Getting clients: Dealing with tough client questions — The Freelancer's Journey (Part 5 of 43)

Summary

This course segment focuses on preparing for client meetings with the aim of understanding their business needs deeply. It emphasizes the importance of scheduling initial meetings, asking insightful questions, and planning responses to potential client inquiries. The dialogue illustrates a mock call with 'Rebecca' from Hayes Valley Interior Design, where the course instructor practices active listening, empathizes with the client's goals, and addresses her concerns. The session highlights the value of building rapport, tailoring services to client needs, and effectively communicating the benefits of professional web design services over in-house development.

Takeaways

• 😀 The importance of preparation for client meetings is emphasized, drawing parallels to debate preparation to stay focused and avoid being caught off-guard.
• 📅 Scheduling the first meeting is crucial, as it allows time to prepare and shows respect for both parties' time.
• ❓ Prepping the right questions for the client is key to understanding their business needs, rather than just focusing on selling one's services.
• 🤝 The goal of the interaction is to empathize with the client, not to see them as adversaries, and to answer their questions respectfully.
• 📝 It's essential to ask about the client's current and desired client base to tailor recommendations effectively.
• 🏢 Understanding the client's business process is vital to creating a website that communicates their services effectively.
• 💬 Practicing potential client interactions with colleagues can help refine questions and responses.
• 💭 The dialogue should focus on the client's goals and how the freelancer can help achieve them, rather than just the technical aspects of building a website.
• 💰 Addressing the client's concerns about cost, timeline, and the value of professional services over in-house solutions is important.
• 🔄 Being open to feedback and changes during the project is crucial for client satisfaction and managing expectations.

Q & A

What is the importance of preparation in client interactions as discussed in the script?

Preparation is crucial as it helps in staying focused, empathizing with the client, and answering their questions respectfully, which is key to building a rapport and understanding their business needs.

How does the script differentiate between debate prep and client negotiation prep?

While debate prep is adversarial, client negotiation prep is about building understanding and empathy, aiming to respect the client's needs and provide tailored recommendations.

What is the significance of scheduling a call with a potential client as highlighted in the script?

Scheduling a call allows time for preparation and research, signaling to the client that their time and the service provider's time are valued.

Why is it beneficial to ask the potential client questions during the initial call?

Asking questions helps in gaining a deeper understanding of the client's business, their current challenges, and their goals, which is essential for providing customized services.

What does the script suggest about the approach to take when discussing the cost of services with a potential client?

Instead of immediately discussing costs, the script advises first understanding the client's needs and then providing a quote based on the scope of work discussed.

How does the script emphasize the importance of understanding the client's process?

Understanding the client's process is important to ensure that the services provided, such as building a website, effectively communicate and support the client's business operations.

What is the strategy outlined in the script for handling tough questions from a potential client?

The strategy involves preparing for tough questions in advance, practicing responses, and being ready to provide clear and confident answers during the client interaction.

Why is it suggested to not immediately jump to selling one's services during the initial client call?

The initial call should focus on understanding the client's needs rather than selling services, as this builds trust and allows for more informed recommendations later.

What does the script imply about the role of active listening and note-taking during client calls?

Active listening and note-taking are emphasized as they help in capturing important details, understanding the client's perspective, and guiding the service provision process.

How does the script address the potential concern of a client building a website themselves instead of hiring a professional?

The script suggests acknowledging the client's capability to build a website themselves but also highlighting the value of expertise and the time saved by leveraging professional services.

Outlines

00:00

📅 Preparing for the First Client Meeting

This section focuses on preparing for the initial client meeting, emphasizing the importance of thorough preparation akin to debate prep. The goal is to understand the client's business deeply rather than merely selling one's services. The meeting with Rebecca from Hayes Valley Interior Design is used as a case study. The dialogue covers the necessity of scheduling meetings to allow for adequate preparation, asking the right questions to uncover the client's needs, and planning responses to potential client inquiries. The conversation also stresses the value of empathy and respect in client interactions, contrasting the approach with that of political debate preparation.

05:01

🔍 Deepening Client Understanding

The second paragraph delves into the actual client call with Rebecca, where the discussion aims to understand her business's goals and processes. It highlights the importance of active listening and note-taking during the call to gather information that can guide the creation of a tailored proposal. The summary underscores the significance of asking about the client's current website, their satisfaction with it, and areas for improvement. The dialogue also touches on the client's aspirations for their business and how the new website fits into those objectives.

