DaneSebastion

I decided the way to go is to test the market for mobile optimising existing websites. I've been out and about talking with 3/4 friends talking about "how they will benefit" from this work and I've suggested that I do it for free work to get a portfolio together before I launch into the game. Not one of them was interested in fact the same objections came through from every single one of them;

• What if this harms my website?
• I don't want someone messing with my website?
• Our website doesn't help the business so why should we have this?
• Our webmaster does everything, he'll do it for free?
• Show me how to do it and I'll do it?

It's a small sample I know but friends and acquaintances is always a good place to start. I have to admit to being more than a little discouraged especially with a response from friends like that. You might thinking, "Dane get new friends" and if you were, that would make two of us....lol

Have any of you found talking with friends a harder sell than complete strangers?

As always I've posted this to get some open and honest feedback?

Cheers.

Dane

trumpador

Excellent thread. Took a few days to finish.

Not going to add much more on why the OP is not able to sell mobile sites. Most have already been mentioned.

Main ones I can see are as follows:
- attitude: everything seems to be BS. How on Earth are you going to come across as credible? Restaurateurs are really a smart bunch of people...they have to be. They'll smell you a mile away. In the OP's case, they probably see that he didn't really see the value himself and that's it's BS.
- selling dead cats: As previously mentioned, the restaurateurs will just see it as another thing to do. They are really time poor. They are not going to know what to do with it. The technical solution rarely matters. It's how it helps their businesses get more customers.
- unable to create relationships beyond a single transaction. This is somewhat related to the other points but selling the mobile site is just one piece of the puzzle. You could try to sell them the Large Hedron Collider for $100 and they still won't buy it even though it's worth >$1billion. They simply will not know what to do with it and how it will help their business.

From my own personal experience the mobile market is hot. Im in Australia. Tell you what, Australia's tourism industry is also in a world of hurt. So you can't point at the US economy solely. I started last year and have had to manage our growth. I've gone from lil' old me to 3 people. We charge a premium compared to most. We've maintained a smaller number of customers but I get them on a retainer. High upfront and average 15% of their annual spend every month.

We are now at cross roads, expand the business or upgrade our customers. That is, leave the initial target market and start going for bigger fish (the bigger fish are starting to bite). Either way, it's a good problem to have.

As a final note, one of my mentors use to tell me, "put away when times are good and when times are bad, invest in your business".

This, he tells me, is what most smart business people do. I'm sure there are smart business people in your area.

WillR

Dane,

Get new friends. . Kidding, obviously.

They are not really the sort of objections I have heard before though.

You need to understand you will almost ALWAYS come across objections when selling anything. The fact is no one wants to spend money. As consumers we will always try to talk our way out of spending unnecessary money or being conned and we will always look for why something will NOT work. We will question everything and it's YOUR job as the salesman to have a logical answer for each and every one of those objections.

For example:

• What if this harms my website?
  This is not going to harm your website. What we are doing is creating a totally separate version of your website that is optimized for viewing on mobile devices. Over the next year or two there will actually be more people viewing your website on a mobile device than a desktop PC. Not having a mobile optimized version of your website is what will do the real harm.
  
• I don't want someone messing with my website?
  That's fine and I totally understand that. The fact is we are not amateurs and we know exactly what we are doing. We work on expensive websites every single day of the week and we have never 'messed' up a customers website. In fact we won't even be touching your main website, all of this is done separate to your main website. All we need to do is install a simple redirect script into the homepage of your main website and this is a very simple cut and paste job. We won't be touching anything else. We also make a backup of your original website. We have never had to resort to using backups ever before but we do it for your own piece of mind
  
• Our website doesn't help the business so why should we have this?
  I don't even understand this objection.
  
• Our webmaster does everything, he'll do it for free?
  Sure, you can get your webmaster to do it for you, I very much doubt he will do it for free though. I also highly doubt he is as experienced with mobile website design as we are. The fact is you can't just rely on anyone to create your mobile presence. Mobile website design is a lot more complicated than creating a regular website. If you do decide to go with your current webmaster, here is my card with my details on it.
  
• Show me how to do it and I'll do it?
  I am not in the business of teaching. I create mobile websites for businesses. There is way too much to creating a mobile website than could be taught in a simple lesson to you. If you are not interested in my services, that's cool, here's my card and have a great day. I'm off to visit your competitor just down the road.
  

