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Getting appointments is easy; seeking PRESENTATION scripts!

by Ellen C Braun
16 replies
I've gotten a number of appointments since I decided to branch out to offline marketing 2 weeks ago.

HOWEVER, all of my appointments are "very interested, but have to think about it...."

They have to talk to their partner, spouse, accountant, etc... think about it... go through their budget.... see if the timing is right now....

So, I'm looking for PRESENTATION scripts that focus on benefits and closings. (NOT appointment scripts; I have no problem getting appointments!)

Any threads or WSO's that you'd recommend?

Thanks in advance!

Ellen
#appointments #easy #presentation #scripts #seeking
  • Profile picture of the author vndnbrgj
    What are you offering?
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    • Profile picture of the author RyanLester
      Originally Posted by vndnbrgj View Post

      What are you offering?
      Yeah what are you offering?

      Seems as if you are not qualifying your prospect before your appointment.

      This seems to be a common problem. I dont understand y businesses allow you to come in knowing that they don't have the "budget for this right now".

      maybe you need to articulate your value proposition: SEO/Website/IM = Sales.....

      Make them see it this way...
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by RyanLester View Post

        Seems as if you are not qualifying your prospect before your appointment.

        This seems to be a common problem. I don't understand y businesses allow you to come in knowing that they don't have the "budget for this right now".
        I was thinking the same thing. I really don't think your problem is closing. Everyone thinks that. There is no magic close.

        Maybe you are seeing the wrong people in the first place. Are you going to see anyone who is willing to talk to you? That will get old very quickly. And you have been doing this for two weeks. You just haven't learned how to qualify your prospects. The objections you are getting could be handled there.

        The problem is in the qualifying phase. And you can either do that on the phone when you make appointments, or when you first get to see the prospect. I like doing it over the phone. It saves headaches later.

        If you qualify well, when you show up, they will be expecting to buy. And they will be expecting to pay more than you are asking.

        Jason Kanigan can help you there. Also, just download my book in my signature. You're a War Room member. I go through the qualifying phase there too. Good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mwind076
    Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

    HOWEVER, all of my appointments are "very interested, but have to think about it...."

    They have to talk to their partner, spouse, accountant, etc... think about it... go through their budget.... see if the timing is right now....


    Ellen
    First thing...your appointments aren't really appointments if the person you are talking to is not the DM and cannot cut you a check/payment right there.

    So, first, change your qualifying questions to land the appt.

    Add in something like "Ok Mr. Smith, I have you down for Tuesday at 3 pm, tell me, if everything I present looks good to you, and you are interested and willing to work with me, is there anyone or anything that would hold you back from making that decision on the spot?" If they say "well, I'd have to talk with my partner" then you need to ask "when could I meet to present things to both of you?"

    Not verbatim, but you get the gist. Your appointments aren't solid. If they are interested, it doesn't matter if they can't pay you.

    Asking that will weed out the tire kickers, and those that are too nice to tell you no (which they think is nice...but it's really not, just tell me no so I can move on).

    Fix that, then see how your sales are doing.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by Mwind076 View Post


      Add in something like "Ok Mr. Smith, I have you down for Tuesday at 3 pm, tell me, if everything I present looks good to you, and you are interested and willing to work with me, is there anyone or anything that would hold you back from making that decision on the spot?" If they say "well, I'd have to talk with my partner" then you need to ask "when could I meet to present things to both of you?"
      Pure Gold. But if I'm going to see the prospect personally, I want there to be a price expectation there too. If I'm driving 20 miles in the rain, and talking to someone I don't already like... Somebody is going to pay.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mwind076
    I think most people say that just to put you off. They don't plan to buy. Even with my husband...I always check with him, but I can make a decision to buy something without him. I would only say I had to check if I didn't want to buy.
    That's a whole other post
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  • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
    Thanks for the advice here.

    I'm offering to build a site/ redesign old sites, plus integrate newsletter marketing, SMS marketing, local seo. I outline this in my site here: Websites With Wisdom

    Maybe part of my issue is that I'm talking about the benefits of my services on the fly; without advance studying of a presentation or script. If I'd have more practice, it would be a more polished presentation.

    Are there any wso's or threads that outline a professional presentation? (I found one wso from Maria Gudelis that looked great here for just $7, but it was closed.)

    P.S. One of my presentations just emailed me today that she wants to meet again to discuss which services she wants to hire me to do.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

      Thanks for the advice here.

      I'm offering to build a site/ redesign old sites, plus integrate newsletter marketing, SMS marketing, local seo. I outline this in my site here: Websites With Wisdom

      Maybe part of my issue is that I'm talking about the benefits of my services on the fly; without advance studying of a presentation or script. If I'd have more practice, it would be a more polished presentation.

      Are there any wso's or threads that outline a professional presentation? (I found one wso from Maria Gudelis that looked great here for just $7, but it was closed.)

      P.S. One of my presentations just emailed me today that she wants to meet again to discuss which services she wants to hire me to do.
      Jason Kanigan has a great WSO. Mwind076 has coaching. John Durham will write the whole pitch for you. You have an embarrassment of riches here.


      Oh, I forgot to add...You can download my book on selling local advertising (think Selling Local Online Advertising) by clicking the link in my signature. That should get you started.
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      • Profile picture of the author Mwind076
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        Jason Kanigan has a great WSO. Mwind076 has coaching. John Durham will write the whole pitch for you. You have an embarrassment of riches here.