10:02

🗣️ Addressing Client Concerns and Building Rapport

In this part, the conversation continues with Rebecca, focusing on her firm's project process and how the current website supports this. The discussion reveals the client's preferences for communication and the challenges they face with their existing site, such as usability issues on mobile devices and spam from the contact form. The section also illustrates how to build rapport with the client by empathizing with their frustrations and demonstrating a deep understanding of their business needs, which is crucial for establishing trust and providing personalized recommendations.

15:03

🛠️ Handling Tough Questions and Demonstrating Value

The final paragraph of the script deals with the client's tough questions, particularly why they can't build the website themselves. The summary explains how to approach such questions by acknowledging the client's capability to do it themselves while articulating the value that the service provider brings to the table. The dialogue showcases a strategy of not playing defense but instead highlighting the expertise and efficiency that the service provider offers, allowing the client to focus on their core business. The section concludes with the importance of practice and learning from each client interaction to improve over time.

Keywords

💡Client Interaction

Client interaction refers to the process of engaging with clients, understanding their needs, and building a professional relationship. In the video, the theme revolves around preparing for and conducting a client meeting, emphasizing the importance of preparation and empathy in client interactions. An example from the script is the preparation for the first scheduled client meeting with Rebecca from Hayes Valley Interior Design, where the goal is to understand her business better rather than immediately selling services.

💡Preparation

Preparation in this context involves the act of readying oneself for a client meeting by anticipating questions, understanding client needs, and organizing thoughts. The video script highlights the importance of preparation by suggesting that one should prepare for client interactions as one would for a debate. An example is scheduling a call with Rebecca to allow time to prepare and organize questions and research.

💡Proposal

A proposal is a formal offer of a service or project, often including details of the work to be done, costs, and timelines. In the script, proposals are mentioned as a means of valuing work and initiating contact with potential clients. The first questions for the client meeting are derived from the proposal, indicating how proposals set the stage for further discussions.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. The video emphasizes the importance of empathizing with clients to build rapport and provide tailored services. An example is the suggestion to listen and respond respectfully to client questions, aiming to understand their business needs and goals.

💡Freelancer

A freelancer is an individual who is self-employed and often provides services to clients on a project-by-project basis. The video's narrative is from the perspective of a freelancer preparing for client meetings, highlighting the unique challenges and strategies freelancers use to manage client relationships and projects.

💡Negotiation

Negotiation is a process where parties discuss and resolve issues to reach an agreement. The script differentiates negotiation with a client from debate prep, focusing on collaboration rather than opposition. An example is the discussion about how to respond to client questions and concerns during the meeting, aiming for a win-win outcome.

💡Value Proposition

A value proposition is a statement that communicates the benefits and unique selling points of a product or service. In the video, the value proposition is discussed in the context of understanding the client's business goals and how the freelancer's services can help achieve those goals, as illustrated by the conversation about the potential client's website needs.

💡Customization

Customization refers to the process of tailoring products or services to meet specific client needs. The video script mentions customization in the context of building a website that aligns with the client's business process and goals, emphasizing the importance of understanding the client's unique requirements.

💡Content Management System (CMS)

A CMS is a software application that allows users to create, manage, and modify content on a website without needing technical expertise. In the script, the discussion about setting up a CMS for the client's website illustrates how it enables the client to make updates and manage their site post-launch.

💡Revisions

Revisions are changes or amendments made to a document, plan, or project based on feedback or new information. The video script refers to including revisions as part of the project quote, indicating the importance of flexibility and client satisfaction in the service delivery process.

💡Scope of Work

The scope of work defines the boundaries of a project, including the tasks to be performed, deliverables, and timelines. In the script, the discussion about the client's website project emphasizes the need to understand the scope to provide accurate quotes and manage client expectations effectively.

Highlights

The course emphasizes the importance of preparation for client meetings, likening it to debate preparation.

The goal of the first meeting is to understand the client's business deeply, not just to sell services.

Clients have various preferences for communication, such as phone, video chat, or in-person meetings.

Scheduling a call allows time to prepare and shows respect for both parties' time.

Preparation involves creating a list of questions to ask the client to better understand their needs.

The conversation with the client should aim to build empathy and respect, not adversarial debate.

The client's current website and its effectiveness in attracting clients are key discussion points.

Understanding the client's process is crucial for tailoring website recommendations to their business.