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DaneSebastion

Hey Will,

Thanks for being my new friend... great answers, appreciate it, do you mind if I quote you below;

"The fact is no one wants to spend money. As consumers we will always try to talk our way out of spending unnecessary money or being conned and we will always look for why something will NOT work"

I was offering for free so I could have a portfolio to point to during the presentation and on a website for credibility


"All we need to do is install a simple redirect script into the homepage of your main website and this is a very simple cut and paste job"

The mention of adding something to their website raises their hackles then the questions about messing their website comes up or is it safe etc etc. They are very suspicious about this.

"Our website doesn't help the business so why should we have this?
I don't even understand this objection"

I don't get this either. My friends company is a leading solutions provider to local authorities. The work just falls to them by default and they really don't have to compete with anyone. That being said they charge out at $500/hour for a problem that will never be solved, traffic!! My friend said that the website isn't important and they don't rely on it or use the website. I must ask if his hourly charge out rate is affecting his judgement!

My offer of a free mobile optimized site with a QR code to all four people was to test the market. It wont be a true representation of the market place as I think dealing with family and friends is a harder sell.

I'd like to hear people comments on this?

Regards

Dane

trumpador

I think that one of your issues is right here. He charges out at $500/hr you are charging him nothing. Put your price up to $2500. That will get his attention. He'll get him money back in 5hrs.

Do some research, there's a thread in here showing how a business made 800% ROI. Imagine what a business operating at $500/hr would look like even if they only got 50% ROI. Btw, every business has pain points. You'll just need to find it. It may also be a fact that he is not the right type of customer at the right time. Move on. He'll undoubtedly, keep in touch with you. Start boasting about some of your results or even other people's results. He'll start getting more interested. If/when he does, make sure your prices are sufficiently high.

In addition, if he use to charging that kind of money and he is not having any trouble getting business, then talk to him about business expansion plans. No business ever wants to be static. He is either going to have to grow or competition will start to pop up. Ask him how is responding to these challenges and fit the mobile stuff around that. Having said that, and as previously statedt, it might just be a case of not the right time.

Lastly, dare him to take his website down. If he is not getting any business from it, why spend money on a webmaster, domain etc.?

Anyway, you'll get objections whenever you try to sell. That's why its important to be a marketer. Slight difference.

You sent a PM about plans etc. (I cannot respond to PMs)

Put it this way, I started getting my friend's business up on web and mobile. Since they have been my friends, they always came to me for tech advice. Eventually, they asked to pay me...albeit at mates rates. But mates rates doesn't mean free. I charged $1000 for a mobile friendly website as well as a Facebook page. Also put him on a monthly retainer. His business has gotten more leads in the last 6 months than it did the previous 18 months.

For your plan and since you are willing to do it for free to get your portfolio up. Go see charities, sports clubs, your favorite restaurant (if you plan on hitting the restaurant business). Its a good way to practice your stadium pitch. Take care not to assume that because you are providing it for free, they will automatically jump on board (as per your friends). You will still need to convey the benefits that they will get.

One of the reasons I got started is that I've always held the view that I partner with them. They need to commit. After all its their business. They are not going to get a mobile site and automatically get more customers. By the way, this is where you add value. Whether you do the mobile site, they get their webmaster or they do it themselves, the mobile site is only part of it. The cream is in the advice;the analysis, the strategy. Not for everyone but this is a big area. From my experience, the technical solution is only the enabler. To get to the biggest benefit they need more than the trinket. You, as the expert need to show where your expertise adds value to their ability to run their business.

I know some WSOs here say you can make a living selling mobile sites. That may be well and true but its not the most valuable aspect of the mobile digital area.

FYI, I have no WSOs (so not selling anything here) and only bought 2 myself $14 in total. Not saying WSOs have no value its just that I get more value reading these posts

DaneSebastion

Hey Trump,

Thanks for the post.

My friend charging out at $500/hour doesn't need more work to be frank. He complains he has too much! The idea was to initially work for free for a portfolio so that I can get set up to approach more companies with more credibility.

Thanks for your response I appreciate it and I agree with you about WSO's, most are rubbish in my view.

Regards

Dane

WillR

Dane,

I was referring to objections you said had been raised. Personally, no, I never tell them about the need to install a mobile redirect script until we are signing on the dotted line -- there is no need to raise it any sooner than this. But if they raise concerns about you mucking their current website then what I wrote above is the reply I would give them. The mobile site you are creating is a separate site, additional to their main site.

That to me just sounds like your problem not theirs. It sounds like you are trying to sell heating to someone who lives in the desert. Half of the battle in sales happens before you even contact someone. You need to choose the right people to contact. If this guy gets very little business from his website then yes, he's not a great target for your product. This is why choosing proven markets such as restaurants is so important.

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DaneSebastion

Hey,

Yes I understand this Will, he isn't the ideal candidate at all. I guess he being a mate he would have a problem with me doing it to get something onto a portfolio.

