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ok sdo I try and sell a premade $140 to an accountant

by sloanjim
26 replies
(web site) and he says "it's a bit too expensive.." I was speechless.

He charges me over $1k a year to fill out a few forms.....no web site so I make him one. Then he bitches about $140....I thought he's be like "Wow that's fantastic and just $140 let me pay now..."

I am absolutely gob smacked. It's hilarious really. He drives around in a big car that must cost about $140+ to fill with petrol....

It's funny how he thinks his $1k service to me isn't overpriced though.

O.M.G......people...
#$140 #accountant #premade #sdo #sell
  • Profile picture of the author Kung Fu Backlinks
    LOL accountants can be great, or your worst nightmare

    Unbelievable how cheap he is, though.
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  • Profile picture of the author sloanjim
    Well, I can't believe it actually. I am still trying to get over it...LOL.

    Oh well, I'll drop him and move on. Not wasting any time trying to sell him my $5,000+ per month mega package is there? (probably snap that one up...)
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  • Profile picture of the author mojo1
    I would really want to know and have to ask him, your price is expensive compared to what?

    Will you continue to give him your business going forward?
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    • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
      Well it is expensive.

      And no I am not joking. Do you understand why?

      Dan
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  • Profile picture of the author wally247
    That sucks!

    Please tell me you plan on returning the favor when he fills out your forms next time?
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  • Profile picture of the author aaallday2010
    I have the same experience, but with dry cleaners. Was selling premade drycleaner's website for $197. Im talking beautiful stuff here.

    Anyway, when i would walk in and ask them if they had a website (I already knew they didnt), they didnt seem the least bit interested. I never mentioned price, just that I had a website I had no use for and wanted to show it to them. Although a few asked if it was free, a majority just looked at me like I was stupid and said "not interested".

    So, I will be targeting a different niche and was thinking about accountants because there are so many of them without a website.

    I hope they're not all like yours. lol

    BTW, I had great experience in the hair salon niche, just as long as the owner is not a foreigner. Foreigners are HARD to sell and convince.

    That's what I was dealing with in the dry cleaning business. Lots of Asians and Indians.

    Im going to stick to niches where there will be fewer foreigners.
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  • Profile picture of the author craftziner
    These are threads where we really need a Like button ...

    I've had a guy who approached me before to get about a fully customized website done with all fireworks, etc... and maybe throw in a little SEO - you know, just get me on top of all my competitors on Google's first page for all these keywords, that's all... simple stuff... He was ready to pay a whopping $100 for it... I had to politely decline the offer...

    Sometimes they get someone who agrees to the $100... halfway through the journey they both realize that Rome wasn't built in a day...
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    • Profile picture of the author luke1213
      I had a similar encounter. A friend of a friend owns a hair salon. They have had a domain name and a really bad 1 page website sitting somewhere in la la land for 2 years. They asked me if I would take a look at it for them. Since they were someone I know, I figured what the hell.
      I checked out the website and told them it would probably take me about a week to really get this website looking great. Then they asked me about how to beat their biggest competitor. I told them is either pay per click or seo. They like the seo idea. They asked me to give them a price to host their website, fix the website, make a custom 5 page website (was going to use a WP premium theme), embed videos and images, update it with monthly specials. After I explained how SEO could help them, they wanted me to rank their website for 7 keywords which wouldn't be too hard.

      Well I gave them a price of $250 to completely redo their website and host it.
      Gave them a price of $350 for the seo service then a recurring fee of $100 dollars for maintenance. The total was $700. It would have probably taken me at least a week to do everything and my direct cost was $225 so if I was lucky I would have made $475 for a weeks work. What I priced them is well below the going rate to have a custom website and seo services.

      Long story short, they said the price was too high. They decided to finish the website but they don't even know how to get it indexed or anything. Oh well. I'll just go to one of their competitors and see if they would like to be in the #1 spot in google.
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  • Profile picture of the author wally247
    People suck.

    I ran an ad in a daily deal site advertising like a 5 page site for $399 or something a while back. The idea for it was to have a cheap site, then upsell SEO or other services.


    Anyway...


