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(Article first published in March '09. It has been modified slightly to suit its publication on our site)
From a marketing and sales generation perspective I'm a believer in free consultations. If you're a service company then it is especially useful as your product is basically you (or your company) and so it helps to establish a rapport with the potential client and your experience in your sector. For companies selling products, it provides the obvious opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of your product.
But why is it that free marketing consultations don't work for so many people and just become a big waste of their time? Well, here are seven reasons why:
- Don't Hold Back:
One mistake people make is to try to hold something back in the hope that the client magically takes the next step. Basically, this never happens; if you hold something back then you just leave a bunch of unanswered questions (normally non-verbalised on the client's part) and a very confused potential customer. Not normally an enticement to continue working with you. My advice; make sure you cover all the angles and questions until the client is completely satisfied.
- Pick A Subject:
Almost every subject is multi-faceted and you simply cannot cover every aspect in a reasonable time-scale. So make your free discussion very specific by picking one subject and talking about that. Let the client know that you are picking a particular subject and engage them by asking which of the subjects would be most useful for them to cover. This also helps to deal with point one in that you can give the subject the time it deserves and answer all possible questions adequately.
- Try Not To Confuse:
Yes, we are all experts in our field, but remember that others are not. This means thinking about how you are going to explain complex concepts and also not trying to explain everything. So don't patronise, but don't give techie-speak either.
- Be Specific:
Some people take the view that the free sessions shouldn't give away too many "secrets" in case the prospect doesn't use them. I can understand this view; when I first started my business I met with a retailer who took all my advice about advertising and never came back to me - I was understandably disappointed about it. However, typically "free" advice is pretty generic and that means it's tough to understand in practical terms and so not very useful to a prospect. Don't worry about the ones that will not come back to you, some people wouldn't take free money. Instead give information willingly and without constraint and then focus on converting the sale.
- If You Can't Afford 1-to-1 Time Then Something Less Demanding On Your Time:
Perhaps your business doesn't suit offering a 1-to-1 consultation or you simply can't afford the time. If this is the case then offer something else. In some cases I provide a free website review, which is a written report covering the important aspects of a prospect's website and highlighting the issues with the site. It gives a lot of detail, but takes a fixed amount of time to complete. It also allows me to follow-up (see point 7)
- Don't Give Up:
You are not going to convert every prospect - get used to it and move on to the next opportunity.
- Close The Sale - Follow Up:
The final issue, which most unsuccessful "freebie" givers are guilty of, is of not closing the sale. This doesn't mean being pushy - on the contrary, you can ask for the business without even seeming like you are. Firstly come up with a reason to follow up; "I'll just summarise what we've discussed in an email and I'll include an indication of the costs for getting these done". This gives you a reason to follow up and keep a dialogue going. Most people you meet will not come back to you, so you have to make the next move too and not just rely on your "freebie".
Franco De Bonis has worked in the field of sales and marketing promotion since 1990 and was most recently the global marketing manager for a major international technology company before setting up DG Group in January 2007.
DG Group is dedicated to delivering all the marketing solutions any company may require. Whether it's a website or leaflets and brochures, or even some product packaging; DG Group will manage the whole project and even provide guidance along the way.
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