HOw to deal with this client?

by 21 replies
24
I have a tile store guy I met about SEO services. He is no online presence and he knows the value of SEO....and instantly/desperately wanted it.

BUT

here are the issues:

He doesnt want to pay money upfront.. he claims that others who took the money from him earlier did not deliver.

He doesnt want to pay for phone leads.

He wants me to work on commission basis... which I cant figure out how to track

He says on all his receipts, he collects the source on where they found them.... but this will have to be completely trust based.. i dont know if I should trust this tracking method.

ALSO.. he said he will not give commission on the gross amount but he wants to pay on the NET profit.. i feel this is stupid offer. How can I expect any business person to reveal what he originally paid for the merchandise and what his Net profit is.

I am totally confused on how to structure the deal with him.... Please help me.
#offline marketing #client #deal
  • Do not work on commission because you are going to need to offer it correctly in order to create your outsourcing systems so you have a business not a job. If you are interested in learning how to structure it, PM me and i can help you out with structuring the deal.
  • Sounds like a moron.

    You don't work for nothing. Ask him if he requests the same bull**** from his other vendors, especially the ones who source his goods.

    If anything, before you can him, tell him you could MAYBE meet in the middle, maybe like a test drive for X period of time, if that's financially doable.

    Otherwise, he doesn't sound like he has the character to give you a commitment.
  • I'm with Rearden on this one.


    Tell the guy to take a hike. What happens when you get results? He says "Not good enough" and doesn't pay you anyway?


    Then what....it's not like you can take SEO results back...unless you believe in the negative SEO thing.


    Does he advertise in other mediums like TV or YP? Maybe remind him how they would laugh in his big dumb face if he tried that **** with them.
  • Walk away, no run away from this potential disaster.

    It is 2012 and this prospect has no online presence? No website, no web page even? Yet he knows the value of the internet? How?

    He is a cheap PITA who will probably try to take advantage of you. Besides, he just wants to know how desperate you are for business. Do not give in to his demands at all period. If you do, he will have absolutely no respect for you , your time and/or your services. Explain to him if he want to increase his profits then you can help him do that, but it is going to cost him. There is a 'buy in' and it is what ever your fees for services are. If not, let him know that he is not a good fit for your services, thank him for his time and be on your way.

    He is the prime example of a client you must maintain control of at all times. Once you give him one little bit of leeway, the game is over and you will lose big time.

    Remember, all money is not good money. Some people you should never do business with no matter how desperate you are.

    Yes, I am speaking from experience.
  • Put a contract or agreement in place and ask for at least half upfront. It lessens his perceived risk and puts money on your pocket.

    Then don't give him any. Pass then on to someone who will.

    This guy doesn't want to pay you upfront for YOUR services due to "getting burned in the past", but expects you to work for him on commission? Talk about turning the "trust tables".

    If you work for commission for someone else, you've basically landed yourself a JOB. You have someone you have to depend on to get paid. Plus, you have to have faith in how they track your commission. No thanks...I'd rather get paid upfront for the services I perform instead.

    He says he's "desperate", but in my eyes, he's playing you for a fool.

    If he isn't able to work with you, cut your ties and move on. There will be someone else who wants what you have to offer and will be more than happy to work with you.

    Then again, like digichik said - there are some people out there you should avoid like the plague, no matter how much money you can make from them.
  • If he is not willing to invest in improving his business why should you?
    Here is how I would structure this deal:
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    • You can't really provide a quality service under those circumstances so tell him that and shut up.

      He'll either agree or try to do things to your terms.

      But the real issue is not him but you to be honest and you need to think about this.

      Who did the sales presentation?

      You need to change it somewhere because you have ended up off track and that is your fault not his.

      Dan
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  • There is no shame in walking away from a deal.

    I mean there are options you could explore if you really needed this deal, but most of them would require a fair bit a capital to draw from..

    For instance, you could get a contract drawn up that has certain stipulations in place that will ensure that you receive full payment upon completion.

    But this would be at an extra cost, with no guarantee that this prospect will even agree to it's terms.

    Personally, I feel that you should let this one go.

    For every 1 prospect who refuses to pay, there are 10 others that will.. You just have to find them

    Enzo
  • thanks a lot guys for your support.

    love warrior forum

    I am actually tempted to take a print out of this thread and give it to him to show what people think about his offer.
  • This sounds like a guy who wants your services but doesn't feel like paying for them.

    Get some kind of monetary deal. If not, tell him that he's being unreasonable and move on. Make some cold calls and after 100 dials you should have at least 1 new client who's willing to actually do business.

    Best of luck.
  • I'd tell him I could eat a can of alphabet soup and CRAP a better crafted excuse than that!

    Here's the deal man, yes you've been taken before. I understand that, but on the other hand you know how important it is because you are still talking to me.

    You asking me to get paid on net profit, that's usually what full fledged business principles get paid on. You want to open your whole business to me? Can I look at all your processes and make changes? You're essentially telling me you want me as a partner and I just can't do that. I have other clients that require my attention as well, and that you'll be moving on now.



  • I can understand people worried about getting burned, but if you think about it, this happens a lot in other service areas and people don't expect the next person to do the service for free because someone before them did a bad job.

    Example 1: I am a former hairdresser. I would often get people who would complain their last perm didn't hold and fell out before it should have. They did not ask me to do their hair for free or wait 3 months for payment because the last hairdresser did a bad job!

    Example 2: Ever get your car worked on, they overcharge you and you end up with a worse problem than you had before you started. You don't go to the next auto repair shop and expect them to fix your car for free or wait a month to pay them to make sure the repairs were done right.

    Just boggles the mind.
  • It is your business, so you should move on, and not doing any kind of business with this sort of clients. It is only makes you angry
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    • I've come across people like this before. What I've done in the past was create a contract based on milestones. Clearly lay out the cost of your service so the client understands and require him to fund the necessary steps to get a project to the first, second, third milestone so on and so forth. Oftentimes clients can appear a little shady but in reality sometimes they are just trying to protect themselves and their business. Creating a service plan can often help subside any fear or discomfort they may have. It would also help if you can gather testimonials from previous clients whom you have served well.
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  • Did you show him your portfolio? I think you should stick with your theory.
  • I have had this many times. What works for me is:

    Try and get 50% up front 50% at completion if possible. If not?

    I offer for him not to pay me until i have him on first page Giving him 3 keywords.

    To be honest, for me to take on the liability of proven results. I always price them a bit higher for the 1st page guarantee.

    Its a easy $$$$ bump cause he has the choice.

    I LOVE SALES!
  • After reading more of the other replies up top.

    RULE #1 in sales!

    You win the argument? YOU LOSE THE DEAL!!!

    You need help closing this "cat" not advise on telling him off!?

    Listen to me Son, I make people RICH!!
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