Offering free services and companies still demand a portfolio

[strictlysupreme]

Hello all,

My partner and I are kind of stuck any help/tips would be appreciated.
-We offer services that help improve businesses.
-We have sent proposals to 30+ companies that we believe can benefit from us.
-All of these companies/businesses demand a portfolio on what we've done as opposed to what we can do for them (we state what we can do in the proposal and how they can benefit from said change/adjustment).
-Each one of our proposals is unique and personable to them, we research their company, see what they do, and then from there execute a plan on how we can improve their business.

These businesses write back saying what have you done? Where's your portfolio? Do you have experience in this industry? etc. Since we have no portfolio, we typically try to emphasize the benefit of our services to create value for them and they still don't budge even if it's free lol.

Any help, tips, criticism, or advice is appreciated, thank you all.

 

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[Scot]

Welcome to the forum!

First, I would start off by reading as much as you can of @Fox's thread

GOLD - How to Learn Code, Start a Web Company, $15k+ per month within 9 months

While his business is web development, the method he recommends to build up your business by selling to B2B can be translated across almost any service type business.

Question for you. What risk does your client assume by accepting your service, forgetting about the payment right now?

Will your service potentially interrupt their work flow? Could it cost them to lose clients? Will it cost them time? Could it cause their infrastructure to change in a bad way (software systems, operating procedures, billing practices)?

If there is so actual risk being assumed by the client...

You have two options. Offer full priced quotes to more businesses. Add a zero to that 30.

Or

Hand pick a few good start cases, do the service at a significant discount (75%) or even free. But, they have to agree to allow you to use them in your portfolio as well as give some form of testimonial (letter on company letterhead, video or review on a public site).

Also, don't give up at 30. If you do, you have no business being in business.

Edit: I just realized the word free is in the thread title. Whoops.

Do you have any networking in your target industry? If not, find a connection. A friend of a friend. Start with them.

Also, use some sales techniques. Ask them what they are worried will happen if they accept your help? Get objections out of the way first so you can clear up any misgivings.

 

[lowtek]

The problems with your approach are numerous.

Here are some things to consider:

Are you solving a problem the business actually has? Or is this some problem YOU think they have?

Are you batting out of your league? Meaning, are you going after sharks when you're a guppy

Why in the hell are you offering to work for free? Don't you know that customers expect to get what they pay for?

Can you actually execute on what you say you will? How can the customer know that? How the hell do you know that?

Why are you worried after only 30 tries? Ask some of the cold callers on here how many rejections they face for each sale. I use cold outreach and expect 1 sale out of every 150-300 outreaches, depending on how I pitch and who I'm going after (see my point about batting out of your league. I like to do this because it's good practice and they'll forget about me next time I come back around to them)

Is there another platform where you can find some warm inbound leads? How about upwork or something similar?

 

[jon.a]

Does your service allow you to do some work without their permission?
You could do some and present, "look I did this for you, want more?"

 

[TheDutch]

Hello all,

My partner and I are kind of stuck any help/tips would be appreciated.
-We offer services that help improve businesses.
-We have sent proposals to 30+ companies that we believe can benefit from us.
-All of these companies/businesses demand a portfolio on what we've done as opposed to what we can do for them (we state what we can do in the proposal and how they can benefit from said change/adjustment).
-Each one of our proposals is unique and personable to them, we research their company, see what they do, and then from there execute a plan on how we can improve their business.

These businesses write back saying what have you done? Where's your portfolio? Do you have experience in this industry? etc. Since we have no portfolio, we typically try to emphasize the benefit of our services to create value for them and they still don't budge even if it's free lol.

Any help, tips, criticism, or advice is appreciated, thank you all.

I remember this from my time when i used to do cold calling a-lot.
From my experience, companies are too scared, because they naturally think there is a catch to it.
Because, nothing is free, right?

My advise would be:
Be honoust, try to explain the companies you're new and that you'd like to offer your service to them, for free.
Without any risks or catch afterwards.

 

[Scot]

I remember this from my time when i used to do cold calling a-lot.
From my experience, companies are too scared, because they naturally think there is a catch to it.
Because, nothing is free, right?

My advise would be:
Be honoust, try to explain the companies you're new and that you'd like to offer your service to them, for free.
Without any risks or catch afterwards.

Excellent point. Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

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[Waspy]

TL;DR I don't trust you not to break my business, without first seeing you haven't broken other businesses.

A bit more detail about what you do might be helpful, but I advise trying to put yourself in their shoes.

Let's say (for the sake of argument) you install new IT systems.

