Looking for some feedback for an email to recover a few lost consulting opportunities.

Several of the companies I interviewed and submitted proposals to just about had heart attacks when they saw the cost of my services. It’s not that they can’t afford the services, it’s that they’ve never worked with a consultant before and had no clue the amount of work involved for 12 to 18 months of support or the costs.

I had been playing phone tag with these folks months ago, or they have been 'not available' when I called. So I stopped calling. Kept them on my mailing lists though.

Here's the thing, I'm thinking of offering smaller proposals that should immediately generate tens of thousands of dollars in 'found' money for them. And then later, as money begins coming in, suggest they begin implementing additional campaigns using the money generated from previous campaigns. So there's no feeling of out of pocket costs to the clients.

These are NOT cold call contacts. These are companies that I had typically interviewed for an hour or more, spent days researching their companies, competitors, strengths and opportunities, industry trade journals, as well as pouring over business analysis we completed together or they completed for me before I prepared a single proposal. So please keep that in mind when you notice the lack of 'sales pitch' and lack of positioning/credibility statements below.

If I hadn't already determined the companies have potential for huge growth that they themselves fail to see, I wouldn't spend this time. None are doing upselling, backend selling or even making offers to their existing customers.

They each have sold to hundreds and in some cases thousands of prospects but did nothing more to monetize the relationship after the initial sale.

I know the relationship will be profitable for each of us, more so to them if they accept. But still a win/win for each of us. So I'm looking to make one last ditch effort before writing them off and possibly moving on to their competitors outside their immediate areas, since I did so much research into their individual niches already.

Anyhow, please let me know if the email below sounds like a good way to grab tire kickers and indecisive people for consulting gigs. usually I get a definite yes or no by phone. But these people I can't even get to. So if this last ditch effort fails I will accept this as no's.

Thanks for your feedback.

Andre
PS: On second thought, I might FedEx this instead on letterhead. Anyhow, let me know what you think. Thanks.

-------

Hey x, things have been crazy busy for me. We are launching two more products at the first of the year and I've been orchestrating product launches for each. Sorry for not getting back to you sooner.

I've been thinking...since it's been so long since we last spoke and the year is coming to a close, maybe we can put together a program that's less involved, just to get you started and profitable right away.

What do I have in mind? Take a look at one of my recent articles published on the National Business Association's web site here: National Business Association - Title: How To End The Year On A Profitable High

It compares marathon runners to business owners at the last leg of a race. Some runners (and business owners) throw up their hands and quit at the end, while others see the finish line as an incentive to put everything they've got into finishing big. Here's a quote from the article I thought was appropriate to what I have in mind:

"Also, not only do you need to focus on staying in the game and winning, you must take steps to insure your clients 'stay in the race' with you. And if some have fallen out, you need to take steps to get them back up and running.

This involves including a customer reactivation and client attrition program into your end of year marketing. What type of customer appreciation programs are you using to help your clients maintain their energy and enthusiasm for you? Don't have one? That should be your immediate focus right now."

Specifically, what I have in mind is to put in place some performance-based end of year customer reactivation and backend promotions that will help you finish the year on a high note. I will still need to spend a couple hours with you or a staff member by phone to determine the best approach to take. But the steps we put in place will pay for themselves or will cost you nothing. That way there's not a huge chunk upfront to get the cash flowing in.

Let me know what you think. Ok?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks

Andre Bell
Business Growth Strategies

Hi Andre, just a couple of thoughts...

I would change the end of this to something along the lines of:

"Even though it has been a while since we last spoke, I'm still interested in seeing your success grow. With the end of the year approaching, I'd love to sit down and discuss a simple plan for your business with you, that could make 2008 your best year yet!"

Rather than sending them to an external link, try summarizing the article you wrote a bit more succinctly - then flowing right into a brief description of what you'd like to discuss with them.

Try:

"I look forward to being able to discuss this with you further. Remember, I guarantee you'll see an increase in your profits or your money back!"

By saying that you don't care whether you talk to them or one of their staff members, it makes it sound a little desperate (don't get mad, just my opinion). Let them know that you're looking forward to talking to them personally, and you remind them of their importance - typically earning you a call back!

I'd get rid of this entirely. You don't sound quite confident enough. Remember, you're the expert here. You're not asking them for permission to change their business, you're reminding them just how much you can help.