The client's perspective on their current website and its shortcomings is valuable feedback.

The potential client's goals for their website, such as attracting more clients, should be clarified.

Practicing potential client questions and answers helps prepare for real client interactions.

During the call, it's important to take notes to capture the client's needs and preferences accurately.

The client's process from the first call to project completion should be thoroughly understood.

Addressing the client's concerns about their current website, such as its appearance on mobile devices, is important.

The conversation should explore how the new website can better communicate the client's business process to potential clients.

Providing a clear timeline for delivering a quote after the call sets expectations with the client.

The client's questions about the project timeline and process should be anticipated and answered confidently.

Discussing the possibility of changes and additional work after the site's initial build is crucial for client understanding.

Addressing the client's question about building the website in-house by emphasizing the value of expertise and time saved.

The call should end with a summary of the discussed points and an invitation for the client to ask further questions.

Transcripts

Okay, so far in this course, we’ve covered among other things, getting clients, creating

proposals, valuing our work, and a gripping 21 minute summary about how Star Trek: First

Contact reimagined the zombie genre.

A topic Grimur promised yet again not to cut from this course.

And what we’re doing here is taking the concepts we’ve covered so far, and preparing

for our first scheduled client meeting.

Because we want to prepare for client interactions like we would a debate, and that kind of preparation

helps us stay focused, and of course, the better we prepare, the less likely we’ll

be caught off-guard.

So we’ll break this into four parts: scheduling the first meeting, prepping the right questions,

planning to give the right answers, and then we’ll go through the actual interaction

with Rebecca from Hayes Valley Interior Design.

The thing that's different between debate prep on a political stage and negotiation

prep with a client is in most ways you’re not adversaries.

Our goal is to empathize with them and answer their questions respectfully.

Because once you’ve sent out proposals to potential clients, you’ll often get responses.

And how you do this is different with everyone.

Some people prefer to talk over-the-phone, some over video chat, some people want to

meet in-person, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it.

In the last part of this course, we set up a call with Rebecca.

Why?

Because one of the best things to organize your thoughts and make sure you have your

research down before any type of formal interaction with a client is to schedule.

You get a call or an email wanting to learn more, sometimes we immediately jump at the

chance.

But, if we slow down, and offer to schedule a short call to talk about what they’re

looking to achieve, that gives us time to prep and organize.

And it’s a good signal to your potential client that you value and respect your own

time.

Since the call is set for later this morning at 10:30, that gives us a pretty short window

to prep.

But what we need to prep isn’t just questions our potential client might ask us.

We need to prep questions to ask our potential client, and that’s the key.

The goal of this call isn’t to sell them on our ability to work for them, the goal

of this call is to going in deeper, to better understand their business.

Because so far we only have the information we found ourselves.

This is a great opportunity, and again, the better we understand their needs, the needs

of their business, the better we can recommend a course of action, services we can offer

them.

Fortunately, we already have a foundation.

The first questions come from the proposal: how do clients find them, what happens when

clients get to their site, and how can we as a freelancer help them out.

Up until now, our research was mainly guessing based on what we could find, so the questions

we ask have to start where that research ends.

And some of our research is based on assumptions.

What we need to do is build on that, just like Care Plus, which we covered earlier in

the course.

We’re going to ask questions of our potential client, to understand not how it is, but how

they want it to be.

The very act of calling or emailing us is already an indication.

They’re interested.

They’re looking to you and reaching out, most likely because they’re looking to grow

their business.

But, now is not the time to sell.

Now is the time to go deeper.

So let’s cover the questions you can ask them.

And to do that, Grimur has volunteered to hop on a call and help us prep.

[McGuire] Hey thanks so much for taking the time Rebecca.

[Grimur in falsetto] My pleasure.

[McGuire] So before we get started, I want to make sure we’re on the same page.

[Grimur in falsetto] Sounds great.

[McGuire] You know Grimur this is really great.

[Grimur in falsetto] I know.

[McGuire] You’re really into this.

[Grimur in falsetto] Yeah.

[McGuire] You don’t have to do the voice.

[Grimur] I’m going for authentic.

[McGuire] If you’re feeling pressure- [Grimur] This is breaking character.

[McGuire] Okay.

[Grimur] Okay.

[McGuire] Can you talk about the types of clients you have today?

[Grimur] Me, Grimur, or do you mean?

[McGuire] No, Rebecca.