        Oh, I forgot to add...You can download my book on selling local advertising (think Selling Local Online Advertising) by clicking the link in my signature. That should get you started.
        I agree...you have a plethora of information in front of you, and at your fingertips. Check everyone out and decide which one is for you, then start fixing your problems.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Durham
    Its really about identifying every area where you think the close can go bad, and PRE addressing it in your script, tying the person down ahead of time on one level after another...

    Tie downs within the pitch many times make pr break the close- For example...going through their ROI with them... during the pitch, and confirming with them how that would be a plus not a minus, makes them really look stupid if they say they cant afford it at the end...because they just confirmed to you that it would be an asset....are they going to take it back and lie at the end.

    Alot of good closing is about good "tie down" throughout your pitch.

    For lack of more graceful terminology, you politely tie them down on one level after another throughout your pitch in a positive way....so that by closing time they cant move, they are all tied up, they can only submit.

    At the end, assume the natural conclusion and start closing as if he already said yes, because he HAS on many levels if you pitch right.

    Alot of times a person will be already to bust out a check and someone will ask "Okay so you want to do this today then...?"

    In the [prospects mind the deal was done and it was time to write a check, but the salesperson asks the wrong way and presents a new option"/

    Oh you mean so I have the option of saying "No"?

    They tie them all down, the prospect is assuming the natural conclusion...then after all that way they dont assume the close, and they start over at zero as if closing wasnt the purpose of the meeting.
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  • Profile picture of the author helisell
    Ellen (OP) You have been given the EXACT advice that will address your problem from some very knowledgeble posters here and you are still asking about threads on presentation.

    PRESENTATION is not your problem. Your problem is lack of QUALIFICATION.

    You are not a seasoned pro like some of the folks who replied to your thread. They showed a deep understanding of your problem and nudged you in the right direction and you've gone back to looking for presentation skills.

    Your problem is lack of qualification. That is what you need to read and learn about. Your seeming 'presentation and closing' problem will magically disappear when you learn how to do a thorough and professional qualification.

    I've just realised that my language sounded a bit harder than I intended so please forgive me.

    Stop looking for info on presentation and keep looking for info on qualification.

    How do I know?

    10 years of doing it wrong as a lad followed by 20 years of doing it right after I learned.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mwind076
    You should read this thread too.

    http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...prospects.html
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  • Profile picture of the author Green Moon
    I think that the advice on making sure you have pre-qualified your prospects is very good...

    but (and there's always a but) the types of responses you are getting from your prospects are also common ways that qualified buyers say "you haven't convinced me to buy." A small business owner who says he has to talk to his accountant or his wife before he can make a decision to update his website is probably able to make the decision but you have not presented a compelling reason for him to do so. I often turn people down the same way, although my excuse is usually "I need to talk to my partners." It's just easier than telling someone "no" outright.

    Without us seeing who you are meeting with and sitting through your presentation, it is impossible for anyone to say whether the problem is failing to qualify your prospects, failing to present a compelling reason to buy your services or failing to close the deal. I do agree that you should not automatically assume that the problem is just in the final step of closing the sale.

    My suggestion is to look carefully at every step in the process based on the good advice in this thread and see where there is room for improvement.
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  • Profile picture of the author biz2mob
    I used to struggle closing after setting appointments. I would go in, all dressed up and fail nearly every time. Now, I go in with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I go in with a general map of what I'll be doing and how that benefits them. I hand them the contract at the beginning. Then I have 3 goals. 1. Show legitimacy. I do this using linkedin because I have endorsements and over 400 connections. 2. Show value, we should always have value in our product or we shouldn't be selling. 3. Find out what could possibly keep them from buying after understanding legitimacy and value of something. They have money, or they wouldn't meet with you in the first place. A big thing for me was getting a few paying clients to easily hand me checks then I started to realize, oh my gosh, these guys got money. They got the money, now give them something to pay for
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    • Profile picture of the author sandalwood
      Let me put in a plug for downloading Claude's free book: Selling Local Advertising. It is a jewel in the rough.

      I read it cover to cover and for an old insurance guy to spend that much time on selling it has to be worth it.

      You can also read Jason Kanigan's posts and John Durham's posts and research IAmNameless and KenMichaels to fill your brain w/good stuff. Like someone said, you are at a plethora of riches party.

      Good luck.

      Tom
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      • Profile picture of the author linda75
        I thought I would just add my 2 cents worth to this thread.
        First I spent years selling advertising space over the phone, I then ran offices and trained hundreds if not thousands of telesales people, some of whom went on to run their own advertising business.

        The reason I was so successful was that from the start I saw myself as a professional sales person. Selling is a skill that takes time to learn and lots of practice. I used to read books on selling and constantly work on improving my skills. The difference between someone who is untrained and is not willing to take the time to become so and a professional sales person is vast and is reflected in their income.

        I think as internet marketers we are in the same situation as any other business that has to sell their product or service , its just that because our service is marketing we somehow assume that it should sell itself At least I know I have been guilty of that).

        So what is the point I am trying to make, simply that if you are going to do your own selling then you have to learn a new skill , the skill of selling. To take complete control of the conversation, to understand when you say something why you are saying it and take the prospective customer on the journey that either leads to a sale or a no.

        The biggest problem that newbie sales people face is they waste their time with people who are 'interested' as you get better you start getting a lot more 'no's' that is a good sign, You have the ability to get people to make a decision, you are able to control the conversation more, thus you are much more likely to get yesses.

        hope this adds to the discussion
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