Selling SEO to SBs = Failure in 2015?

Hey! Fantastic post, I am finding similar results in the past couple months, SEO often closes doors instead of opening them. I really like the idea of upselling SEO from another service that's easier to sell (and easier understood by your target market). Do you know of a company that would readily take in new clients at the same turn around time (do you do it for resellers?) so that I could just focus on selling?

EDIT: Also, how do you go about collecting potential leads? Finding potential SEO targets is a fairly straight forward process (although time consuming), do you find companies that don't have a website at all?

The ONLY business service I get pitched over the phone is SEO.

Yes, I think that horse has been beaten to death.

I thought this was common knowledge? ;-)

good post anyways

I agree with savidge4. Plus my definition of "web presence" is more than a simple 3 page site that requires alot of upsells. Visibility and web presence can mean the same to many folks.

Also definitely agree the mention of seo is increasingly a door closer - either from businesses that have been taken for a costly ride or those getting 10 unsolicited seo emails every day.

In the middle, is the cookie cutter seo packages. I've never liked them but talk to so many business owners who prefer the "known" deliverables and cost.

Results are always the bottom line and he who "sells" this best wins.

You have made a nice point. Instead of selling SEO directly or upfront, sell them the 'web presence' idea. And once they make a website, you can now offer your SEO services. They will be much more willing to listen to you and more open to your ideas since they are already your customers and you have provided them good service for a 'cheap' cost. Even if they decline your SEO offer there is no harm done as you already got business from them. If they agree to your SEO service its a bonus for you.

Round my way we get umpteen phone calls selling usually three different things.

SEO, Google or P1 ranking and Telephony services.

Every business and business owner I know has a website.

Most already employ either an advertising company of some type be it Reach Local or other adwords manager. Maybe they have Social management also or do in-house.

The one thing they all want is ROI.

Doesn't matter what you are selling if ROI can be promoted as positive then you will at least get the opportunity to pitch.

If you fail on the ROI then the business owner tries something else.

I know this first hand as a business owner and as a consultant to numerous businesses.

Monetization is probably the most common angle but certainly it cannot be the only one?

After all, some people sell BBB accreditation.

LOL I love this thread. It really highlights the two very different approaches to selling "online presence"

Savidge4 and XponentSYS I feel ya both :-)
I'm in on the same side of delivery as you both and have been for years.
I find business owners with real problems that need solving and the cost of entry for an "online presence" with me is 10k+. I post ads on classifieds and plainly state 10k+ online marketing packages etc...

I choose this type of business because the entry cost allows me to make a dramatic impact on the clients bottom line. As an example in my home town I just completed a project and I am getting a granite fabricator 3 to 5 full leads daily for new kitchens etc..

This guy is laughing all the way to the bank and the 15k upfront spend was forgotten after the first 2 weeks. The nice monthly maintenance fee is also peanuts compared to what he is making. His competitors are wondering what truck hit them and I love that kind of battle.

As a service provider to make the same money selling the cheaper sites would require managing too many relationships and more important I would not enjoy it because the budget would hinder my ability to make any real difference to their business.

Having said that I also do not believe that XponentSYS clients are idiots they just know what they know or are really just using a site as an online business card and he is meeting a demand. I am also sure out of those some of them get up-sold to some decent price points.

I do believe that those considering the direction of their service business (high price point entry versus low price point entry) should strongly consider the pros and cons for each and what they really want to be in the business of doing. Personally I want to be in the business of solving real marketing problems for real businesses and always making them more money than I cost them.

I know some folks that do both under different brands. I think many of us started out offering cheap/quick sites as our value proposition and got burned out and did not enjoy the game or the type of client it brought us. That does not mean there are not profits there or that it is somehow wrong, it just means its not for us.