Here I am sat with my successful company, not giving a second thought to my IT systems. There is nothing wrong with them, they have works for years. Now I get an email from you telling me "hey, we can make you IT systems 20% more efficient, and we will do it free if we can use you as a case study"

Now I'm thinking "who are these guys, why do they think my IT systems need improving?"

So I research and find nothing. I want PROOF you can help. And I'm not letting some stranger anywhere near my fully functioning system, I don't trust you not to break it.

 

[strictlysupreme]

Welcome to the forum!

First, I would start off by reading as much as you can of @Fox's thread

GOLD - How to Learn Code, Start a Web Company, $15k+ per month within 9 months

While his business is web development, the method he recommends to build up your business by selling to B2B can be translated across almost any service type business.

Question for you. What risk does your client assume by accepting your service, forgetting about the payment right now?

Will your service potentially interrupt their work flow? Could it cost them to lose clients? Will it cost them time? Could it cause their infrastructure to change in a bad way (software systems, operating procedures, billing practices)?

If there is so actual risk being assumed by the client...

You have two options. Offer full priced quotes to more businesses. Add a zero to that 30.

Or

Hand pick a few good start cases, do the service at a significant discount (75%) or even free. But, they have to agree to allow you to use them in your portfolio as well as give some form of testimonial (letter on company letterhead, video or review on a public site).

Also, don't give up at 30. If you do, you have no business being in business.

Edit: I just realized the word free is in the thread title. Whoops.

Do you have any networking in your target industry? If not, find a connection. A friend of a friend. Start with them.

Also, use some sales techniques. Ask them what they are worried will happen if they accept your help? Get objections out of the way first so you can clear up any misgivings.

I greatly appreciate the response.

As far as networking goes not really, but after I made this thread I overhead my PM talking about their business and how they're just now launching (selling apparel). I told them about my startup and how we are looking to do work for free to build a portfolio. I mentioned the services we offer which they were familiar with (to an extent) as they are trying to do it on their own. They are very interested as I said to them we're trying to build a portfolio and are getting rejected due to not having one. We also got in touch with a big delegate who is a pretty nice guy and he's open to let us do work for him come the Spring.

I'll definitely try to get some objections out of of people and see how I can combat them, thanks again.

 

[strictlysupreme]

The problems with your approach are numerous.

Here are some things to consider:

Are you solving a problem the business actually has? Or is this some problem YOU think they have?

Are you batting out of your league? Meaning, are you going after sharks when you're a guppy

Why in the hell are you offering to work for free? Don't you know that customers expect to get what they pay for?

Can you actually execute on what you say you will? How can the customer know that? How the hell do you know that?

Why are you worried after only 30 tries? Ask some of the cold callers on here how many rejections they face for each sale. I use cold outreach and expect 1 sale out of every 150-300 outreaches, depending on how I pitch and who I'm going after (see my point about batting out of your league. I like to do this because it's good practice and they'll forget about me next time I come back around to them)

Is there another platform where you can find some warm inbound leads? How about upwork or something similar?

"Are you solving a problem the business actually has? Or is this some problem YOU think they have?" I appreciate this part, thank you.

We are mainly contacting other start-ups and small companies, nothing out of our league..not yet at least. We do use Upwork to find leads, we are moving towards the small to medium sized jobs and are basically saying to do it for free.

I do understand the "you get what you pay for" but if we can offer value and build trust with someone willing hopefully we can put it down on paper to further progress and charge competitive rates. Even if my work is free, it still reflects the business therefore, I have no means of making it poor.

It's not that I'm worried after only 30 tries, we are still going to keep pushing and pushing until someone bites. I just want to know if anyone else had a similar experience to my own of getting rejected as a start-up as you don't have a portfolio for which all are asking for, and how to counter this if that makes sense. What Scot said above about finding objections and clearing them could be a better way for us getting step further. Thank you for the input.

 

[strictlysupreme]

Does your service allow you to do some work without their permission?
You could do some and present, "look I did this for you, want more?"

Yes it does to an extent, it was something we were considering but we're too afraid of the risk. I will definitely think this over and might apply it to the people who show more than just "Where's your portfolio?" amount of interest. Thank you.

 

[strictlysupreme]

I remember this from my time when i used to do cold calling a-lot.
From my experience, companies are too scared, because they naturally think there is a catch to it.
Because, nothing is free, right?

My advise would be:
Be honoust, try to explain the companies you're new and that you'd like to offer your service to them, for free.
Without any risks or catch afterwards.

Definitely will, we usually have just been emphasizing value and what not as opposed to introducing ourselves and our purpose (as in why we're doing it for free and for what reasons). I'll edit my proposal to fit this in, thank you.

