Have you ever received angry responses to your letters/emails/calls?

You know, unfortunately 'brutally honest' isn't the best approach to landing clients.

Have never gotten a reply like that

I really only just started marketing a website re-design service again as a means of client acquisition for upselling my other services to.

Previously I was only focusing on SEO and mobile web design for businesses that didn't already have either of those things in place, so the approach is different on this occasion, and it looks like telling people that their websites look outdated is a mistake!

I work a lot with trial and error, so I guess I just have to take note of the way people respond and learn from it.

Theres a saying about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar.

You could trying to be more tactful, whilst still point out flaws with their website - or rather ways to improve what they already have.

Funnily enough - a lot of people like to work with someone business like and professional, so a cheers would seem out of place, especially if you are asking them to part with their hard earned cash.

It's good though - even negative feedback from a potential customer allows you to adjust what your message for future prospects.

Being 'brutally honest' isn't quite the best way to go with potential clients.

Also, critique should only be done after a relationship has already been established.

Hi Ashley

As the T-Shirt says "Sh*t Happens".

Move onto the next person and stop beating yourself up.

Somedays you get people who are having a bad day and have a "need" to take that out on someone else.

Looks like you got one.

Anyway our advice is ---- NEXT PLEASE.

Regards

Bronwyn and Keith

I would agree with what some of the others said. The way you communicate with your prospective clients play a significant role as to whether you will land the client or not. If you are very negative in your criticism, that could be a problem.

I would recommend finding the good first and pointing those out. There has to be some good, even if it's just the fact that they took the initiative to put up a website. You can always find positives in the midst of negatives.

Once you have the positives out the way, then you can talk about the negatives in terms of what can be improved to make them even more productive, or to make their websites much more appealing and effective.

That's the route I would go.

I am surprised, but after a few hundred calls I have only received one "We're on the DNC list, quit calling!". It was an attorney.

I disconnected from the dialer for a bit as that kind of set me back, but picked the phone back up and got back on.

"You can't get back on the horse if you never fell off"
Word spoken by Phil Dunphy Modern Family

wbinst2 I can appreciate what you're saying, but if you read my whole post you'll see I mentioned it was done in error. I am usually an accurate person.

I disagree about the angry response though. When someone offends me in my working life, I do respond but I remain very cool and polite, I've just always been taught how important that is.

I actually rarely use email for sending out that kind of stuff, I tend to write formal letters that go down well, so I guess it's silly that I had such a bad start to an email campaign.

In my 2 weeks of cold calling experience trying to explain why they need their website redesigned, be cause they have a poorly designed website from like 2003. All I have been getting is angry responses, even though I don't come at them like "your website sucks" they get combative. I think its the fact with me is that people don't like to be cold called. Now emails that I have sent, its been about a week and I havent heard anything back from the 20 something emails I sent out so I am guessing that is a lost cause.

Just think about all the folks who didn't react in that way.. chin up fella.

Personally, I’d prefer not use an email or letter as an initial contact. But whether you use letters, email, phone or personal contacts, I’d suggest rephrasing how you offer your comments.

In Toastmasters when I’m evaluating a speech, I like to use the Oreo method. Give them some positive feedback, give them some constructive criticism and end with a positive comment.

For the criticism, you might offer your comments in the form of a suggestion for what they might consider doing to help improve their product. Don’t try to force your opinion on them. Try to be as helpful as you can and let them know that you are available to discuss your suggestion or help them implement the changes.

Flush turd customers just like you would the real ones. Seriously don't worry about anyone who is not giving you money.

Tim

Yeah, someone may have worked really hard on their website so the criticism hit a nerve.

I think a better approach may be to point out the positive and maybe you can work in how you can help them build on that.

It might be better to first send a positive email and then if you get a response you can go into it more.

Fortunately, I've never received any rude/angry responses from my prospects yet. The worst that has happened so far is that they "disappear" off the grid and don't answer my phone calls or emails.

I think the major reason for the rude/angry response that you received is because you were perhaps a little too heavy-handed in your criticism of the prospective client's website? I find it best to be tactful and fairly polite with prospects, as you don't want to say anything to annoy or perturb them especially when you're in the "prospecting" phase with them.

