mastering the client consultation - the scope strategy (wordcamp wilmington 2017)
TRANSCRIPT
@nathaningram nathaningram.com#WCILM
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Hi, I’m Nathan!From Birmingham, Alabama
Host at iThemes TrainingFreelance Web Business Owner since 1995
Business Coach for WP Freelancers since 2014
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Overview• Why you desperately need a strategy
for client consultations.• The purpose of the client consultation• The SCOPE Strategy
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OverviewQuestions at the EndSlide Link at the End
Freelance Table Talk at Lunch afterward
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Why the SCOPE Strategy?
Have you evergotten nervous during a
client consultation because youdidn’t know what to say next?
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Why the SCOPE Strategy?
Have you everspent hours talking to a client
and gotten nowhere?
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Why the SCOPE Strategy?
Have you everleft a meeting and realized
you forgot to cover somethingimportant for the project?
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Why the SCOPE Strategy?
Have you everspent time agonizing over a proposal
only to discover you wereway off the client’s price point?
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Why the SCOPE Strategy?
Take Control of the Client Consultation
You’re spending your time.Make it count.
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the
Purposeof the
Client Consultation
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What the Consultation is Not
Is not to try to sell a website. It’s a first date.
You need to be sure this relationshipis going to work.
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What the Consultation is Not
Is not to refine the client’s business plan.
You might be able to help,but that’s a separate service.
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What the Consultation is Not
Is not to answer “how” questionsYou’re there to discover the “what”
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5 Purposes of the Consultation
S C O P E
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5 Purposes of the Consultation
S C O P EScope
Learn enough about the project to create a proposal.
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5 Purposes of the Consultation
S C O P EChemistry
Determine if this is a client you can work with.
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5 Purposes of the Consultation
S C O P EOngoing
Explain the importance of your ongoing services.
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5 Purposes of the Consultation
S C O P EProcess
Set expectations by walking through your process.
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5 Purposes of the Consultation
S C O P EEstimate
Provide a ballpark estimate and get client buy-in.
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Using this method, I closed over
90%of my proposals
in 2016.
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S C O P EScope
Learn enough about the project to create a proposal
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Client Intake Questions
5 Main BucketsThe Business The LaunchThe Purpose The BudgetThe Website
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The Business§ What’s your coffee shop answer?§ What do you do or make?§ Who is your competition?§ Who is your ideal customer?§ Why choose you instead of the competition?
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The Business§ What is your price point?§ How do you find customers now?§ Do you have an existing brand identity?
Goal: Determine how muchthey understand their business
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The Business§ What is your price point?§ How do you find customers now?§ Do you have an existing brand identity?
The client may not be ready for a website.Suggest a consulting arrangement.
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The Business§ What is your price point?§ How do you find customers now?§ Do you have an existing brand identity?
Goal: Determine how muchthey understand their business
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The Purpose§ How does the web fit into your marketing strategy?§ Why should your ideal customer come to your site?§ What are your goals for the website?
Goal: Determine how muchstrategy assistance you’ll need to provide
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The Purpose§ How does the web fit into your marketing strategy?§ Why should your ideal customer come to your site?§ What are your goals for the website?
The client may not be ready for a website.Suggest a discovery phase.
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The Website§ Do you have a domain name already?§ Who will be our point of contact?§ Where will content for the site come from?§ Roughly how many pages will the site include?§ Will you be blogging or sharing news items?§ Will you be selling things online?
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The Website§ Do you need an event calendar? Event registration?§ Do your clients need to log in for any reason?§ Do you use Social Media? Which networks?§ Do you have videos you want to use?§ Do you want testimonials? Do you have them already?§ Is there any third-party integration needed?
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The Website§ Should the website simply be a credibility piece or
will you want to generate leads from search results?§ Aside from communicating information, is there
anything else the website will need to do?
Goal: Create a solid scope of work.
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The Launch§ Do you have a deadline?§ How do you handle email?§ Who will be responsible for maintaining the site
after it has been launched?
Goal: determine timeframe andstart the discussion about ongoing services.
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The Budget§ Do you have a ballpark budget for this project?§ Can we simplify or do things in phases?§ What is the decision-making process?§ When do you expect to make the final decision?
Goal: Make sure you’re not wasting time.
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S C O P EChemistryDetermine if this is a client
you can work with.
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Chemistry
Listen and Watch for Red FlagsBy the end of the Scope, you should have a feeling whether this is a person you can work with or not.
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Common Red Flags
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Common Red FlagsUnanswered Questions
The client doesn’t know what is needed.A discovery phase can be helpful.
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Common Red FlagsDisrespectfulness
The client doesn’t listen, interrupts,won’t answer questions, nickel and dimes
you or won’t take your advice.Or… the client is a jerk.
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Common Red FlagsScheduling Problems
The client is hard to reach, reschedulesor is late to your meeting.
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Common Red FlagsComplaints
The client complains abouta previous web developer
who “did everything wrong.”
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Common Red FlagsEmergencies
The client needs everythingdone immediately.
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2 Frequent Mistakes
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2 Frequent MistakesRunning a Red Light
Thinking a red flag is “no big deal.”Remember this is a first date.
Red flags are icebergs.Don’t make excuses for the client!
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2 Frequent MistakesThe Hero Syndrome
A need to “fix” the client.A need to be needed.
Client Co-Dependency.Ultimately, this will wreck your business.
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S C O P EOngoing
Explain the importance of your ongoing services.
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Selling Management ServicesThe Client Needs It!
The key is education.No commitment yet, just explain the necessity.
Provide training or a white glove service.Much more on this tomorrow…
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S C O P EProcess
Set expectations by walking through your process.
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Explaining Your Process
You have a process right?Every Client, Every Project, Every Time
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Explaining Your ProcessTalk it through with the client
Explain the steps and toolsExplain the value your process brings
Set expectations early
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S C O P EEstimate
Provide a ballpark estimate and get client buy-in.
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Creating an EstimateBallpark not Exact
By this point you should know enough about the project to offer a price range.
I usually give a $1000 range.
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Creating an EstimateGet Client Buy-In
“If I return a proposal within that price range are you ready to start the project?”
If not, dig into why not…
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Using this method, I closed over
90%of my proposals
in 2016.
@nathaningram nathaningram.com#WCILM
Thanks!NathanIngram.com/WCILM
Training.iThemes.com
Freelance Table Talk at Lunch – Let’s Chat!
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