[Grimur] So, you don’t want like do the voice?

[McGuire] You can play Rebecca but just maybe not so much.

[Grimur] Okay.

[McGuire] Okay.

[Grimur] Go?

[McGuire] Mhm.

[Grimur] Sure, we really focus on high-end interior design.

Most of our clients are remodeling or building a home from scratch.

[McGuire] So mainly residential?

[Grimur] We’ve done a few commercial clients, some businesses, but yeah mainly residential.

[McGuire] And how does that compare to the clients you want?

[Grimur] Why are you asking her that?

[McGuire] What?

[Grimur] Why are you asking her that question?

[McGuire] Now you’re breaking character.

[Grimur] Okay, pretend I’m Rebecca again.

Why are you asking me, Rebecca, about the clients I want.

[McGuire] Because their current site only talks about residential work, if they’re

interested in commercial work too- [Grimur] Ah, got it.

[McGuire] So.

[Grimur] Yeah.

[McGuire] Residential now, are you looking to get more commercial clients?

[Grimur] We’d love more commercial clients.

[McGuire] Great, thanks Rebecca.

So, I want to shift to bigger goals.

What are you looking to achieve in terms of growing your business?

What’s a slam dunk for you?

Sports metaphors are the worst.

[Grimur] Yeah, I think right now we’re learning a lot about what it takes to scale our business.

It started back in 1943, and back then (fades out)

[McGuire] Grimur is really selling this.

Prepping for a call with a friend or colleague is a great way to try this out and prepare.

Okay, so, one of the things we want to understand is the process, the process your clients go

through.

Now, Grimur’s making this stuff up, but we want to make a list of questions you could

ask during your call.

What’s your goal for the website?

What do you like about your current website?

What would you want to improve about your website?

[Grimur] Can I answer?

[McGuire] Sure.

[Grimur] Well I think a lot of people look at our site and think its trash.

I’m not particularly proud of it.

My nephew (fades out) [McGuire] It’s the answers to the questions

we’ll write down during that first scheduled interaction that are going to give us not

only a better understanding of their business and their customers but all the information

we need to tailor our approach, to make all our recommendations custom to what they’re

looking to achieve.

[Grimur] Am I good to go?

[McGuire] Yeah, thanks Grimur.

[Grimur] You bet.

And this understanding, reaching deeper than specifications for the kind of site you’re

going to build, that’s what gives you value.

You’re not just building them website, you’re helping them achieve a goal.

And the more you take the time to understand where they’re coming from, what the needs

of their customers are, how they feel about their business, and their business goals,

the better experience you can build for them.

This extends so far beyond what most people offer, and making sure your potential client

gets the sense that you really do care about what they’re looking to achieve, that’s

what separates good freelancers from great freelancers.

Now, just because we have questions for them, doesn’t mean they don’t have questions

for us.

And this is where you don’t just need great questions, you need great answers.

So, for this part, we’ll put ourselves in the client’s shoes.

Write down all the questions this potential client might have.

How much is this going to cost?

Can you do this work for free?

How long will this take?

Come up with a list of the toughest questions you might get.

These questions might be terrifying at first, but here’s the great thing: it’s better

if we come up with the tough questions before the scheduled client interaction as opposed

to waiting to figure out everything in real time.

And by doing this, we’re able to better practice and prepare.

And she might ask us anything.

What’s your process like?

How long does the process take?

What if we want to change things later?

All these questions can help us better prepare, and we can practice how we’d respond to

it.

So, the call is set, we’re well prepared, we have our notes, we’re taking more, let’s

make the call.

What’s the number?

[Offscreen] 415 [McGuire] 415

[Offscreen] 555 [McGuire] 555

Josh is going to transfer us to Rebecca’s assistant Eve, who will, after putting us

on a brief hold to put out a literal fire, eventually connect us to-

[Rebecca] Hey, its Rebecca, thanks for calling.

[McGuire] No problem.

It’s a pleasure to meet you over the phone.

How’s your day going?

[Rebecca] Good!

We got this brochure you made, and I wanted to figure out how much a website like this

would cost.

[McGuire] Absolutely, and that’s one of the main things we want to figure out on this

call.

Now, at this point a lot of people might want to ask how much a client project from her

firm costs, because that gives us a starting point.

Nothing wrong with us saying something like, most of our client projects start at $3,000

dollars, but instead of going straight to the price, we want to first better understand

their needs, so you can make recommendations based on those needs.