That being said, when you first started in mobile how did you get around objections/comments regarding your lack of experience etc etc?

Thanks

Dane

WillR

Dane,

I didn't really have a lack of experience. I have been doing this stuff for years so I knew what I was doing and I knew the value of what I was selling. All I can tell you is the people who have had the biggest success with my course have been those who just got out there and learnt from doing. You may come across objections, if you do, you do your best to answer them and move on. There's not a whole lot to be gained from trying to think of every possible reason why someone might not want one.

You need to believe in your product and your technical skills should have nothing to do with your sales pitch. For all they know you could have a team of developers who do the coding work.

Confidence is the key to sales. If you are confident it will come across in everything you say and do. If you are not confident that will also show in everything you say and do.

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DaneSebastion

Thanks

Dane

netrover

Jason, excellent idea. Can you elaborate on your "digital diner club?" Is it an email opt in they must do to get the 10% off, or perhaps downloading a custom mobile app?

Dan Perez

netrover

How do you convince hotel owners to let you put your Mobile Directory in the hotel rooms????

Dan Perez

netrover

Regarding the original post on selling to restaurant owners, how about persuading the restaurant owner to give his customers a short survey for a period of one week. It will ask, 1. how did you hear about our restaurant? 2. Do you have a smart phone? 3. Do you ever use your smart phone to look for local places to eat? Print it on a piece of paper that fits in the check folder; offer 5% off your next meal for filling it out. If the survey shows that his customers do in fact use smart phones to find places to eat, you tell him that he is losing potential business if he doesn't have a mobile site.

Dan Perez

DiamondLaneDesigns

I am glad that I stumbled upon this as I am having the same issue. I have tried to just tell them how much more engagement, customer retention/gain they can experience with a mobile site. However, if I wouldn't have thought of doing a monthly plan, unless I was doing and SEO campaign.

HypeText

I can appreciate your concerns however your post makes one thing crystal clear.

Your Prospects simply arent understanding the BENEFITS.

Small business are strapped for cash and have to be careful where they put their marketing dollars. It needs to actually make sense to them.

All those objections that you posted demonstrate that these Business Owners needs to be educated. Once you educate them on the benefits for their business then they will whip out the checkbook or credit card.

Keep in mind that while your Pitch makes perfect sense to you....it may not be to your Prospects.

Fix your Pitch and the clients will come...

Another point to be made, is that it is generally a good idea to not put all your eggs in one basket.

If you are selling ONLY mobile Websites you are only providing them with one piece of a Marketing solution. They need a TOTAL Solution.

xfelipex

I have the same problem as the tittle ... i am mailing like 70 clients a day since 2 month's AND NO FREAKING ANSWER...tested bars, restaurants, hair salon's, spa salons, dentist, you name it!

i have tested out like 15 different emails, they dont look like spamm, i make them very friendly always.. all of the emails include the owner names, last name, business name, etc...
and NOT A SINGLE ANSWER...

I dont understand how people emailing 20 clients, they get like 5 answer in 5 minutes for $500...

how is that freaking possible?

i know how and i can send 500 personalized emails a day with google smtp, but what's the point if will not get a single answer?

i am emailing them even with a picture of their site on a mobile phone...

Jason Kanigan

The problem you guys are creating for yourselves is that you are concentrating on the solution. You don't show any VALUE. Nobody, nobody wants a mobile website, any more than they want storm gutters.

Go read this script. See how to share value instantly. It has helped many people sell SEO, SMS, mobile sites, desktop sites, Google Places, reputation management, fan pages, and more.

>> How To Grow Your Online Business [FREE Training Video, No Opt-In, from 10+ Year Vet]

>> For Agency Founders: The Fast Shortcut To Selling SEO, Leadgen, Webdesign & Other Services

candem

I think you really need to delve deeper into those stats. From looking at the analytics of over 50 local clients (USA) I can tell you that visitors using mobile is closer to the 3%-8% . When you dig into those about 60% are tablets so no great need for a mobile site.

If my memory is correct that stat is based around time spent surfing and something ridiculous like 95% (can't remember exact number) was spent on the Social Media sites - Facebook, Twitter, etc.

There are certain niches that mobile is a good fit for however, in my opinion the hype is totally overblown and the vast majority of businesses will see VERY little benefit from a mobile site.

This is likely to change in the future but I don't see it happening as quickly as many people are suggesting.

affordableweb

I think those having issues with selling mobile services are the same guys who can't sell themselves or anything else. What they are looking for in most cases is for someone to actually do the work for them. You either can or can't and if you can't sell mobile you probably are having a rough time with every thing else as well.

