Hello guys!

I am trying to develop a relationship with a small but
very busy company, providing sales training to different
companies.
I set up a time for a free 15-min marketing consultation
over the phone, just to get the ball rolling. I think our professional
relationship has a lot of potential. They use copywriters occasionally,
but it's marketing they need help with.

So, here is what I have in mind.
I will provide some insights on how to enhance their website
(keep it dynamic, set up a blog, post articles and press releseas, etc.)
In addition, I might provide some basic ideas on DM and Publicity.
I will also ask a few probing questions about their needs, issues
and goals.

How much is too much for a first over-the-phone encounter?
I just want to establish some credibility and build on that.
Like I said, I do see some potential there.
Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions? Thanks!

Angie

There's a great bit of advice I picked up, I think from our very own Robert Stover, that has worked a treat for me...

"Questions credentialize you"

I've landed gigs without giving a single bit of advice, simply by asking questions.

If you start ranting about blogs and press releases without first asking questions to determine what they actually need I doubt you'll get very far.

This recent thread has some great advice that you could apply to your phone consultation.

--Anita

Kyle is 100% right on this.

You need to ask questions...a lot of questions.

First you need to establish where their profits are coming from
and what is driving the sales that lead to those profits.

Then you can start asking questions about all the marketing
they do, online and offline.

Once you get in deeper you can ask questions like "have you
ever tried to drive traffic with a blog, have you ever used
an email autoresponder to follow up with prospects or clients,
have you ever used a free lead generating report delivered
online or offline to capture new clients" etc etc.

But the real secret is to build rapport and gather information.

Showing that you're genuinely interested in finding out what
THEIR problems and concerns are so you can find the solutions
they want brands you as a professional.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

Hi Angie,

I want just t add this to what the valuable suggestion that others give you ( and take a moment to read the thread that Anita Ashland pointed there is a lot to grab from it)

but I think that some one has to get in mind that "15 minutes" is often too short, you may argue that I am wrong, but here is why:

you can manage your phone consultation (I mean plane what you have to say , what to ask etc..), but you will never be able to control the correspondant time and attitude.

the simple question:

please let me know more about your company , can lead to a long long Ego Corporatif speach from your correspondant.

so what to do?

1) to be clear.
2) to inject the perception of professionnalisme.

you can't induce the credibility, so induce the professionnalisme.

how?

1)analyse their probleme shortly (talk about the big line)
2)set up a clear chronological plan on how to deal
3)set up deadline

you have to get a precise calendar at the end of the call.

good luck.

Until recently, I thought this way too. But I'm in a coaching program that includes a number of business owners and marketing consultants. And the consensus is: business people are very busy. If you can give them something of value in 15-20 minutes (all meat, no fat)--they'd prefer that over 30 minutes.

Also, If you prolong it til 30 minutes, you risk giving away too much information.

Concise, value-laden, respectful of time are the name of the game.

Suzanne, very true. In my niche, I deal with small business owners (annual sales $3 million or less). And they simply don't have enough time in the day to do the things they need to, much less the things they want to.

I have an e-book I offer business owners, and in the last year, I've received exactly two requests for it. The remainder request a phone interview. And I know from experience to keep it short.

Alex

so I tink that I have to make it more clear, the above quote was related to :

I wanted just to point, that none can talk about all those stuff in 15min, even if you try in a monolog, now imagine that you are doing such in a dialog with a second person, the exemple I tried to give about how a simple question (please let me know more about your company) can lead to a long long Ego rant .

this is why I specified that "15 min" is short , short in the meaning that :

1)you can't talk about all those stuff in 15 min.
2)you will never predict how the correpondant will respond, you can be brief should your correspondant be?

hope that this make it clear.



(Ken I quoted my self, don't even think to smile)

Angie,

Here are some ideas to consider...

I wouldn't recommend a thing on this call.

This meeting is about your client. And it's about uncovering the PAIN they're in. Without that, you won't get a sale.

It's understandable that you're probably excited. I've been there many times. And trust me, I've UNSOLD a whole lot of potential clients because I couldn't keep my mouth shut about "what I could do for them."

Consider this:

The first meeting is about YOU uncovering your CLIENT'S pain. They won't pay you for what you can DO... they only pay for someone who can make their pain go away.

Here's what you said:

"I will provide some insights on how to enhance their website"

It's well meaning on your part, but not necessary to sell. Plus... that's called free consulting... In my experience, doing that actually sabotages your sale (but that's another story).

First, "enhancing their website" might not be something they care about. You won't know until AFTER talking to them for a while.

Second, "enhancing their website" is not a RESULT. Start talking about results.

The only way to talk about results is to ask a LOT of questions about what they're really trying to achieve (they usually won't tell you the REAL truth right away. They might not even know it themselves until you help them uncover it with your questions.)

I don't think you establish credibility by showing what you know, you establish credibility as a professional by keeping your client as the central focus of the entire discussion. Especially at the beginning...

Make this consultation about QUESTIONS... let pauses go in the conversation... and resist the urge to jump in and say something like, "I can fix that."

For example, your client says something like, "We're having trouble getting traffic to our website, I think we need a blog..."

You jump in and say, "Great... I can do that for you."

So you get hired to write the blog.

What the client DIDN'T say (because you didn't uncover it with questions) is that what he really wants is for someone to just take over all of the marketing for the entire company... All the writing, all the publicity, etc... they could put you on a retainer for $10,000 per month. Would you be interested?

That's how you lose a sale and end up with peanuts. (I've done it.)

Get your list of questions together. Open ended questions. And after they answer the first question, you say, "Interesting... tell me more about that." And you keep digging.

By the end of the conversation you'll have a good idea about what to do next.

Good luck!

my friend, the important isn't the information, but how to apply them.

you can talk hours about marketing, copywriting or any field, people will not take benifit from your talk until you give them a way to apply those informations in a real world.

but this not the important element I wanted to point out.

it is the attitude:

a consultant isn't paid for what he say, but for the return in investement he may give.

we are in an Informative saturated ERA. people think that they will know any thing about any thing with a few simple click.

to valuate a service is to induce the perception that even the aboundunce of informations, the important key is how to apply those informations.

there is no risk to give a way information, the only risk is to give a way (your way of applying those informations).

the whole concept remind me of "they may stole my word, my concept, but they will never take my mind".

a doctor isn't paid for his Knowledge or his diploma, but for his uses of his Knowledge


Hope I am not driving the thread out, I wanted just to share a thougth.

BTW angie, if you don't get a date for a second call or meeting or some action ( the call will serve nothing in my modest vision ofcourse, may be wrong), date are important.

try to get :

1) a date for meeting if you can.
2) or a date for a second paid call
3) or company information emailed

hope that it help.