    I had a ton of deadbeats call me. One dude wanted to offer me about $100 with the explanation that he could get someone on Craigslist to do it for that.

    Then he said he could just learn how to do it in a weekend, and it would only take a few hours (he had never built a site before he said).


    So yea, people figure that because technology has advanced so much that it should be free. They don't get that it's not the website we are selling them, but a friggin portal for them to get MORE MONEY IN THEIR BUSINESS.


    Screw these cheapskates, let them do their YP ads or whatever....
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    • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
      Originally Posted by wally247 View Post

      People suck.

      I ran an ad in a daily deal site advertising like a 5 page site for $399 or something a while back. The idea for it was to have a cheap site, then upsell SEO or other services.


      Anyway...


      I had a ton of deadbeats call me. One dude wanted to offer me about $100 with the explanation that he could get someone on Craigslist to do it for that.

      Then he said he could just learn how to do it in a weekend, and it would only take a few hours (he had never built a site before he said).


      So yea, people figure that because technology has advanced so much that it should be free. They don't get that it's not the website we are selling them, but a friggin portal for them to get MORE MONEY IN THEIR BUSINESS.


      Screw these cheapskates, let them do their YP ads or whatever....
      Perceived value.

      Know what's funny? When people have a problem with price, raising it fixes the problem lol.

      The cheapos aren't my market. Someone asks for a cheap site like that, and says they can do it in a couple hours, I let them.
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  • Profile picture of the author farkry
    Yeah, I've had similar experience with local biz owners, they just don't get it, in future aim for $250 but quote $500 & negotiate down to $250 and they might go for it if they feel they have got a bargain.

    Bear in might that going forward somebody like that might be so painful to deal with that $250 might not be worth it !
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Time to qualify your prospects.

    So you walk in off the street to meet someone who's never seen you before. You don't know them, either. Gotta qualify this person.

    Are they a cheapskate or someone who understands the value of what you offer?

    If they give you the blank stare, they aren't getting it. Leave quickly and move on.

    If they understand but want to spend $100, they aren't your target market. Move on.

    Go through these folks as quickly as you can to find your client.

    Do not expect everyone you meet to be a good prospect.
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  • Profile picture of the author sloanjim
    No. Educate me!

    Well it is expensive.

    And no I am not joking. Do you understand why?

    Dan
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    • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
      Originally Posted by sloanjim View Post

      No. Educate me!
      Generalisation as I was not there.

      But to say you can do a complete website for an Accountant at $140 (£85) would immediately trigger the word 'cheap' in their minds.

      And cheap equals nasty which equals bad positioning which equals lost prospects which equals I don't want it at any cost.

      Ergo, cheap is expensive.

      Whereas expensive equals good value if you bundle and present well.

      So $2497 would have been better. Gives him something to think about, like you must be good. Something to negotiate from.

      So that is what I meant in my post. That may not be the case in this specific incident but bear it in mind. Don't say what you think is a no brainer to lawyers, doctors, accountants because to them it is also a no brainer. Just not the one you are thinking.

      The Professions want a professional image. $140 doesn't 'sound' right.

      Dan
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  • Profile picture of the author sloanjim
    To be fair I can many small strugglimg businesses thinking this is expensive. But my point is an accoutant who charges businees $1k+ for basic tax forms.........that's a different story? No?

    I have the same experience, but with dry cleaners. Was selling premade drycleaner's website for $197. Im talking beautiful stuff here.
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    • Profile picture of the author Breakinglink
      Originally Posted by sloanjim View Post

      To be fair I can many small struggling businesses thinking this is expensive. But my point is an accountant who charges business $1k+ for basic tax forms.........that's a different story? No?
      We know this seems very contrary to business but you need to charge more ( AND DELIVER!!!) than to deliver with lower prices. Why does this guy get away with charging 1k for basic forms....because he lets his clients know he is worth it. The next time you bring out a huge number, something you can be serious about asking for though. Work up, a little at a time.

      But as many people here have said, you don't want this guy as a client of yours. It is not worth your time or worth the headaches. You did not charge enough to be able to say to him "Look, I am the expert here not you. If we have a question about taxes, that is your area of expertise so I will always defer to you. This is mine, so let me do my work. He is preparing to ride you like a rented mule, just walk away.
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  • Profile picture of the author sloanjim
    Yep that's about it...... But I never took this guy for a cheapskate...


