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| Thread title: [buiness help] pitching to new clients |
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05-01-2005, 04:45 AM
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#1
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Status: design rockstar
Join date: Jan 2005
Location: guelph, ontario
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Posts: 2,246
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 [buiness help] pitching to new clients
http://www.heislerhomes.ca/
this guy is the guy who built the house i live in now (finished july '03) and he just lives down the street. this subdivision isn't a cookie cutter end of town either, the average house on this subdivision is ~ $300-$400k (CAD), and about 50% of them are the fancy stone houses, so a good chunk are selling @ $500+K (todd bertuzzi is about a 10 minute walk away from me - his neighbours house sold for $800 000+).
this website clearly doesn't do the area justice. they're all about custom homes w/ their 5" moldings and fancy 13' cealings. the way this website operates, i'd think he did it himself, but he may lack the flash skills (why it's al flash i don't know, someon must hate HTML).
anyways, i think i can really deliver him a presence that reflects what he does, but i don't know how to approach him on it. getting an email saying his website doesn't do his business justice is too 'out of knowhere' and he'll probably just ignore it as spam, it also seems really impersonal. knocking on his door as a neighbour seems to come off just as negative.
in my first year, we did a little bit covering how to pitch projects but the school aimed way to high, they has us mock pitching to NPO board of directors, which is unfair because it implies a) they're either looking for someone, or b) they weren't but as interested and i now need to put on a presentation. they totally skipped the hardpart of getting someone's attention who wasn't looking for someone to find it.
i'll see what info i can find about him tomarrow from the 'rents, but any info you guys can give would be really helpful. i've got some sample work, and i feel i can present some valid points to him about his current media, i just don't know how to get the inital conversation rolling.
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05-01-2005, 07:21 AM
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#2
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Status: I'm new around here
Join date: Apr 2005
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Posts: 10
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Is there a nice way to say your site sucks?
I had read an interesting article some time back that talks about - a nice way to say your site sucks? Hope it helps u in this situation.
It's true, you can't come right out and say their site sucks, the trick is to get them to say it. After that, they'll probably be in the mood to talk business.
First things first. Do NOT presume to create speculative samples of new site designs for them. You'll give away a lot of money and creative control if you do. The thinking goes "Gee, he gave me these nice designs for free, they can't be worth much though, if they're free. I bet if I give these to a designer who actually charges for his work, he'll whip me up something I really like. In the meantime, I'll see what other freebies I can get from this guy." Never do spec design work, never.
What you can design though is a promotion piece that you can use to target this prospect and others.
Start with a headline that gets them where they live. "Does your website drive business to you or away from you?
Add two tag lines, one for each side of the promo. "Five ways your site may be driving business away" and "Five ways your site can drive business your way."
Analyze the site in question, itemize and quantify if you can, those aspects of the design that make it a poor business tool. Design a sample site page that incorporates all the bad design traits that you've identified on their site. Create a graphic with callouts explaining each of the bad traits, and why they may be driving business away. Do NOT use design terms, use business terms.
On the other side of the promotion piece, design a professional, market-driven version of the sample site with five callouts that explain why this site would drive new business. End with a sixth fact: Hiring you is the first step toward driving new business their way.
If your promo piece just happens to have enough similar characteristics to their own site that they identify with it, they'll say: "They look a lot like us and they suck! I guess it's time for a change." Make sure your contact info is easy to find.
Create a web version of the promo piece as well, cover all the bases. If you successfully identify the five most common faults of web design in your area and have ready solutions for them, you can use the promo to target 90% of the companies you want to go after. Use this one bad site as the subject of your campaign but don't copy it and risk publically embarrassing a potential client.
This is the kind of speculative work that can drive business your way.
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Good luck,
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05-01-2005, 08:11 AM
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#3
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Status: Simply to simplify
Join date: Apr 2005
Location: Foxton, Manawatu, New Zealand
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I think Arty Creations quote summed it up nicely.
I could also add that you must be entirely professional with your whole approach.
You have to help them to identify their own problems and you come up with the solutions.
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05-02-2005, 05:36 PM
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#4
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Status: design rockstar
Join date: Jan 2005
Location: guelph, ontario
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i'm around this problem, but i saw a few opptotunities, this one being the easist to crack.
the words i was looking for before were "cold call". which is the best method to contact a potential? - email them an offer stating you think you can help them, using a new feature to catch thair attention => "have you eve thought of enabeling $something on your website" and take if from there if they reply.
- use standard snail mail (or just drop the letter off) contaning a pamflet/brochure that clearly indicates who you are/what you do, and a short letter to the person in charge using the previous method "have you ever consider...."
- would somehow using the telephone work and not come off as annoying telemarketing spam?
anyways, i'm starting to get my head around it. hopefully this helps someone else.
