How to Catch the Great White That Will Eat Your Competitor’s Whale for Breakfast
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In the Internet marketing world, not all business is generated through in-person meetings. We generate much of our business through phone meetings. Many of our larger clients, however, prefer to have us come on site so they can meet us and pick our brains.
I just got back from an important meeting with a potentially large client, and as I was sitting there I started picking up on so many things that we did perfect, and other things that would have made an even better impression. It occurred to me that there is a formula for winning such a big client, and showing them how badly they need you.
The First Impression. This is huge, and you would think most people would have this down by now. When you walk into that business room remember these three things:
- Be prepared. Have extra handouts for any additional people that may join the meeting (even if they weren’t announced.) This will show them that you are prepared, organized, and that you think ahead.
- Be confident. That means give them a firm hand shake and make eye contact. It drives me crazy when people don’t look you in the eye or they give you that wet fish handshake. In fact, be like Denzel Washington. I think one of the biggest reasons he is such a popular actor and why he is so popular with the ladies is because each and every character he plays in a film has an over abundance of confidence. People respond to confidence, and when they detect a lack of it in a potential business relationship, they’ll be hesitant to trust your services.
- Smile! Being outgoing and friendly will start the meeting off on the right foot. I like to start with a little bit of small chat to break the ice and to relax everyone. Remember that time is money, though.
Making the pitch. The biggest struggle I see in meetings is making sure everyone is on the same page. Think of it as doing keyword research. When you are researching keywords you try not to use a lot of technical jargon, because in many cases the customer is not an expert (this is called professional blindness.) This is the exact same case. Using industry terms (i.e. redirects) and acronyms (like SEO and PPC) can instantly be confusing.
In a way this initial meeting is a discovery for them and a brief training session. There is a good chance they don’t know the difference between paid and organic search or the benefits of doing one over the other. Take a step back and try and explain it to them as if you were training a brand new employee with no Internet marketing experience. There is a good chance you might be able to sell them on additional services, too.
When using an acronym (which makes sense so you can speak clearer and faster), use it a couple of times and follow it up with the long version. Say something like, “One of the great things about SEO – Search Engine Optimization – is…” I’d recommend doing this a couple of times to make sure they pick up on it. Than when you accidently use this jargon in the future, they’ll know what you are talking about.
Be enthusiastic. Being excited and interested in what you are talking about is a great way to get others excited about it (even if they don’t know why they are excited about it!) It helps grab their interest and make them feel like they need to have what you are selling.
Don’t give away the farm. It is great to brainstorm with them and give them ideas on how they can improve the traffic and conversion on their site, but be careful. If you tell them too much they might take your ideas and do it themselves. I’ve even had experience with companies going from consultant to consultant just to hear what ideas they have for their site and implementing their recommendations themselves. Free advice is really nice and a good way to display how much you know and to show you understand their pain, but remember you are selling your knowledge.
Recognize everyone in the meeting. There will probably be one person who takes over the meeting, but make sure you are making eye contact with everyone in the room. This will make them feel more involved. Remember, they will all have input in whether or not they hire you, so it is important to let everyone know you respect their opinion (not just the one doing all of the talking.)
Have case studies ready. Hopefully you already have case studies prepared for what you came to pitch them, but what will you do if they decide they also are interested in another service? You should always come prepared to sell and promote every service your company provides, and have the knowledge to thoroughly explain the benefits.
Obviously dressing appropriately is another important factor when entering this big meeting, but if you take action with the above recommendations you can make your company seem like it is worth the large investment, even if you aren’t offering them the best price.