 

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[Fox]

Sometimes business has too many moving parts so we over complicate things.

Let's look at other areas to see what might be going on here...

• Someone wants to look after your kids while you go to the theatre FOR FREE
• Someone wants to perform dental surgery on you FOR FREE
• Someone wants to write up your will FOR FREE

I would imagine 99% of people would turn these offers down. Why? There is too much at risk to allow someone to do it for free.

So how do you get around this starting off?
- Work for free with people who ALREADY trust you
- Do it free up front so they don't have to trust you (depends on the service, this is like @Andy Black "show them" tactic)
- Get better at selling
- Just actually go charge someone instead of doing it for free

Free isn't helping you, it is working against you. People in business have the cash flow - its solutions they need.
They would rather pay for that then risk it to someone for "free".

There is nothing free about someone wasting your time or damaging your business.

 

[strictlysupreme]

TL;DR I don't trust you not to break my business, without first seeing you haven't broken other businesses.

A bit more detail about what you do might be helpful, but I advise trying to put yourself in their shoes.

Let's say (for the sake of argument) you install new IT systems.

Here I am sat with my successful company, not giving a second thought to my IT systems. There is nothing wrong with them, they have works for years. Now I get an email from you telling me "hey, we can make you IT systems 20% more efficient, and we will do it free if we can use you as a case study"

Now I'm thinking "who are these guys, why do they think my IT systems need improving?"

So I research and find nothing. I want PROOF you can help. And I'm not letting some stranger anywhere near my fully functioning system, I don't trust you not to break it.

Great point, we briefly thought about this and thought the "free" would be enticing enough for someone. As TheDutch said I will try the more honest and purposeful approach with the added value. Thank you for the input.

 

[Andy Black]

It's not free for a business owner, even if you're not charging them.

They have to divert time and brain space to working out whether your offer will help them, whether you can implement it, what the future would look like if it was implemented, and that's BEFORE they even get started on the project.

You see why the default answer is a no?



I've had people on my doorstep telling me I can save money on my electricity bill if I switch provider.

Some are quite persistent. "Do you not want to save money? It will only take 5 minutes?"

"Dude. No. I am happy with my bill and my electricity supply. I don't want to spend 5 minutes switching to save a few quid and risk some unforeseen cr@p up the line. It doesn't hurt bad enough, and I'm cooking dinner. Thanks and goodbye."



EDIT: I've never been asked for a portfolio. I always tell a story about how I helped an electrician feed his family.

I fear the portfolio thing is a polite "no".


Get your first client. Someone you know already. Do a good job. Write your story.

 

[strictlysupreme]

Sometimes business has too many moving parts so we over complicate things.

Let's look at other areas to see what might be going on here...

• Someone wants to look after your kids while you go to the theatre FOR FREE
• Someone wants to perform dental surgery on you FOR FREE
• Someone wants to write up your will FOR FREE

I would imagine 99% of people would turn these offers down. Why? There is too much at risk to allow someone to do it for free.

So how do you get around this starting off?
- Work for free with people who ALREADY trust you
- Do it free up front so they don't have to trust you (depends on the service, this is like @Andy Black "show them" tactic)
- Get better at selling
- Just actually go charge someone instead of doing it for free

Free isn't helping you, it is working against you. People in business have the cash flow - its solutions they need.
They would rather pay for that then risk it to someone for "free".

There is nothing free about someone wasting your time or damaging your business.

Totally understand, putting it into perspective makes me see the fault in it. I greatly appreciate it Fox, I'm currently looking over your coding thread, great read so far.

 

[Vigilante]

When I worked for the largest retailer in the world, the easiest way to brush someone off was telling them to just submit a generic proposal and we would get back to them only in the event we were interested.

 

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[strictlysupreme]

It's not free for a business owner, even if you're not charging them.

They have to divert time and brain space to working out whether your offer will help them, whether you can implement it, what the future would look like if it was implemented, and that's BEFORE they even get started on the project.

You see why the default answer is a no?



I've had people on my doorstep telling me I can save money on my electricity bill if I switch provider.

Some are quite persistent. "Do you not want to save money? It will only take 5 minutes?"

"Dude. No. I am happy with my bill and my electricity supply. I don't want to spend 5 minutes switching to save a few quid and risk some unforeseen cr@p up the line. It doesn't hurt bad enough, and I'm cooking dinner. Thanks and goodbye."



EDIT: I've never been asked for a portfolio. I always tell a story about how I helped an electrician feed his family.

I fear the portfolio thing is a polite "no".


Get your first client. Someone you know already. Do a good job. Write your story.