Daniel LaRusso

I've emailed using the WillR method with success. It's a numbers game though, and you cannot expect a business owner to come running to buy from you just because you sent an email with their name and a pic of their website in it. You have to make some effort and contact people, multiple times using different methods, which include, yes, calling them or visiting them.

Think about all the crap offers internet marketers email you? Did you jump to buy the next big thing somebofy sent you on their very first email? Do you have internet marketers who contact you way too much, always trying to selll you something? What about some who email you every now and then, most time with a tip or piece of advice rather than an offer all the time? How much more do you trust them?

The bottom line is that people aren't going to come to you merely because you send them an email with a pretty picture or a link. You have to go to them, and differentiate yourself from the dozens of other people who contact them with a similar offer. And you've got to speak and listen on their terms.

Hope this helps.

It is unwise to trust all you read on the internet.
- Benjamin Franklin

jimbo3891

In one of my previous "business life" situations, we did a lot of direct mail. I developed a "pre-email" autoresponder program that we used to mail out physical letters at pre-determined intervals. We called it "drip marketing" or "nurture marketing" (and a few other terms).

Regardless, we had read studies that showed you needed to put your name and info in front of a prospect seven times before they would even remember you.

Don't believe me? Mail a prospect something (or mail ten of them, but not too many for this test). Wait a few days and then either call the prospect or drop by to see if you can speak with them. I'd almost guarantee you that most, if not all of them, will not remember you, or what you wrote them about. Many may not even have opened your email/letter.

However, send them something every week - or every few days - for a minimum of seven times and even if they don't read it, they will grow "familiar" with what they see coming from you. Then call on them - either in person or on the phone. Provided you can get through the gatekeeper, they are much more apt to recognize your name. They may not have read what you sent them, and they probably will not remember what you sent them if they did read it, but they will be much more familiar with you.

That's why email autoresponders work so well - they allow you to email a prospect at pre-determined intervals and grow a familiarity with them. Today it's email - before it was physical mail. Regardless of the medium, the psychology of the process is the exact same.

Don't expect to get a response from only one email/letter sent out. Be surprised when you do because you may occasionally get that prospect that was just thinking about looking for a provider for what you do. But, those will be the exceptions. Learn the system, work the system, and the system will deliver. I've not bought WillR's system(s), so I can't comment on them specifically, but a good system will require you to work the system.

In my years of sales, I've been kicked out of more offices/businesses than many sales people have been in. Why? Because I didn't take the easy "No" as a final answer. I pushed to get the real "No" or I got a "Yes" or a "Maybe". Regardless, without being obnoxious or overly pushy, I got more appointments, made more sales, and gathered more clients. In the process, I helped more people and made more money. I have never considered myself a "great salesperson", but I've made some really good sales through the years.

Hope some of my comments are of value to someone reading this thread.

James Dunn
Athens, GA
http://wpmu.org/author/jamesdunn

imwebmaster

I agree with you...weak sales tactics and lack of testing equals failure

imwebmaster

That's a BS...you dont have a sales funnel in place....you offer them something like a google places offer...something inexpensive that works all the time...find an offer that has branding and reputation of working consistently...then upsell aftet they see results and you have had th time to dtufy their business and competitors too

p3durungan

marketing technique must be adapted to each local situation, every community has it's own ways. I doubt if there is any general technique could cover all area in the world

Creativegirl

I may have picked this up in the wrong place, but based on this alone I disagree because too many ill-equipped and unsuspecting small businesses have bought into websites they don't own and cannot access. Unless there is some magic way to host mobile sites for these customers they have to be qualified up front, i.e., having access to their site/hosting or ability to give it to us. Maybe your qualifying them without disclosing how the site is installed, until their signing the dotted line?


Not a fair blanket assumption. Others have mentioned very real and valid reasons some businesses and markets are not biting. You still have a large percent of small business without a website and even more have never bought into SEO. Building a relationship, showing them a template and offering a price point they can't say no to (at least when building your portfolio) are all key. As you can see by the numbers of unsuccessful cold emailing all the sales videos, scripts and instructions don't sell mobile websites (alone, let me quantify that "blanket" statement).

behar

i'm about to start selling mobile sites in my hood and there is one problem i keep thinking about - what if they say "i have a designer, thanks for the tip, i'll ask him to do it for me".

i mean, why would someone go with me if they already have a designer?

there is one solution i have come up with - have the business owner sign an agreement with you and ask him for a down payment on the spot.

would really appreciate your feedback on this.

btw - great thread, had to open my third beer to finish reading it.

no question is a dumb question

WillR

That does not scare me. I am about helping my clients and building a long term relationship with them. The fact they don't have access to their current hosting should not be looked at as a problem but rather a huge opportunity. This means they have NO webmaster. If you help them get their hosting details which they are entitled to, imagine the instant authority and connect you have established with that client.

