Just a website? Or straight into SEO? How I improved my phone sales conversions!

Hi Guys,

In this post I want to share how I have drastically improved my sales over the past few months!

This last 6-8 months has been nothing but development for me. From scared to pick up the phone, to making one call closes! You should always be trying to improve your sales skills and strategies.

Note: My target market is small service businesses (roofer, plumber, carpenter, fencer, cleaners etc) who do not have websites! (And I only call mobile numbers, straight to the business owner)

Like many of us here, my main goal has been passive income. Directly from ongoing SEO which I outsource for quite a good price

My sales techniques have been evolving over time. From appointment setting, to creating demo's, to one call closing.

But the biggest dilemma has been this: Do I just sell them a website first? Or do I sell them the package. A website AND SEO.

A few months ago I was able to close a $500 website on the phone for 50% upfront. Then I could sell a $800 website on the phone in one call for 50% upfront. And then I could close in one call, a $1000 website! This is a big lesson for everybody learning how to close on the phone. Start of small ($500) and slowly increase your prices as you become more skilled at selling.

Anyway, after a while, I thought "Why not sell a package, a website and ongoing monthly SEO work. Besides, that is where all the money is!"

I thought that even though this is much more expensive ($400 a month, with a $647 startup) it should be easier to sell. Why? Because with this product I can sell them more customers, with just a website on its own, all I am selling is a website.

Alas, it was a harder product to sell. Simply because of the price. All these business owners know they need a website, but none know they need SEO. With that said, I was still closing people on this full package!

But I noticed something: It was much easier to upsell a customer SEO about 2 months after completing their website. They already trusted me, they were in love with their website.

So should you go back to just selling a website and try upsell them the SEO afterwards? Well sort of....

What I discovered here SIGNIFICANTLY increased me sales! (at least a solid few percent)

I went on to use the same script to sell the rather expensive package, but put the start-up cost to $1000. Now that makes this a lot more scary for the average business owner to invest in. $1000 then $400 a month!!! Thats a fair bit of money!

So of course people were even more thrown back when discussing the price with them. They would throw out even more objections at me. This time they were seriously concerned about the price!

But then BAM, I would counter all their fears with:
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Them: I'm sorry James, but that is just too much money. Can you maybe send me some information through and I can sleep on it?

ME: I hear what your saying and I agree, it's a big investment. So how about we do this. Lets forget about the Search Engine stuff. Right now the most important thing is that you get a website up and running. You CANNOT afford to be left behind, and obviously your financial future is important to you isn't it!?

Them: Very much so!

Me: Exactly, so lets just get your website up and running for now. It's only $500 upfront, sound fair enough?

Them: Yeh

Me: It's incredibly simple to get started, just a questions of some basic information and we do all the work for you. Would you prefer to pay by credit card or debit card?
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BAM. You have just made a sale! But why is this so effective? Simple:

They are trying to justify to themselves spending $400 a month with $1000 start-up. But then you cut the overall cost to $1000 and a start-up of only $500 right now. It is much easier to get them on board on the lower price.

You will close many more sales by getting them contemplating a high price, and then cutting it down drastically.

Now this can also be done by simple trying to sell a website for $1500, and then cutting the price to $1000 after a few objections.

But I have found after this particular method, they have an understanding of how SEO could benefit them and they are also easier to up sell later down the track.

Wow... This post has been a bit longer than intended. But I really wanted to show how YOU can increase you sales. The more you pickup the phone the more you will learn.

So get out there, pick up the phone and make some sales!

Oh and by the way, anyone out their saying "I am just too young" I am only 19!

s62731
(James)