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05-02-2005, 05:57 PM
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#5
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Status: Sin Binner
Join date: Jul 2004
Location: Yorkshire Coast - UK
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Provide them with a plan of both the frontend, and backend of their site, and possible design samples.
Include that as an 'if you're interested in hearing and seeing more' kind of thing.
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05-03-2005, 07:02 AM
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#6
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Status: The BidMaster
Join date: Nov 2004
Location: England
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Let me get my teeth into this one.....
Provide them with a plan of both the frontend, and backend of their site, and possible design samples.
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I wouldn't go down that road, would come across as if you're desperate and it would also either;
a) Waste your time when they turn around and say "No thanks"
b) Like the above article mentions, they might be interested in your proposal but take you for a mug and lead you along from the start, see how much you give, you know?
If someone e-mailed me with designs they made for talkfreelance, I would probably just reply "Yeah great, i'm interested, show me more!" simply out of curiosity and not because i'm actually in a position to buy.
email them an offer stating you think you can help them, using a new feature to catch thair attention => "have you eve thought of enabeling $something on your website" and take if from there if they reply.
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It's a possible idea, but I think alot of these companies/businesses (especially his) would probably discard it as spam without giving it ANY thought. He obviously doesn't have much technical knowledge, so keep it simple (even in pitching terms).
would somehow using the telephone work and not come off as annoying telemarketing spam?
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I would avoid telephoning them at all costs, I have a hatred for telesales and i'm sure it's not me. At the end of the day, telesales are extremly hard because the split second the reciever knows your trying to sell a product they lose interest and often hang up before you can actually explain the details.
use standard snail mail (or just drop the letter off) contaning a pamflet/brochure that clearly indicates who you are/what you do, and a short letter to the person in charge using the previous method "have you ever consider...."
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Spot on! This is the ideal approach, I actually think it's ideal for many situations. I would create a professional CV/Portfolio of previous websites, overview of what you can offer for their business, perhaps a case study or sorts....or I might just keep it simple. You should make it clear, you offer a free quote or a special price as you're "launching your business". Some sort of incentive for him to sign the dotted line..perhaps a "money back guarantee!" 
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05-03-2005, 08:16 AM
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#7
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Status: Simply to simplify
Join date: Apr 2005
Location: Foxton, Manawatu, New Zealand
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I second that Robson!
iFex, see them in person. One thing you should consider is that they might have built the site themselves, or one of their friends/family did. If you try to muscle in on that territory, be prepared for a boot out the door.
If you tell them that you have briefly seen their current site and think it could do with a tidy up then you will find it hard to get a sale. You are telling them that they have a problem, and no-one likes to be told they have a problem.
The best way is to do a cold call, don't mention that you may have seen their site at all, tell them what you do, what you offer, incentives for your new clients etc. But don't mention their site! if they tell you they have a site and ask you to review it, don't be harsh and rubbish it! be openly honest.
Let them come to the realisation they may have a problem (help them realise it without their knowledge) and offer solutions.
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05-26-2005, 08:27 PM
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#8
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Status: design rockstar
Join date: Jan 2005
Location: guelph, ontario
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i got all my things together w/ my site and all, so it's time ot start writing these thigns out and tyring to get some money flowing, i'm thinking of following this process unless someone can object to it:
intitial contact will be email based - it will consist of a cover letter letting the company know who i am and why i'm contacting them, and that i'd like to meet with them personally to really discuss the project if they're interested - it will be fairly brief.
- it will also have an attached pdf that is a basic sales pitch - no details yet, it just outlines what i can do (site redesign, back end, new features) etc and brief explinations -- in the event theydon't know much about it, it'll explain back end so they don't have to go near any code and they can update it whevere they want
- attached will also be my resume, i think it speaks better for me than my website because i just strated the website and it hasn't really taken off yet
if they express interest based off this, i'll write up a detailed proposal and go through my usual production/meeting process.
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05-27-2005, 01:06 PM
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#9
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Status: Sin Binner
Join date: Jul 2004
Location: Yorkshire Coast - UK
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Robson,
In some respects I agree that a sample of your 'project in question, related abilities' may come off as desperate, but in the eyes of somebody in the business world (the client) it may also seem as though you're dead serious about working with them.
Some may say, "what's the difference".
The difference is, that if you're willing to go the mile by approaching someone in the first place, and then going the extra 10 miles by preparing a fleshy proposal, the chances are that they will notice your Ethic and Vigour enough to trust you with the job.
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05-27-2005, 02:13 PM
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#10
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Status: Junior Member
Join date: May 2005
Location: Michigan, United States
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Posts: 31
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Originally Posted by ArtyCreations
a nice way to say your site sucks?
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LOL 
I have in the nicest way possible tried to lay that hint down before... Im a nice person and its very hard to word something like that for me because I hate to put people down unless I dont like them...
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