No way I am going to turn down those sort of clients.

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behar

WillR - have you ever had an issue like a mentioned above? would really appreciate your view on that.

no question is a dumb question

WillR

If they want to have their own webmaster create a mobile site for them, say great, thank them for their time, and move on. The more you try to convince them the more desperate you will appear.

You're a professional so you need to realize the sensible thing to do is just hand them a card and tell them to call you when/if they need any help. It leaves you in control.

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Kevin Z

Couldn't disagree with you more.

Instead of focusing your sales on building websites it should be in offering a complete mobile marketing solution, how it can benefit the business and what kind of ROI they can expect. They don't want a mobile site? How about a QR code campaign for their next mail-out,still no bite how about SMS marketing services? no bite, what about Google Places or SEO campaings and management. It's all about getting your foot in the door showing what you are capable and then up-selling your services from there.

At the end of the day business owners want more sales and local mobile marketing can help. We strongly feel that Mobile Websites are not the end game but a piece of the puzzle.

As you are aware restaurants are very slow adapters to technology especially the internet, and many of these restaurant owners are still kicking themselves for spending huge chunks of cash on that slick flash website that now everyone is telling them is no good for the "new web". So obviously there will be some pull back on their part.

Have you tried a freemium model? Where you build them their site build a QR campaign then let them see for themselves the results over a few month period? Its a great way to keep your sales funnel full at all times.

Mobile Marketing is just exploding all over the world and it would be a shame to see you give up the good fight. Keep up the hard work and it will pay off.

[

brick&mobile
Click here to start your
Mobile Marketing business

Bigfoot1

It seems to me that cold calling/ cold sales is pretty ineffective unless you work really hard at improving your sales skills.

Recently I've been trying to give out free websites to build up a client base(and make 100 bucks a sale of Hostgator's affiliate program).

The only work I've gotten is from people I know.

This is the same from my friend, but he's getting more clients because of referals. However I've just started with this so I haven't had chance to get those referalls.

Food for thought. Seems like for those of us who aren't the best at sales it's far more effective to focus on networking and offering free websites or extremely discounted services in order to build up a client network who will rave about you and bring you more clients.

The guys who I know are making good money from providing these kinds of offline services(Mobile,SEO, Web Design, etc.) often have one niche where they are well known and well networked.

Benjam1n

I agree, you see figures from google etc all the time saying just how big mobile marketing is and how many local mobile searches there are but I just don't see it myself.

The thing is, if you're local, you would already know where your nearest hairdresser, restaurant, pizza place etc is so why would you need to search for it on a mobile website? I think that when we go in with these over exagerrated (seems to be) claims, we lose credibility instantly.

I don't know what it's like in the US, but here in the UK, there are hundreds of local businesses that don't even have a website. Trying to convince any of them that they need a mobile website is useless.

However, putting together a complete solution (qr codes, sms marketing, mobile website etc) and showing them actual proof of results is going to be something a lot of business owners would be interested in. If they take advantage properly, they could well keep afloat by using mobile marketing as thier only means of marketing and you make residual income rather than a cheap one off fee.

Thats why I think MoBuzz has an excellent strategy for winning new clients. If you're serious about being succesful, you should read this - http://www.warriorforum.com/mobile-m...marketing.html

For those that are sending out hundreds of e-mails and getting no response, I think that deep down, you know that this is never going to work. If it was that easy, everybody would be a millionaire. It's just an excuse to say to yourself that you're trying but its just not happening.

There are people (albeit not as many people as claimed) on this forum that are becoming succesful in this niche, so you need to look at what they are doing and how you can apply it. Sending people an image of a demo site isn't going to work. If somebody sent me a picture of a ferrari with my business name plastered all over it, doesn't mean i'm going to buy it just because you're ok at photo shop.

You're a mobile "marketer", sending out generic e-mails to 100's of people isn't really marketing and doesn't give a very good impression of your skills. If you can't attract businesses, how are you going to attract customer's?

Just my two cents.

"You become what you think about most of the time" - Think BIG!!

Daniel LaRusso

I think you're right on the mark, Benjam1n, for the most part. One thing I'll get off my chest right off is that I am seeing, according to the Google keyword tool, a LOT of local searches, like about 25% of them, ARE done from mobile devices. This is quantifiable - just go to the keyword tool and choose the "all mobile devices" from the drop down box. You may have to expand a menu to see it, but you can see it.