Okay, I'm done now. You can throw something at me later Hope that helps some.

Andre,

Four suggestions. First, I would never hire a consultant who addressed me as "hey." To me, that's incredibly disrespectful and shows a lack of professionalism. And even if some people in your target market feel comfortable being communicated with that way, would they feel good about forwarding a "hey" email to others in their company? I don't think so.

Second, I got lost in your long preliminary windup in the letter and couldn't quickly pinpoint your offering. You should describe the offer sooner in the letter, then if necessary back up and provide background and explanation.

Third, you shouldn't send readers from this email to an article you wrote. If they do click through, it's unlikely they'll return right away to the email and get to your offer. Make the email self-contained.

And fourth, instead of trying to come up with a less expensive initial offering, you should develop an affordable information product that serves as an entree to your consulting services or a way to make money from those who would never hire you as a consultant anyway.

I know you're comfortable writing as I've seen your articles, so I strongly recommend the infoproduct route for you.

Good luck,
Marcia Yudkin

Launch Your Information Empire Program:
http://www.yudkin.com/informationempire.htm

What the smart women said...and...

Instead of talking about being busy with projects, may I suggest you take the approach of educating them to the opportunities they are sitting on with case studies?

I've got clients with 80 clients in the Fortune 100 and Retail 100. This is the approach they use to stay in front of prospects frequently while maintaining a professional (not desperate) posture and constantly building value for their solutions.

Hope it helps...

Robert

Hello Marcia

Thanks for the help and the complement. Thank you too Jessalynn for your help. Jessalynn , I wouldn't throw anything at you, your suggestions were on target and helpful too. Hey, I like your direct approach in your sales copy (yeah, I peeked).

Marcia, I guess I should have mentioned the 'funnel' these folks entered in through. They each entered as subscribers to one or more of my lists or they purchased one or more of my info products. Or both. Maybe though that's not enough(?) because after going through my song and dance by phone (even using a modified spin selling method) they slipped through.

I know this will happen from time-to-time, but not being able to get folks on the phone after spending all this time with them and typing up a proposal and quote on a tentative 'yes' drives me crazy.

Hindsight tells me to just let these people go. A non-answer is a no.

So despite not wanting to let go, I'll leave these folks on my lists until they opt-out or bounce. That way I can spend my time proactively focusing on the folks I feel aren't hiding from me.

Oh. I have been playing with the idea of adding a few niche-specific toolkits. Seemed though it'd be an extra hurdle to cover to get to the people who need help now. Sort of competing against myself. So I had put off creating the toolkits. The reality is this is another qualifying step.

Though I can write to some degree (with the help of a good editor or proofreader I'm ok), I prefer to spend time interacting with other people. Evaluating their current marketing and sales approaches with them, recommending new ways to increase sales they may not have thought of, researching and sharing trends in their market are what I consider fun activities. Creating copy and tactics to make their goals a reality is more of a formality to justify my fun.

Paper and ink, or keyboard and monitor can be a nice escape once in a while, but I can't seem to shake my addiction to people. I'm somewhat opposite of the stereotype of the writer who prefers to sit alone. Not the first time I failed to fit a stereotype. Oh well. Best to stop putting off what I know will pay in the long run.

Thanks again for the help, esp. for the reminders to keep the offer in the forefront of the msg and not to send people away from the offer. //bad bad bad thing to do//

Andre

Andre,

Thanks for not throwing things , and for the compliment (yeah, I do prefer a straight-forward approach).

I love Robert's suggestion about the case studies. Since these folks are on your mailing list, I'm curious as to how often you're currently following up via email, post, etc.?

You may want to try several smaller emails, spaced roughly four or five days apart, each spotlighting the statistics of yet another company that's had tremendous success because of you.

Soft-sell for a couple of weeks, then hit them with a solid last chance offer.

"You've seen the kind of results companies X, Y, and Z were able to achieve. Are you ready for your company to see that kind of success, as well?

This is the last time you're ever going to hear from me. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn your company into a profit powerhouse with my help!

But you need to act right now - this offer is only good until midnight on December 31, 2007. Sign up now, and watch your 2008 profit soar! "

Hit them with a short campaign, rather than a full force, one-off deal.