Conducted by Mark Nulty

Academy of Web Specialists

Take search engine marketing training!

mark nulty -- So you've got somebody interested in SEO, now what do we do?
dan -- Analyze their site.
mark nulty -- good start...
dan -- After signing an agreement
mark nulty -- dan, this is before he signs the agreement. This is what we do to get them to sign the agreement
mark nulty -- Analyzing the existing site is an excellent start
mark nulty -- what I recommend is a consultancy approach to closing the sale
dan -- Ok
mark nulty -- In other words, the more you can relate to them that you understand their site... the more you can educate them to what the process is.... the better chance you have of closing the deal
mark nulty -- Does that make sense so far?
dan -- Yes keep going
mark nulty -- So that's why you're on the right track when you said examine their existing site
dan – It is the more you know the site and the industry too
mark nulty -- You can ask about the industry
mark nulty -- The first part of the presentation should be you asking questions... what you want to know is "how long has the site been there"... "what is the purpose of the site"... "how much traffic are you getting now".... "what terms do you think are important", etc.
mark nulty -- It's shocking how many times you look at a site and you think you know what the search terms are and then when you talk to the prospect the terms important to him are completely different
dan -- that is true
dan -- Most people don't know what search engine optimization is.
mark nulty -- Once you've interviewed the client and you have a real understanding of what he needs... then you can present and talk to him
mark nulty -- Most people don't know what they want their site to do in the first place! :)
mark nulty -- that's why you want to ask questions. you have to find out what the client wants and you can't assume the current site will meet those needs
mark nulty -- sometimes the first thing I told clients was they need to revamp their site
mark nulty -- But let's assume the site is where they need it and you can present SEO
mark nulty -- any questions so far?
dan -- No. you are doing fine
mark nulty -- should we start with sales 101?
mark nulty -- or does everybody know the basic basics ?
dan -- It doesn't matter to me
dan -- Yes why not
mark nulty -- Ok.... dan, you said it a little while ago. Most prospects don't know what SEO is let alone why they should give you money for it.
mark nulty -- that's why establishing your credibility is EVERYTHING
mark nulty -- and it starts when you walk in the door
dan -- that is correct.
mark nulty -- I know the computer industry is considered laid back... but always wear a suit and tie to see a client... at least for the first time
burgwald -- always wear one
mark nulty -- cool
mark nulty -- second... SHOW UP ON TIME
burgwald -- or early
mark nulty -- it's one of my pet peeves. I have sales people show up late without calling and explaining, then expect me to trust them with my business
burgwald -- I call while I am on the way
mark nulty -- exactly. A good habit
mark nulty -- Turn off the freaking cell phone
burgwald -- listen , listen
mark nulty -- yep.... the person that is listening actually controls the conversation
dan -- How do you do your 1st presentation
mark nulty -- can everybodyanother browser while on the chat?
dan -- yes
mark nulty -- hang on, wrote down the wrong path
burgwald -- test
dan -- test
mark nulty – I’m an idiot. I put all my presentations on line and I wrote the path down wrong. Hang on. They're not linked from my home page. sorry
dan -- no problem. Take your time.
mark nulty -- I apologize. Send me an email and I’ll mail you my presentations later. In the meantime go to http://targetsolutions.com/marketing.html
mark nulty -- that outlines a lot of text I use in my presentation
mark nulty -- the first thing you want to do is establish what SEO is.... what it entails... why you're good at.... and what the benefit is for the client
dan -- ok
mark nulty -- burgwald?
burgwald -- I under stand
dan -- I am at the site
mark nulty -- and what is the only way you can accurately tell the prospect what benefits that are important to the prospect?
burgwald -- when I wrote system procedures I wrote at 5th grade level
mark nulty -- that's a great attitude here.
mark nulty -- remember, this is completely foreign to a lot of the people you're explaining this to. If you go over their heads they will zone out. they will sit their and nod as you make a presentation. but when it's over.... you won’t get the sale
burgwald -- absolutely
mark nulty -- the key to the presentation itself is keep coming back to the client. Every point you make try to bring it back to a specific benefit. Tell them how that means more traffic so they'll sell more merchandise... get more people to sign up.... etc etc etc
mark nulty -- make sense?
dan -- Value approach
mark nulty -- if you do the job you need to do interviewing the client so you can understand what is important to him...
mark nulty -- if you educate the client to exactly what you're going to do so he understands it AND THE VALUE TO HIS BUSINESS...
mark nulty -- closing is a snap
dan -- What kind of presentation tool do you use?
mark nulty -- I like Word documents.
dan -- not pp
mark nulty -- I can put samples of reports in the word document... I can put the presentation highlights in them....
mark nulty -- I like powerpoint.... but sometimes it's simpler to follow in Word....
mark nulty -- the reason is that with pp I tend to get carried away and make it to flashy.... the medium detracts from the message if I’m not careful
mark nulty -- plus, Word makes an easier leave behind
dan -- you mean copies
mark nulty -- copies?
dan -- what you said leave behind, do you mean copies of the presentation?
mark nulty -- yes
mark nulty -- remember, information is your ally. Especially when it's in an easy to digest form. It's hard to get a prospect to put a disc in a computer and look at your presentation again after you leave
mark nulty -- burgwald, you want to talk about closing, huh?
burgwald -- I let the prospect close
mark nulty -- I know what you mean. If the presentation is done right, closing takes care of itself But sometimes you have to lead him there, right?
burgwald -- I get him to feel that he can’t do with out
burgwald -- silence is golden
mark nulty – Ahhhh! but you still need to ask for the order
dan -- What are your client major concerns during the presentation
mark nulty -- "Can I have the money now, please?" is a little awkward
burgwald -- the aks where can they sign
burgwald -- I also hand them a contract
burgwald -- and they start filling it out
burgwald -- hand
mark nulty -- nothing wrong with that.... I like the assumptive close.
mark nulty -- example: "What terms do you want me to use to run the Word Tracker report with?"
burgwald -- by giving it up front it shows you have nothing to hide
mark nulty -- there's no right or wrong answer. It's a comfort level. The important thing is to ask for the order somehow
mark nulty -- dan, back to your question
dan -- which one?
mark nulty -- my biggest concern during the presentation is to make sure the client is on the same page.
mark nulty -- that's why I ask lots of questions during the presentation. I want to make sure he's following along. I can also hear any objections before I go to the close
mark nulty -- does that answer your question?
dan -- yes
mark nulty -- what other questions do you guys have?
burgwald -- I am just gathering knowledge now
dan -- are you going to email me the presentation you forgot to upload
mark nulty -- yes... please send me an email to mark
mark nulty -- burgwald, you sound like a pretty good sales person. Im not sure how much knowledge I’m providing! :)
burgwald -- I also would like to look at one of your presentations
dan -- Thanks mark. Hopefully we will have more participent next time
burgwald -- every bit helps
mark nulty -- agreed
mark nulty -- what other questions can I answer?
burgwald -- none at the moment but latter !!!!
dan -- I will check your e-mail and I will ask later
mark nulty -- please do. Any questions you think of later ill be happy to answer by email. I apologize for not having those docs loaded