, or whatever you go by here on the forums. lol You mentioned:

      "If you listen about what they want and need, they will pay upfront"

      How would I figure this out? What types of questions should I ask them? Also, should these questions be asked on the phone in the initial call to set up the meeting or should I wait until the meeting to ask these questions?

      I'm pretty new to all of this and I've never really tried SEO, but I figured that the worse that could happen is that I don't do a good job and have to resort to outsourcing. I haven't cold called yet, I plan on doing that in a couple of hours when I figure out what to say in order to set up the meeting. :rolleyes:

      EDIT: One more question, do I need to wear a dress shirt + tie to the meeting, seeing as I'm young so their first impression when they see me will set the entire tone of the meeting.
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      "Grammar: The difference between knowing your sh*t, and knowing you're sh*t." -A Wise Man
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  • Profile picture of the author kvnkane
    check out John Durhams telemarketing forum at The Telemarketing Forum - Index some good scripts on there for setting up local meetings.

    for race, nothing you can do about that. if someone is ignorant to think that your not going to do your job because of the colour of your skin then i wouldnt work with them either. ag ecan work for you, most people will think that the internet is a young persons market.

    as for pricing, i would get it up front, then also charge a monthly fee. your helping their business, dont sell yourself short.
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    • Profile picture of the author iRunThis
      Originally Posted by kvnkane View Post

      check out John Durhams telemarketing forum at The Telemarketing Forum - Index some good scripts on there for setting up local meetings.

      for race, nothing you can do about that. if someone is ignorant to think that your not going to do your job because of the colour of your skin then i wouldnt work with them either. ag ecan work for you, most people will think that the internet is a young persons market.

      as for pricing, i would get it up front, then also charge a monthly fee. your helping their business, dont sell yourself short.
      I apologize beforehand for the double post.

      Yeah, now I'm thinking that I should get it all up front. What would you recommend as payment method? Credit card [paypal] or a check?

      I also already planned on charging a monthly fee but I was planning on pitching that after bringing them up to the first page of Google. I would explain to them that the ranking won't last long if it's not kept up, and then offer my services monthly for around $500 - $800/m
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      "Grammar: The difference between knowing your sh*t, and knowing you're sh*t." -A Wise Man
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      • Profile picture of the author kirbymarketingconcierge
        "If you listen about what they want and need, they will pay upfront"

        How would I figure this out? What types of questions should I ask them? Also, should these questions be asked on the phone in the initial call to set up the meeting or should I wait until the meeting to ask these questions?

        Google Search : Spin Selling, Neil Racham, Huthwaite Corp.

        for : "Problem Questions", Implication questions", and Need payoff Questions"

        [1 of the few sales gurus who actually went out with salespeople and see what worked and what didn't]

        I'm pretty new to all of this and I've never really tried SEO, but I figured that the worse that could happen is that I don't do a good job and have to resort to outsourcing. I haven't cold called yet, I plan on doing that in a couple of hours when I figure out what to say in order to set up the meeting.

        [ follow Warriors to John Durham, Ken Michaels, David Miller,Iamnameless, kaniganj,.. ]

        EDIT: One more question, do I need to wear a dress shirt + tie to the meeting, seeing as I'm young so their first impression when they see me will set the entire tone of the meeting.

        the best I heard that I believed : dress a little better than who your going to meet.

        Attorneys : You wear a Suit And Tie
        Mechanic : Wear a sports coat

        Strategy : from Michael Gerber ...you are your business

        Embrace your business and yourself.

        leverage your uniqueness
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        • Profile picture of the author kirbymarketingconcierge
          "Yeah, now I'm thinking that I should get it all up front. What would you recommend as payment method? Credit card [paypal] or a check? "

          If you go see them, you get a check and go right to their bank!

          You always do better work, when you've been paid!!!
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          • Profile picture of the author iRunThis
            Originally Posted by kirbymarketingconcierge View Post

            "Yeah, now I'm thinking that I should get it all up front. What would you recommend as payment method? Credit card [paypal] or a check? "

            If you go see them, you get a check and go right to their bank!