    Time to qualify your prospects.
    So you walk in off the street to meet someone who's never seen you before. You don't know them, either. Gotta qualify this person.

    Are they a cheapskate or someone who understands the value of what you offer?

    If they give you the blank stare, they aren't getting it. Leave quickly and move on.

    If they understand but want to spend $100, they aren't your target market. Move on.

    Go through these folks as quickly as you can to find your client.

    Do not expect everyone you meet to be a good prospect.
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    • Profile picture of the author kirbymarketingconcierge
      if he has business clients?

      give him what he wants, and you get referrals.

      win/win
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  • Profile picture of the author sloanjim
    yeah I am starting to lean towards $1m web sites and $50,000+ pert month marketing packages only....

    I do not have the patience for cheap skates any longer.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    $140 is way too cheap.

    I'd say the bottom for a no thrills basic website is $299. But no way in hell would I ever pitch even that to any real business. The $299 is for just starting home based business and such like that which have no budget. $299 is what you use for price questions. "We have website packages starting at $299. It really depends on what would best serve your business so I can't really give you a price till we discover the right solution for you."

    Trust me even small real businesses expect to pay a few hundred to a few thousand for their website. The better you can make it sound for them the more they will pay.
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  • Profile picture of the author sadneck
    Originally Posted by sloanjim View Post

    (web site) and he says "it's a bit too expensive.." I was speechless.

    He charges me over $1k a year to fill out a few forms.....no web site so I make him one. Then he bitches about $140....I thought he's be like "Wow that's fantastic and just $140 let me pay now..."

    I am absolutely gob smacked. It's hilarious really. He drives around in a big car that must cost about $140+ to fill with petrol....

    It's funny how he thinks his $1k service to me isn't overpriced though.

    O.M.G......people...
    lol. It is a little hard to believe sloan, and I think $140 is nothing if the value is there. It is all about value versus product / service.

    I have always hard the belief that you should undercharge for what you are offering and offer more when they finally receive it. That is the way to build a good name.

    Good luck!
    Andrew
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Solem
    This is where it helps to ask "well, how much is a new client worth to you" (think lifetime value) and/or "how much does is currently cost you to get a new client'? Most business owners dont have a clue about these things, I would hope a numbers guy like an account would be a little more educated.

    I'd use yourself as a personal example in this case - and say "If my website brings you just one more client a year like me that spends 1k with you yearly, you've just made a 500%+ return on your investment!"

    But seriously though, I've always tried to look out for the little guy and be fair in my pricing since I remember how tough it can be starting out, but I think $500 for a basic site is as low as I'd ever go and if they don't see the value or you can't quickly educate them, move on to the next prospect.
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  • Profile picture of the author sloanjim
    i wonder if some of you asctually read the post?

    web site) and he says "it's a bit too expensive.." I was speechless.
    He didn't say "wow that's too cheap I want quality only for $10,000+"

    It's a very plain call to action, lead gen wp site. I couldn't charge more and sleep at night. I know amny could....My plan was to sell cheap but effective to one/two man small biz. No brainers..or so i thought.

    I now wonder why this guy has never had any kind of web site? I'll bet he's been pitcehd 50+ tiome sover the years and he's never done it. so clealry he sees no value in a site at any cost.
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  • Profile picture of the author sloanjim
    brick walls and closed ears come to mind here...I've moved on. Thx

    I'd use yourself as a personal example in this case - and say "If my website brings you just one more client a year like me that spends 1k with you yearly, you've just made a 500%+ return on your investment!"
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    • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
      Well we were generalising.

      You see in every post on WF asking for a 'What would you have done?' the fact is no one was there so can only give it their best shot.

      Plus your initial post makes no mention of what you have just written. ie It was just a simple lead gen site. You wrote website so rightly or wrongly we 'assumed' it would be like a brochure site.

      You knew exactly what you were talking about though because you were there.

      Fair comment?

      Dan

      PS: If he is an Accountant and has no actual website I would have started on that.
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