It might be that you go through a consultation and then the client wants to think about it. Which is OK, remember to include your right (awards, qualifications, time in industry etc etc.) within the information they take away, just to remind them of everything you’ve already covered. If they haven’t already had it, include your guide on ‘questions to ask before you engage with <our sector>’ and remember to also include testimonials from existing clients. Also, try to stand out slightly, rather than just giving it to them, emailing the proposal over and send it over in a well packed brochure.
Make sure that you understand their concerns and how your clinic is the best fit. Include your right but make sure that your client understands the relevance to them. One of my clients won a customer against a much larger, more specialist business because the other guys presented ‘their right’ in the wrong way. They talked about ‘we’ve done this’ and ‘we’ve done that’ and ‘we’ve won this’. When my client talked to her potential customer, she shared the credible background but went on to explain what it meant to them. So ‘we’ve done this which means that you can benefit from…’ The other business just came across as if they were bragging, and ultimately didn’t win the customer’s business.
If you’ve ever watched The Apprentice, where Alan Sugar seems to spend his time criticising and firing people, there’s an excellent example of a presentation pitch done by Helen Miliband. In the presentation they were trying to sell a child seat to a French company, and one of the directors came up with a price objection saying the seat is too expensive. Helen’s partner in the pitch then took the seat and sat on it, saying ‘how comfortable it was’ which just makes you cringe as you watch. She’s completely ignored the objection and has made a pointless comment.
Helen took control of the situation though – thankfully – and pointed out that modern women these days will pay almost anything for convenience, that she’d studied their target market, and that the price is a reasonable one considering how much convenience this gives them. Plus, she told them, they could say they were the first people to bring this to France and that they care about their customers, care about their children’s safety, know how busy their customers are and that this is a great product for them. Needless to say, Helen won the pitch. If you want to see it, it’s below, enjoy. It’s a really great example of knowing what buttons to press because you understand and know who your customers are.
By Alan Adams The Clinic Coach