I would say the same thing to someone randomly telling me I can save money lol. I will go ahead and try to work with the two I stated above in response to Scot.

So if someone asks for a portfolio you think to not provide one and just to build value/trust around yourself? Sorry if this came out the wrong way/is confusing.

 

[Andy Black]

When I worked for the largest retailer in the world, the easiest way to brush someone off was telling them to just submit a generic proposal and we would get back to them only in the event we were interested.

Ha. And if I'm ever asked for a generic proposal I move along. (Or I give a generic reply and move along.)

 

[Vigilante]

Ha. And if I'm ever asked for a generic proposal I move along. (Or I give one and move along.)

Now on the other side of the desk, I NEVER submit anything unless I have an opportunity for a face to face discussion. You can ALWAYS find a way to get the meeting. 99% of the time, the "leave your name and number with the girl up front and we will get back to you" response will never lead to business. Business is sales. Sales is overcoming objections. Overcoming objections comes through discovery. Discovery comes through discussion.

If I were offering a company a free service, the ONLY way I would do it is with a meeting.

"We'd like to come in and answer your questions and show you how we can do this for you for free. You asked us about our portfolio, and we want YOU to be our portfolio. To that end, we'll do it FREE and we'll do what ever it takes to make it successful for you. Can I come in Friday at 1PM to show you what we are doing?"

 

[strictlysupreme]

Now on the other side of the desk, I NEVER submit anything unless I have an opportunity for a face to face discussion. You can ALWAYS find a way to get the meeting. 99% of the time, the "leave your name and number with the girl up front and we will get back to you" response will never lead to business. Business is sales. Sales is overcoming objections. Overcoming objections comes through discovery. Discovery comes through discussion.

If I were offering a company a free service, the ONLY way I would do it is with a meeting.

"We'd like to come in and answer your questions and show you how we can do this for you for free. You asked us about our portfolio, and we want YOU to be our portfolio. To that end, we'll do it FREE and we'll do what ever it takes to make it successful for you. Can I come in Friday at 1PM to show you what we are doing?"

Very well said, I will definitely give this method a shot. Thanks!

 

[Andy Black]

I'm a business owner and I don't trust free. What's the catch? Will I be paying with my time then?

I'd rather buy a €100 Udemy course that is one hour long, than a €10 Udemy course that is 10 hours long.

If I ever do anything for free, I have to sell it really hard so the business owner understands where it fits into my big picture.

They know I'm not a charity. So they're thinking "What's in it for you?".




Also, are you anchoring the price high so they see the value in your lower price (and how you will still get value from it)?




"A website could be €3k-5k. An AdWords campaign build can be from €2k-5k depending on the complexity. I'm prepared to build a landing page and AdWords campaigns that you can rent off me for €500/mth. After all, you don't need a website, you need sales. If we can't get you positive ROI then you just cancel."


"Oh... I see. You lose initially, but you own the asset and it will keep earning for you for years later. I see how you can still supply the full value for €500/mth, and I'm not paying for a lite version. I can also see our goals are aligned - it's in your interest for me to get a positive ROI. Let's do it."



(Oh, and now I get into longer running relationships where I bring a positive ROI earlier. This is a very good thing.)




EDIT: People who do stuff free for me often flake. It can't be high on their priority list when it's free now can it?

 

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[Jon L]

In the service business, forget free. Forget low cost. Those customers are almost always difficult to work with. You don't want them. Even though you have no customers, be picky about who you take on.

Charge a fair price for the value you provide. Emphasize what you can do for them...in their UNIQUE, SPECIFIC situation. Getting to that understanding always requires at least a phone conversation, if not an in-person meeting. The entire point of an Upwork proposal is to get on the phone with someone. Blow off the ones that don't want to talk on the phone. They're not worth your time.

Once you get on the phone, forget about pushing them into your product/service. Listen to what they need. Ask questions that let them know that you know what you're talking about.

I was on a call with a prospect yesterday. We were talking about something else. I changed the subject and asked, 'How do you forecast rental availability with this current system?" I knew their current system couldn't do that. I also knew this would be a pain point for them. Additionally, I asked that question because only someone with knowledge of the rental business would know to ask that, and I wanted them to know that I knew what I was talking about. They said, 'nope...I wish it did. We do all that in Excel right now, and its a pain.'

I also asked them to describe the items in their requirements document that they posted on Upwork, but in their priority order so I could emphasize their primary needs in my correspondence back to them.

At the end of the conversation, they said, 'I have a good feeling about this. It's obvious that you have the experience we're looking for based on the questions you asked.'

...
When I do things this way, I'm rarely asked for a portfolio. Even if I offer it, people generally don't care to see what I have. They sign up anyway.