And the point is a lot of this is based on the scope of what her firm wants to get done.

Rebecca?

[Rebecca] Yeah?

[McGuire] A lot of this is based on the scope of what your firm wants to get done.

[Rebecca] Okay.

[McGuire] Which is why the goal of this call is to make sure we’re on the same page regarding

what your firm is looking to achieve.

That way we can get you a full quote that's based on what it is we’re doing.

[Rebecca] Got it.

[McGuire] So, let’s start with your current site because there were some questions around

this.

[Rebecca] Okay.

[McGuire] So we’re looking at your current website and the first question is, do you

find a lot of your clients come from this site?

[Rebecca] It’s mainly word of mouth.

We did our site back in, it was 2011.

[McGuire] Okay, by the way, details like this are great because I’m taking notes.

[Rebecca] Cool, so anyway, we get a lot of calls and emails but usually they’re from

other clients who referred them to us.

[McGuire] Got it, so those calls, from the business side, what does that process look

like?

[Rebecca] What do you mean?

[McGuire] Well, let’s say you get a call from a client wanting to work with you, what

happens next?

[Rebecca] Well we usually get a client knowing they want something, they’re remodeling

a kitchen or building a new house.

[McGuire] And this is residential clients, or do you also do commercial?

[Rebecca] Just residential, we’ve done some commercial work in the past but we’re trying

to focus exclusively on residential clients.

[McGuire] We want to take notes here.

[Rebecca] So we get an understanding of what they're looking for, whether that's a new

home build or a renovation.

Then we work with them to get a quote.

[McGuire] Rebecca can you talk a little bit more about that?

We want to make sure we’re on the same page about what happens from the first call to

them getting a quote.

[Rebecca] Well they usually know what they want, so we’ll go out and do a consultation.

[McGuire] That’s if its a renovation?

[Rebecca] Reno or new build, either way we’ll go out and meet the client to get the measurements,

look at the space- [McGuire] And who does this?

[Rebecca] Usually one of our junior designers.

[McGuire] We’re really trying to understand what it's like, what the process is like for

their clients.

And the reason is, if we understand their process we can make sure we’re offering

and later building a site that not only looks great but is super effective in communicating

this process to their clients.

Okay, Rebecca, so first they call, or email, then you get back to them and set up a consultation,

the designer goes out, and then what?

[Rebecca] So when we start, we usually have a budget, so we work with them to price out

the project.

That’s basically the contract phase.

We work with them to get a contract together, and then we actually do the work, all the

design and development.

[McGuire] Okay great.

This is really helpful because the better we understand about your process the better

we can build a site that communicates this to your clients and sets expectations.

[Rebecca] Sounds great.

[McGuire] So, number one there’s a consult, number two there’s a contract-

[Rebecca] Actually if its on a site, we should call it letter of agreement.

[McGuire] Okay good to know.

Consultation, letter of agreement, then the design work?

[Rebecca] Design and development.

[McGuire] Okay great, getting all this down.

[Rebecca] Then comes everything else, the last step is where we do the construction,

the installation, and basically project completion.

[McGuire] Okay, so on the existing site, now that we understand a little more about your

process, how does your current site do in helping to communicate this process to your

clients?

[Rebecca] I really like that we can get all of the contact info from the contact form.

[McGuire] And what don’t you like about it?

[Rebecca] The contact form?

[McGuire] Well the website in general but it can be the form too.

[Rebecca] Well on the form, we get a lot of spam.

For the whole site, and you pointed this out in the brochure, it's really tiny on the iPhone.

[McGuire] Right.

[Rebecca] That’s really what we’re concerned about.

Also we have about a thousand photos of new work, new projects we’ve completed recently.

[McGuire] Well we can definitely work on that.

The perfect website, what’s a home run for you?

We have to stop using sports metaphors.

[Rebecca] Well, that’s why I’m talking to you.

[McGuire] Great point, but imagine for a second you have the perfect site.

Forget the design, the contact form, what do you want that website doing for your business?

[Rebecca] Well, getting us more clients would be nice.

[McGuire] So you said word of mouth was pretty big, do you have an estimate of how many clients

you’re getting, calls or emails you’re getting from the site?

[Rebecca] I’d say a couple a month, maybe two or three.

[McGuire] So the goal of your website, assuming you get a new one built for your design firm,

is mainly to get clients.

[Rebecca] Yes.

