Let’s talk about busting through doors, drumming up business, and paving the way forward when dealing with prospects for your web design and development business.
First, let me say boldly that I suggest taking the lead role. You absolutely must take the lead role with communication, your pitch, your process, your payment methods — the total smash.
Become The Authority
Provide a solid consult, ask questions, get a feel for their needs, offer suggestions to mold the build or project’s scope, and set the tone of communications moving forward.
For me, I become the advisor, and that’s the end of the story.
Truth be told, the prospect rarely knows what they truly need. It is up to you as the designer/developer to take charge and assume the responsibility of crafting the service scope.
You will gain more respect with this approach, the client will be easier to work with, and you will find that you have the opportunity to collect higher fees for your service.
On another note, if you follow this practice, you must maintain the role of authority and ensure that you follow up with milestones and keep proper scheduling of your services being provided. You want a quality customer, and the customer wants a quality product. Your goal is to create the environment to deliver this outcome.
How To Get New Web Design Clients
If the business has no clue who you are, or even if they do know who you are — it’s best to first obtain some sort of initial contact or dialog with whoever you are pitching involving your website design or development services.
If it is a random business and you are merely trying to figure out a way to get a leg in for them to hear you out for a project. Breaking down a formal review of their current website in the form of an easy-to-read report and offering this, along with your suggestions to them as advice based on you following and admiring their business, is a sure-fire way in.
This will allow you to show off your approach, suggestions and establish trust to take your pitch to the next level.
If you already know that a business has a need and you already have a contact in the said business. I recommend using the exact same approach.
You see, offering a formal website review or audit and delivering this information in the form of a professional consult (whether the prospect wants it or not) is a great ice breaker. You will find that when you are delivering this information to the prospect, the prospect is appreciative and usually entirely taken back by your efforts.
It’s all about presentation and your communicative tone. Surprise your prospect with your findings and be personal.
Wrapping Up
These principles and processes have helped me get into doors that otherwise would have remained closed in the past — not to mention drastically increased my diversity in analyzing what is “out there” in terms of business websites found online today.