Also, I've lived in the city where I live for about 5 years, and I still search for businesses myself - like restaurants, mechanics, dog groomers for our dog, and, just recently, an air conditioning repair person. Also, we went to Atlanta a couple of weekends ago, and had to eat at some crappy chain restaurants that we saw on the way - that idea that Mobuzz had about a local mobile directory would have been AWESOME to have when I was traveling - I would have seen a LOT of value in being able to have that. So if there's anyone in Atlanta, you've got some money to be made, or else I may try to do it myself soon!

And there are LOTS of local businesses that have awful websites or no websites at all - you are right. These people aren't really my target market right now, because someone has likely tried to convince them of what they need to do, but they don't see that need. These are people who won't invest in their business and advertise. I think it would be better to target people who see the need for growing their business, not using only old school, ineffective ways, like just being in the phone book.

And also, you're dead on about sending mass emails - no matter how fancy your mockup is, or what kind of shiny new WSO you put in, it's just not as effective as actually talking to a business owner. That takes stones to do, but there's just no replacing real contact.

Recently, I came to the conclusion that there are two things that can happen on a cold call or sales call - the person can say no, and you move on, or they can say yes, and you go to the next step. Just like dating. So, simplifying this, you have a 50% chance of hearing "yes". You also have a 50% chance of hearing "no", but, if you let fear or whatever it is that keeps you from contacting someone, you have a 100% chance of NOT getting a "yes".

So it doesn't matter so much what happens on any one individual call, you are just talking to folks, and hearing if they are someone who needs your help.

It is unwise to trust all you read on the internet.
- Benjamin Franklin

jimbo3891

I definitely agree with Daniel here. I've lived in my current area for about 12 years now, but I still look up businesses. I know most of the business owners that have been here forever, but there are new ones coming all the time. Plus, there are ones that are closing all the time.

We went out to eat recently at a restaurant that we've been to before - it's been a staple of the community for quite some time. Pulled up and it was closed - gone out of business. The couple with us had a smart phone, did a quick local search, and we were on our way to another restaurant. A new one that we'd never heard of? Nope. One that we knew about, but just hadn't thought about lately. Local Mobile Search to the rescue.

I live near Atlanta (Athens), so I agree Daniel - it's ripe for the picking if someone wants to grab it. I also might be tempted. It's so huge that you could do probably about 30 local directories and just scratch the surface - Buckhead, Perimeter, Airport, Roswell, Dunwoody, etc. That could be a full time network to develop and businesses are always opening and closing so you would always have fresh prospects.

This is a similar explanation to what I've used when training sales people in the past. I tell them that life, sales, or whatever (even dating) is like golf (I don't play, but this makes sense to me).

I've gotten more in life because I've asked (expecting to get a yes) than by sitting back waiting to receive. If you see something you want, GO AFTER IT! You will be rewarded.

JDD

James Dunn
Athens, GA
http://wpmu.org/author/jamesdunn

ish

I think you need to demonstrate how a mobile site can get a particular business more customers and therefore more business.

I just got off the phone with a pizza shop who liked my mobile site design, but they were not sure how a mobile site would improve their business.

I spoke to him about setting up sms/text marketing and building a customer list...and how incorporating that with a mobile site would improve his business.

That certainly made him very excited, and he told me to send him the details and call him in a few days.

So to sum up...a mobile site is not enough on it's own, you must incorporate in into the businesses marketing strategy.

DoWhatWorks

Two sales out of 65 is a 3% conversion rate, which is pretty standard. To me, it sounds like the bigger problem is the time that it takes you to do all of those presentations. If you were to train others to do your presentation for you, at a 50/50 commission split, you'd be able to leverage your time more effectively. Have you ever read The E-Myth Revisited? It's a great book that discussees the concept of not working in your business, but rather working on your business. It sounds to me like you're trying to wear too many hats, which is why you're getting a small return for your time, even though your closing rate is pretty normal.

One other suggestion, if you don't want to train others, consider giving them the site for free, as long as they sign up for web hosting with you. You could get a reseller hosting account with hostgator for around $25/month and you could host hundreds of sites on there for that price. If you were to charge $8-$10 per month for the monthly hosting, you'd make $96-$120 every year, on every customer, for as long as they kept hosting the site with you. Small business owners are not going to take the time to switch hosting companies, unless something is very wrong with the hosting you provide. Hostgator's hosting is very reliable, so your lifetime value per customer would be very high. It might be worth testing this angle instead, because it's much easier to sell someone on a free website, where they only pay the hosting, as compared to charging them a higher price up front.