[McGuire] Got it, okay.

Getting a pretty good understanding so thank you.

[Rebecca] My pleasure.

[McGuire] Okay, let’s talk about what’s next.

What I want to do after this call is take what we have here and give you a breakdown.

So I want to write out exactly what we’re recommending based on what we’ve covered,

and exactly how much we’re quoting you for that.

[Rebecca] Okay, so how long is that going to take?

[McGuire] Let’s aim to have it in your inbox this time tomorrow.

[Rebecca] Sounds good.

[McGuire] Great.

Now, what questions do you have for me?

[Rebecca] For you?

[McGuire] Yes, what are the toughest questions you have.

[Rebecca] Well, how long will it take for you to build the site?

[McGuire] That’s actually the most common question, so we have a pretty standard answer

for it.

Usually three to six weeks, but it can really vary based on the scope of work, just like

projects with your clients I can imagine.

[Rebecca] Yeah.

[McGuire] How long do yours take?

[Rebecca] A lot more than three to six weeks, we have picky clients.

[McGuire] Picky is good.

What’s the longest a client project has taken?

[Rebecca] For us?

[McGuire] Yeah.

[Rebecca] Oh God, there’s one now.

[McGuire] More than six weeks?

[Rebecca] It’s been two years.

[McGuire] The same client?

[Rebecca] We’ve been working on this project for two years.

[McGuire] Rebecca.

[Rebecca] McGuire.

[McGuire] I want to make you a promise.

Now, none of this has to do with the design of their site, the price, the technical details,

but clients want to know we understand them.

And that’s what we’re doing here, we’re empathizing with someone based on something

we have in common.

That’s the basis for developing a rapport.

We’re understanding each other’s feelings and frustrations, because we know what it’s

like to have something take longer than expected.

Up until this point we’ve gotten a pretty good understanding of the client’s business

needs, but now we’re demonstrating to them we can relate to them personally.

And that’s important because when we connect with the client like this, we’re not only

showing that we understand the client’s business needs, but that we can relate to

how they feel.

And when we understand that, we can make recommendations and commitments to them based on those feelings.

Rebecca.

[Rebecca] McGuire.

[McGuire] If we decide this is a good fit, and we work on this project together, I promise

to you now, it will not take two years.

[Rebecca] I’ll need that in writing.

[McGuire] We'll get that in writing.

[Rebecca] Okay.

[McGuire] Next tough question.

[Rebecca] Okay, what’s your process like?

[McGuire] For websites?

[Rebecca] Yeah.

[McGuire] It helps to think about the full process beforehand.

Numbers work well.

Rebecca, we work together through four different phases.

We’re in phase one right now.

We start by having a conversation so we better understand the needs of your business, then

we work on content, this is working with you on written content, and getting the assets

together, like photos of your client work, projects your team has worked on.

[Rebecca] Okay.

[McGuire] Then for phase three we work on design and development of the actual site.

[Rebecca] Okay.

[McGuire] And finally we test it and deploy it.

[Rebecca] Not saying this is going to happen but, what if we don’t like it?

[McGuire] Good question, and the answer is we work together each step of the way.

So we’ll have regular check-ins so we can get any feedback out in the open, and we’ll

include revisions as part of what you get quoted for the project.

[Rebecca] What about changes?

How can we change the site later?

[McGuire] Great question.

We’ll set up a content management system.

[Rebecca] A CMS.

[McGuire] Right.

After we set this up, you can login, your team can login, and make changes to text,

to images, you can add client projects to your site, you can do any of this whenever

you’d like.

[Rebecca] Okay great.

What if we need design changes down the road?

[McGuire] Of course, sometimes there are things that fall outside our original scope of work

and we’ll make sure to include an hourly rate upfront for additional work that falls

outside of our original agreement.

That way, if you need something else you’ll know exactly what that rate is.

[Rebecca] Got it, okay.

[McGuire] What else do you have?

[Rebecca] So, odd question and don’t take this the wrong way…

[McGuire] Never a good start.

[Rebecca] But my partners will ask, plus our admin has created some sites before, and I

get your job is to sell me on a website, so something like this: why can’t we build

this ourselves?

[McGuire] Let’s slow down.

We’re on a call.

We have about six more seconds until things get awkward and we can’t blame it on a bad

connection.

The question is this: why can’t they build a site themselves?

And before we give an answer, we have to first understand the motivation.

Let’s dissect.