            You always do better work, when you've been paid!!!
            I was thinking check also. I always hear paypal horror stories.

            I'm really excited to start cold calling. 3 more hours and I'm going to start making the calls. My confidence is through the roof right now thanks to you guys that posted on this thread.
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            "Grammar: The difference between knowing your sh*t, and knowing you're sh*t." -A Wise Man
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  • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
    Originally Posted by iRunThis View Post

    Here's my question for all of you experienced offliners out there. I'm young, 18 years old. I'm selling SEO services at the moment, although, I haven't made my first sell yet. I plan on having a brief 2 or 3 minute conversation on the phone and setting up a meeting to explain everything and to close the deal if they're interested.

    I do look young, and on top of that, I'm black (believe it or not, there are a lot of people that will take race into consideration when hiring for services, right along with age... At least in America.)

    With this being said, I was thinking to conquer this issue, mainly the age issue, I'm not worried too much about the race thing because I wouldn't want to help anybody that discriminates out anyways. I was thinking I could offer a half now, half later payment plan. I do plan on charging close to, if not more than, $1000 to bring them to the first page for their keyword. I feel like more people would be willing to test out somebody young if they offered to do the job and receive payment after it is completed.

    What do you guys think about this?

    ALSO, do you guys know of any good threads that give short scripts for setting up meetings locally?
    Sorry... BUT..

    You're already coming up with excuses why people can't buy from you, it isn't really about whether you ask for full payment or half, you think because you're young and black that you can't do it.

    Are you young and immature or are you young and driven by success?

    Business owners that are successful don't care if you're black, white, asian, mixed, indian, or whatever... they care about one thing, and one thing only, money. Can you save them money? Can you make them more money? Can you save them time(yes, time is money)?

    That's what matters..

    Don't set yourself up for failure.. don't say you aren't because just from your post, you are.

    Act successful, come across as a businessman, be respectful, have confidence. Talk clearly, and confidently.. if they have a problem that you have a solution to, the client is yours. You have to ask questions, to see what they need. Your job isn't to sell SEO to people that don't know if they need it or not... your job is to sell RESULTS to people that know they need results.

    I would NOT approach your prospects offering to sell SEO. Approach it in a different way that allows you to be more flexible. SEO, the ones that know what it is, think that it's a scam, they already have someone, or they know enough to be a pain in the ass. No longer, offer SEO. Offer ONLINE MARKETING.. this could be SEO, PPC, social media marketing, ORM, web design, etc. You will know what to offer because they will tell you their problems. Based on their problems, you will offer a solution.

    As for your age... I'm 25.. Do you think I don't get looks, or discriminated for being young when I have walked into a networking meeting or an appointment with 60 year old men who think they know it all? I don't flinch... they either can benefit from using my services, or they can't. There is no other way around it. It's either a yes or a no, and a maybe means I should go to their competitors.

    Advantages of being young:
    • Obviously you're in tune with technology
    • You grew up with the internet
    • You understand how to market online
    • You're young enough that you don't need to go to bed by 9pm
    • You're ambitious, and have your life ahead of you
    • You're smarter than your prospects in what you're offering
    And back to race... I'm not naive enough to say that people aren't racist or won't discriminate. Hell, there have been black business owners that want to deal only with black businessman. It happens.. Every race on the planet can deal with racism. That doesn't mean every business owner is racist.



    The ones that discriminate against you, whether it is with AGE or RACE... don't matter. They aren't in your target market. The only ones in your market are the ones that don't discriminate, and they have a problem you have a solution to.
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    • Profile picture of the author iRunThis
      Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

      Sorry... BUT..

      POST #7 -- TOO LONG TO QUOTE
      Thank you, that's exactly what I needed to hear.

      I wasn't saying that ALL business owners discriminate, I was just saying that it's out there. You've inspired me to laugh at the thought of anybody turning down my offer. Race wasn't the big issue, it was age, but you did a good job at ripping that excuse out of my hands with your example of you being 25 in business meetings with 60 y.o men.

