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Will you ever consider a "no-upfront" payment scheme for your business/service?

by bugzy
13 replies
I will be starting this project of mine which is doing seo (off-page seo) for small-medium local businesses of a certain country. I have a huge list of contact e-mail addresses already and I will be doing an e-mail marketing at first.

I know that the start is always the hardest especially if you still doesn't have reputation and you need to earn the trust of your targeted customers. I'm planning to do a "no-upfront payment needed" payment scheme.

I wonder if anyone have tried it already and what do you think will be the pros and cons with this scheme? except for the obvious that you might won't get paid.

Will you ever consider it guys?
#business #noupfront #payment
  • Profile picture of the author AffiliateWaves
    Strongly disagree with this concept , we all work to earn money .

    If you are really serious do one thing ,make any website and rank it on top of Google .

    You need portfolio to sell service ,so try your skills on your own assets ,instead of no upfront model.
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  • Profile picture of the author David B.
    Did this as a trade and another for %share both ended up not wanting to pay after two years - don't waste your time.
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  • Profile picture of the author Richard Tunnah
    Bugzy,
    Bad..bad idea. Sorry can't stress this enough. You'll get screwed over and undervalued. You'll attract all the wrong sort of business in my view - the freebie seeker types that drain your business and don't fill your pockets!
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  • Profile picture of the author fandbworld
    I did this when I was desperate. Ended up with at I believe 3 people not paying me and hounding others to pay me once the job was done. Would advise against it
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  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Originally Posted by bugzy View Post

    I will be starting this project of mine which is doing seo (off-page seo) for small-medium local businesses of a certain country. I have a huge list of contact e-mail addresses already and I will be doing an e-mail marketing at first.

    I know that the start is always the hardest especially if you still doesn't have reputation and you need to earn the trust of your targeted customers. I'm planning to do a "no-upfront payment needed" payment scheme.

    I wonder if anyone have tried it already and what do you think will be the pros and cons with this scheme? except for the obvious that you might won't get paid.

    Will you ever consider it guys?
    I've sold several deals by using this as my approach, but then switching them to pre-pay. I would never let them pay me based on increased business. I've done that in the past. It never ends well.
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    • Profile picture of the author Clyde Dennis
      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      ... I've done that in the past. It never ends well.
      What Claude said!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author Neison
    If you're selling seo, rather than doing a no-payment up front just offer a money-back guarantee (site will rank pg1 for % of kws in specified time period).

    It's basically the same thing in the end. If it doesn't work, you return the investment. If it does work, they keep paying.

    And instead of looking insecure you appear confident and stand behind the service. Even if doesn't work out, returning the money will build rapport and provide opportunity to try something else with the same client.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    While it's common in the construction industry to perform services for no money down it's not at all advisable to offer non tangible services for no up front fees.

    You're asking to get screwed, besides one of the BEST ways to qualify a client is getting money up front!
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    Also if you are afraid they won't buy because of the risk for them remove it. Offer a guarantee so even though they pay up front they can get their money back.
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    • Profile picture of the author BrashImpact
      Horrible Idea... No one works for free.

      Revise your Positioning, make it easy for them to say yes and get paid up front.
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  • Profile picture of the author ashclevermtkg
    If you do that you WILL be taken advantage of... They'll want constant changes or unrealistic results and use your getting paid as hostage. Trust me, previous experience. Charge upfront. ALWAYS. I don't care if you've known them for 25 years. If they have a problem with that, then just walk. It'll save you lots of time and stress later. Of course I later realized I still had to put my foot down, but by then I'd lost a lot of time.
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    • Profile picture of the author savidge4
      The idea it self is not bad. Its the product/service that does not lend well to this idea.

      As long as you have something you can 'Take Away' then you can use this as a technique to draw interest. Your service on the other hand, once the work is done, it is done.

      If it were a website, you could just take it down for non payment. Nice easy no issues. If you were sending traffic from YOUR site to theirs, you could shut that off. If you buy a car no money down, they can repo it.

      SEO regardless of the form, you need to get paid. My contracts are a 50% down and 50% at the end of 90 days. The contract is written based on specific actions being completed and not performance. ( IE page 1 listing 1 )

      I will assume you have a website of your own. As long as it isn't 'yourname.com' you can use that as an example of your work. If you don't have at least your own website I then question should you be providing SEO services at all... but that's another discussion.

      Hope that Helps!
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  • Profile picture of the author Eddie Spangler
    Just in case the point hasnt been made crystal clear already, please
    allow Tracy Morgan to explain one more time:
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    Deliver Bigger.
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