Paul

First of all understand that some business owners can be VERY straitforward and brutal with their language.

Most are polite and friendly but there are a few who can be really obnoxious at times.


Second it can be a mistake pointing out what's wrong with a website.

You don't know who made that website and what relationship that person has to the business owner.

In other words you don't know who you're insulting.

Also be aware that some business owners might have a lot of emotional energy invested in the decisions they made in getting a website online...the money they spent on it etc etc.

If you tell them effectively that they wasted their money and their decisions were wrong that may not be the best foundation for getting them to make another decision to spend money with you.


It's usually better to take the angle that what they've got is a great start and here are some extra strategies that should massively increase their results.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

bronke13 - Yeah, I do like to be personable and just myself. It has worked very well with other clients. I do like to be professional as well, and I'm constantly trying to work out how I can make a compromise between the two. I think it's about adapting per potential client though. Understanding them is such an important thing with web design. Some are appropriate for a personable approach, and some aren't. It's like when I had a meeting with a young filmmaker I was to eventually build a website for, and the whole business relationship was incredibly informal, yet perfectly appropriate. Looks like it's easy to get too comfortable at times.

James - Yeah good point, definitely good to be positive and constructive. I sometimes get too focused on the problems that need to be solved, because I want to give some sense of urgency and basically make it clear that the client NEEDS a new site. Too many of my old Internet marketing endevours rubbing off on me there..

anmatt - Absolutely, it's not something I thought through as I've never had to take that into account before, but it can indeed be offensive now that I think about it. Also, I will PM or email you shortly about the mobile stuff. And I haven't bought that product.

paulie888 - The disappearing client.. definitely a classic. I had a very polite attitude, but I made the mistake of using the word "outdated" to describe one's website. I usually wouldn't, it's just that the website was very ancient, and perhaps one of the worst I've seen in some time, but I realise I should have approached him differently.

Kay King - I approached him, but don't get me wrong, I did not submit an actual website critique. But, I technically did criticise, as mentioned above. Definitely my bad on that one. He overreacted in my opinion, and I found that interesting as it's surely not good for his reputation when I'm someone very local to him. I remained polite throughout, when in actuality I was urged to send a sarcastic response - but hey, when dealing with rude people in business that you can do fine without, I believe it's important to bite your tongue, be polite, and move on. And he will indeed do fine without me, I just wanted to help him. He'd have been better off summing up his response up in a straightforward sentence. Little does he know, I use services like his. Will I buy from his ubsiness now? Definitely not, because I got a little taste of how the owner deals with situations.

AndrewCavanagh - Definitely. It's obviously up to people how they behave. There is rarely a perfect prospect/client, but most I work with are acceptable and appropriate enough. Again, very good points, and I'm grateful that that has been put into perspective for me.

Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions, I have made some positive changes in my approach and am expanding my efforts when it comes to learning about a business before approaching the owner.

Hmmm yep.

If I remember correctly, we close less then 20% of prospects using similar strategies. That's why we moved to more profitable options.

People don't want to listen their "car" is a piece of crap. They don't want to know that color is awful. They love that car, they hard bought it, you know?

I used to be brutally honest with prospects and customers - Now, I just do it WHEN they ask me to.

Keep in mind people know the truth: they know their car is a piece of crap. They know that color is really awful. BUT there is a big difference between knowing (and living fine with that) and being called out about it.



Besides, IF the new "car" you're trying to sell them is so damn good, why talk about the old one?

Right?

One of the WF members (sorry I can't remember his name and don't have time to find the post) had good results using vomit bags (yep, like the ones on an airplane). He would use the bag as an envelope and put a letter inside. The letter would say something like "Is your website making you sick with it's lack of results? We can help." Just one of the free ideas that the WF members give away.

Here's another way I just thought of that I think I'll try. Put a small picture of his website on an envelope with your sales message inside. I would almost guarantee he will open and read it. Wouldn't you open an envelope that had a picture of your site on it?

Here's my .02 cents....instead of trying to offer re-design of a business website, maybe you should try to offer other services, such as a promotion of their website. Or maybe ask them how is their website working out for them, instead of critiquing their site.

If you ask them that question you will see that they will tell you whether or not they are happy with their site and then go for there.

That would be my suggestion