Five seconds left.

What’s the motivation of the question?

Why is she asking, why is she talking to us if doing it herself is even a consideration?

Three possible reasons, four if she’s just being cruel.

We could assume she doesn’t understand the complexity involved, if that’s the case,

we can just tell her, say how complicated it is to build a bespoke website from scratch.

But that could backfire, plus it sounds like we’re saying she can’t, her firm can’t

do this, which isn’t the case.

Maybe they want to learn.

Four seconds.

Possibility number two is that it’s about money.

What if we’re too expensive?

She wants all her options, that could be it.

But then there’s number three.

Number three is, she wants to know what’s different, what value would we add, what can’t

her firm do themselves.

We could go this route, point to her current site as a reflection of her business, and

the clients they’re missing out on, how a one-size-fits-all template isn’t the best

option.

But it could be four: she’s testing us, she wants to see what our reaction is under

pressure.

Three seconds left.

All these possibilities, a full board, we could ask a follow-up, pretend we don’t

understand, buy us time, we wasted time on voices earlier with Grimur, we had a list

of tough questions, never came up with this.

But that doesn’t get us anywhere.

So let’s reverse it, start in the future, pretend like we got the client, we already

landed the deal, and now we’re going to recount exactly what we did to get there.

Rule number one of client interactions, think like the client, if you’re thinking about

yourself, you’ve already lost.

Rule number two, never play defense.

Two seconds.

We got the client in the first place because there was some level of trust, and it seemed

to her we knew what we were talking about.

Each of these four options implies an answer that says: you can’t do it, you can’t

make the website yourself.

But that’s not how we got the client, because the answer isn’t that they can't do it for

themselves, and we can approach this in either of two ways.

One second left.

We could say good question, we’ll get back to you.

Safe.

That buys us time.

But the other option is this: jump into the fire.

Tell them they can, then tell them why it should be you.

Deep breath.

[Rebecca] Hello? [McGuire] Yeah.

[Rebecca] So what’s stopping my team from building this, is this something my firm can

do?

[McGuire] So, it’s a really good question and I can understand why you're asking and

the answer is, you can.

[Rebecca] I’m sorry?

[McGuire] Of course you can, that’s the answer.

If you want to go through the process in-house I can respect that, but I’ll tell you one

thing I know both you and I can relate to.

I think there are a lot of your clients who have the same question you just asked me.

They ask themselves that same thing when they're budgeting their own projects because it’s

a perfectly valid question.

And at the end of the day I’d argue your clients get way more value out of the quality

of work your firm does and out of the time they save by not having to become experts

in interior design, and the same thing applies here.

My job is to have the expertise, and do all the heavy lifting in my area so you and your

firm can focus on doing the same for your clients.

[Rebecca] Good point.

[McGuire] And, as we’re working on this, we’re here each step of the way to answer

any questions you might have about how what we’re working on delivers that value.

[Rebecca] Great.

That’s all I can think of, but I’m sure I’ll come up with something as soon as I

hang up the phone.

[McGuire] Well if you have any questions between today and tomorrow please feel free to reach

out.

[Rebecca] Will do.

[McGuire] In the meantime, let’s get started on that quote, twenty-three hours and fifty-four

minutes.

[Rebecca] Sounds great.

[McGuire] Thanks so much for your time Rebecca, it was great talking to you.

[Rebecca] Great talking with you McGuire, have a good one.

[McGuire] Bye.

[Rebecca] Goodbye.

That’s a lot of notes, which is good, because we're going to use them.

Now, you’ll notice we didn’t cover everything we practiced in the call.

That’s okay.

We covered enough to get a better idea of what the firm is looking to achieve and we

built a dialogue.

From here, we list what’s included and what we’ll charge, but we’ll go further into

that in the next part of this course.

Now, one more note, this call contained a lot of real-world questions.

Real questions we’ve gotten from real clients while doing real freelancing.

But it’s only one way things can go.

The best way to get better at this, and to grow over time is to practice.

Get more and more clients, take notes, see what works well, and just as importantly,

see what doesn’t.

But let’s recap what we did here.

When first contact is made, we take the time to schedule the meeting.

Between first contact and the meeting itself we can come up with questions we want to ask

the potential client.

Then come up with questions the potential client might ask you.

This way you can walk into the call confident that you have an answer to some of the most

difficult questions.

But, that’s all for now.

That’s preparing for and meeting our potential client.