      I have a question for you now, sorry about all of the questions guys. lol

      You say don't sell SEO, sell RESULTS (Online Marketing)

      What would I introduce myself as? An Online Marketing Consultant?

      At the moment, I'm still trying to figure out what I need to say in order to land my first meeting. Once I get to that point, I'm going full speed ahead.
      Signature
      "Grammar: The difference between knowing your sh*t, and knowing you're sh*t." -A Wise Man
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      • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
        Originally Posted by iRunThis View Post

        Thank you, that's exactly what I needed to hear.

        I wasn't saying that ALL business owners discriminate, I was just saying that it's out there. You've inspired me to laugh at the thought of anybody turning down my offer. Race wasn't the big issue, it was age, but you did a good job at ripping that excuse out of my hands with your example of you being 25 in business meetings with 60 y.o men.

        I have a question for you now, sorry about all of the questions guys. lol

        You say don't sell SEO, sell RESULTS (Online Marketing)

        What would I introduce myself as? An Online Marketing Consultant?

        At the moment, I'm still trying to figure out what I need to say in order to land my first meeting. Once I get to that point, I'm going full speed ahead.
        Introduce yourself as whatever you want. Online marketing consultant, marketing expert, fellow business owner.. HMFIC... whatever you want. The main thing is to get the target on the phone, get them to listen to what you have to offer.. if they're interested, great, if not.. move on to the next.

        As for setting appointments... I'm not the greatest at that because I don't go for appointments. I go for the sale right then and there.

        Just get the business owner on the phone.. introduce yourself, mention you're a local web designer and internet marketer trying to drum up business...ask for the appointment to go over a few services and see if there is anything you can help with.

        It isn't difficult... don't think too much about it because you're putting it off.

        Want sales inspiration?

        http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...rting-out.html

        Watch that video... it is so relative to sales, because just by the number of tries, he got a yes, without trying and without knowing what to say. LOL.

        The biggest thing you're going to need to conquer... is dialing the numbers, and get rid of the butterflies in your stomach when you're calling, get over being rejected.

        I personally think, you should try getting a couple hundred no's before you really get involved in this. Getting the no's out of the way for the yes's really helps. When I get in a slump, I see how many no's I can get, but I'm weird, and not everyone has my type of personality lmao.
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        • Profile picture of the author iRunThis
          Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

          Introduce yourself as whatever you want. Online marketing consultant, marketing expert, fellow business owner.. HMFIC... whatever you want. The main thing is to get the target on the phone, get them to listen to what you have to offer.. if they're interested, great, if not.. move on to the next.

          As for setting appointments... I'm not the greatest at that because I don't go for appointments. I go for the sale right then and there.

          Just get the business owner on the phone.. introduce yourself, mention you're a local web designer and internet marketer trying to drum up business...ask for the appointment to go over a few services and see if there is anything you can help with.

          It isn't difficult... don't think too much about it because you're putting it off.

          Want sales inspiration?

          http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...rting-out.html

          Watch that video... it is so relative to sales, because just by the number of tries, he got a yes, without trying and without knowing what to say. LOL.

          The biggest thing you're going to need to conquer... is dialing the numbers, and get rid of the butterflies in your stomach when you're calling, get over being rejected.

          I personally think, you should try getting a couple hundred no's before you really get involved in this. Getting the no's out of the way for the yes's really helps. When I get in a slump, I see how many no's I can get, but I'm weird, and not everyone has my type of personality lmao.
          Is closing thousand dollar deals over the phone really effective? Is it a lot harder than closing at a meeting? I'll watch that video a little later. I've already seen the part two of it though

          I'm definitely making calls once I get out of here (Community College)

          In your experience, what's the best way to find people to call for SEO? I was thinking of just googling (My city + profession) and going to the second or third page and contacting them. Is there any other way that you would recommend?

          I know I'm going to go through a lot of trial and error, but since I have this forum, and people that have been in the same place that I am in now, I figured that I'll ask as much questions as I can to cut down the error to the minimum and get the highest success rate possible from the start.
          Signature
          "Grammar: The difference between knowing your sh*t, and knowing you're sh*t." -A Wise Man
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