-Terry

behar

appreciate your feedback!

no question is a dumb question

jimbo3891

Trying to sell a mobile site alone to every business you visit is like going out to sell red ink pens to everyone that writes. Not everyone needs a red ink pen - some need other colors, some need pencils, some need markers, children need crayons. Additionally, even if you are selling the red ink pens to a customer, their paper supplier can decide to get into the red ink pen business and can then put you out of the business.

However, if you can come in as the total writing and record keeping supplier for the business - meaning they deal with ONE sales person rather than multiple - you might stand a chance of picking up multiple aspects of the business. Business owners are very busy and anything they can do to simplify and streamline their business means they can get back to what they do best - making pizzas, installing toilets, repairing cars, or whatever.

Likewise, if you are only offering mobile, you may get it today, but a more shrewd sales person will come in and take that business away as well. Become a total solutions provider - a customer delivery systems provider if you wish (don't bother, the domain name "customerdeliverysystem.com" is already owned by me), then you can be the ONE that they deal with putting other sales people out on the street. Plus, you are no longer a sales person, but a solutions engineer/provider. Business owners hate salespeople, but if you can help them grow their business, then you are their hero. You'll get invited to all the Christmas parties and get introduced to all their business friends. You become a very valued part of their business and they will treat you as such.

Consider more than just mobile although mobile is growing and will continue to be a HUGE part of what we do. Or, maybe not. But, if it is a HUGE part of IM and you are not a part of it, then pretty soon IM in general will no longer be what you do. Regardless, mobile is something to consider and as long as it's on the table, you need to ride that horse until it stops. I've ridden several IM horses until their time was done - but I'm always riding several horses. But, while you're riding that horse, be sure to continue to look at the herd to see which horse(s) you'll be saddling up next. If not, you'll find yourself without a ride and then you'll be behind.

JDD

James Dunn
Athens, GA
http://wpmu.org/author/jamesdunn

behar

even tho i'm just starting out with mobile i totally agree with you.

the other day i had a meeting with a plumber and he really didn't care about the color, the feel, the text or the buttons on his new site. all he was telling me is - I need customers. so i could have talked about css/seo/domains/keywords it wouldn't have helped. maybe i would have even scared him with that talk.

i'm trying to put a "mobile package" together before i go door to door. and as you said - we need to be solution providers.

no question is a dumb question

jimbo3891

You are absolutely correct - especially with tradespeople. They don't care about CSS, PHP, SEO, Text, Mobile, or anything else that we can do. As a good friend of mine said all the want is a "purdy website and some hits". That's pretty simply what they want and they equate "hits" with customers.

If they want to know much more than you can make them a good looking website and get them some customers, be prepared to answer it, but you'll be surprised how many don't really care. Small businesses are hurting and they really want to do something different than they've been doing, but they just don't know what to do. They don't want to try something new that is just going to cost them money like the last seven things they tried that only made money for the person that sold it to them.

I've even "partnered up" with several business owners on things initially to show them what can be done. Initially, we'll trade services (barter) and then as customers start to come in from our efforts, we trade less and they pay more. This can work, but be sure it's a service/product you really need.

JDD

James Dunn
Athens, GA
http://wpmu.org/author/jamesdunn

goindeep

Sell the sizzle not the steak!

Sell the benefits not the features.

Example:

You are selling a coffee mug.

Selling the features rendition:
This coffee mug is equipped with an ultra ergonomic handle,
built in thermal insulation and has a whopping capacity to hold 500ml of coffee!

Selling the benefits rendition:
This coffee mug is specially designed by perfectionist Swedish engineers
so that your hand and fingers ergonomically fit into the handle
while reducing stress on your joints.

Whats the reason for reducing stress on your joints you ask?

This mug can hold a whopping half a liter of coffee!
This amount of coffee is guaranteed to keep you charged up all day long.
And on top of that we guarantee you'll never burn or scold you hand on another hot coffee mug surface again.
You see the Swedes couldn't just stop at the insane size of the mug
and its ultra ergonomic design, but they threw in thermal insulation
which keeps your tasty coffee hotter for longer
so that you can take calls and work in between sips without it going cold on you
and all the while keeping your hand and fingers protected from the heat inside.
---
Sell the sizzle not the steak!

p.s. where is Mak? lol

imwebmaster

Some very interesting posts here...there are also common issues related with sales efforts as well as rejections/objections that are clearly pointing in path down the wrong roads too.

I can't address every issue here but I can help with the majority of like problems in sales in general and more specifically mobile.

First, I have an edge over many of you posting about frustrations doing sales and moreso with the success in sales....

I am not reading many posts that demonstrate solutions to qualifying prospects with mobile....and my first question is how many of you posting actually have a functional mobile version of your website you can show off...more importantly, if you do...how many of you walk out or get off the phone with that prospect as a free subscriber?

The next issue I read is common in any sales persons day to day life who is a newbie or does not have enough experience related with the business niche they are targeting...why would a contractor, or any niche business for that fact, want to even talk to any salesperson who doesn't talk their language or have an understanding about their industry besides knowing the marketshare they hold in the community or position.

For example, I know contractors, professionals, retailers, etc...but I've shared many lunches and dinners where I asked questions to understand their most pressing problems with everything from running the day to day to business to their feelings about technologies...this took place over many years...I developed relationships and understanding from the inside...it does not happen overnight....and before I even offered a product or service I already knew the angle I needed to approoach my prospects in those industries because I had accumulated knowledge and how my services and products would seemlessly integrate into their personal preferences, day to day operations and with their employees communications to customers....

If you're in the sales business....then you better learn what are the best times to make contacts with each and every one of your target niches, make your schedule so you are making use of your time in between appointments and pounding the pavement and phone....take the time to learn about those niches and the competition you have to go in the boxing ring against...and study them all carefully.

I have my own hosting reseller service, a white label mobile package that includes integrated or seperate hosting, a html/css and wp expert too...they all sell themselves...especially if your client uses any of those servies and products...
but what gets me in the door or the owner on the phone or calling me directly is another series of stories...

I'm a closer, I have my forms, contracts, literature and specialty give aways too.
So the long and short of it is this...are you really educated to deal with a seasoned business owner, are you armed with the right materials, do you have your time management down to a science, do you have answers to all common objections and do you know how to make every phone call, every visit count adding to your subscriber list....I'ld lay my money with the casino and say you aren't if you're failing

Have questions, need quick advice, looking for a cheatsheet or wanting to learn the right mobile services to sell?...send me an email at .. imwebmaster2 at yahoo ... but be prepared...If you want sugar coated answers...be prepared to pay extra...

jimbo3891

Outstanding information here - thanks for sharing imwebmaster.

This is one of the things that I used to teach new recruits. Almost everyone taught "Go after your friends and acquaintances" but I think most forgot to tell them why they were the people to go after. Why should you? You probably know more about their business than you do some stranger so they should be much easier to relate to and communicate with.

I used to build high end custom homes (for about five years), so one of my natural markets is tradespeople. I talk their language, I know their problems, and I can help them solve their issues. I was in the insurance and investment business for about 13 years and held just about every license you could hold in that business. That is another natural market for me. I speak their language (even their specific jargon). I know their regulations, the problems they face. I even understand how to navigate their compliance issues. I can do that better than most people that approach them regarding internet marketing or mobile marketing.

As imwebmaster says, learn about the issues of your target prospect(s) and internalize them. When you do that, you can approach them from the direction of being a problem solver, not a salesperson. Believe you me, they can smell that salesperson coming a mile away. But, someone that is genuinely interested in their business and can help them grow it - that will put them off base so quickly and you'll rapidly become their trusted adviser. How do you know you've reached that status? One way is they'll call you when they are approached by someone else that does what you do.

JDD

James Dunn
Athens, GA
http://wpmu.org/author/jamesdunn

alfid

I find that many, many people want mobile sites! I have had great success selling them even if people really don't need them.

ish

What kind of methods of contact have you used to get mobile site clients if you don't mind me asking?

I'm selling mobile sites aswell...but only have had little success.

thanks

behar

and this is one reason why i believe i'll start contacting businesses by category instead of by location....but i might be wrong

no question is a dumb question

sodomojo

Care to share the email you used?

freeburd

This is one of the most outstanding threads on the Warrior forum. The sincerity of the people is such that I just simply cannot take my eyes away from the thread.

thetaspark

Recently a close friend was able to persuade some managers/owners of small restaurant in the town to subscribe for listings on one of our mobile sites, where locals can find restaurants with home delivery, and he even offers a delivery service for restaurants with no delivery. So far its been a success.
I think this largely boils down to what you're offering and who needs it.
If I own a restaurant with no core IT knowledge, and I'm doing just fine with a desktop website, it'll be near impossible to convince me that my website is not good for mobile devices, especially when I view it every now and then on my iDevice.

DaneSebastion

Hey there,

I am visiting friends down here in New Zealand. What a place, fantastic scenery, great easy going people. I went into the local supermarket here and was given a flyer for their new app. This chain of supermarkets is the largest in Australasia. Businesses do want mobile when they see how it can add "VALUE" to their business and customers.

Check out this link;

Countdown - Food & Inspiration - Smartphone App

Regards

Dane