 

[Andy Black]

So if someone asks for a portfolio you think to not provide one and just to build value/trust around yourself? Sorry if this came out the wrong way/is confusing.

They don't ask for a portfolio because in my chat with them I've told stories about how things have worked for previous clients, I've suggested strategies for them off the top of my head, AND I've whipped out my phone to show client landing pages similar to what they need.

Why would they ask to see a "portfolio" when I've already showed them what they want to see?

*** "Show don't tell." ***


I think if they're asking to see a portfolio after you've chatted to them, then you've missed something in your chat, or you're chatting to the wrong person.

Maybe myself and @Jon L have an edge because we've had past clients and some success stories, but that shouldn't stop you.



...



I wrote the following somewhere else in another relevant thread but its name escapes me (worth you searching for it):

You could spend a week asking businesses for permission to do something for them for free.

Or you could pick a business and spend a day just doing it without their permission and then showing them what you've already done.

If they like it, give it to them and ask that they let you know how things go and if you can use it as a case study.

You'd probabiy spend less time getting your first case study this way.


...



What would happen if you didn't wait for permission to add value?

@jon.a already asked this (in way less words as that's one of his super-powers).



If your service doesn't allow you to add value without their permission, then consider changing your service?



I'll tell you a wee story...

In 2007 I was a database administrator and realised the only time the marketing or sales directors ever spoke to me was when they wanted some report run.

Hmmm... maybe I could offer that as a service to businesses? Business Intelligence Dashboards, Reports, etc?

Except it wasn't easy convincing a business that didn't know me to let me analyse their most previous sales data.

Fast forward a couple of years and I'd fallen into AdWords.

Whoa... forget analysing sales data and just increase the number of sales in the first place.

The best bit? I was waiting to meet a prospect to chat about running AdWords campaigns for them. They were a bit late so, while sat in a hotel lobby, I created some ads for them in my own AdWords account.

I got them to do a search on their own laptops for "private investigators <county>" and they could see their very own ad running on Google.

I didn't need their permission to do that. I just did it.

How do you think they reacted?

Did I have to convince them I could run Google Ads for them?

Show, don't tell.

 

[strictlysupreme]

They don't ask for a portfolio because in my chat with them I've told stories about how things have worked for previous clients, I've suggested strategies for them off the top of my head, AND I've whipped out my phone to show client landing pages similar to what they need.

Why would they ask to see a "portfolio" when I've already showed them what they want to see?

*** "Show don't tell." ***


I think if they're asking to see a portfolio after you've chatted to them, then you've missed something in your chat, or you're chatting to the wrong person.

Maybe myself and @Jon L have an edge because we've had past clients and some success stories, but that shouldn't stop you.



...



I wrote the following somewhere else in another relevant thread but its name escapes me (worth you searching for it):

You could spend a week asking businesses for permission to do something for them for free.

Or you could pick a business and spend a day just doing it without their permission and then showing them what you've already done.

If they like it, give it to them and ask that they let you know how things go and if you can use it as a case study.

You'd probabiy spend less time getting your first case study this way.


...



What would happen if you didn't wait for permission to add value?

@jon.a already asked this (in way less words as that's one of his super-powers).



If your service doesn't allow you to add value without their permission, then consider changing your service?



I'll tell you a wee story...

In 2007 I was a database administrator and realised the only time the marketing or sales directors ever spoke to me was when they wanted some report run.

Hmmm... maybe I could offer that as a service to businesses? Business Intelligence Dashboards, Reports, etc?

Except it wasn't easy convincing a business that didn't know me to let me analyse their most previous sales data.

Fast forward a couple of years and I'd fallen into AdWords.

Whoa... forget analysing sales data and just increase the number of sales in the first place.

The best bit? I was waiting to meet a prospect to chat about running AdWords campaigns for them. They were a bit late so, while sat in a hotel lobby, I created some ads for them in my own AdWords account.

I got them to do a search on their own laptops for "private investigators <county>" and they could see their very own ad running on Google.

I didn't need their permission to do that. I just did it.

How do you think they reacted?

Did I have to convince them I could run Google Ads for them?

Show, don't tell.

You're right, I'll shut these portfolio asking people up by just showing them what I can do. At the end of the day I'll make them need me. Thanks for the write up Andy, you've given me a lot of solid advice.

 

[Jon L]

further on the no previous clients thing that @Andy Black mentions:

You have had clients, they may just be called former employers. Tell stories about how you accomplished x for them. Explain the thought process that went into it and make that thought process relate to your prospect. You don't even have to mention that it was an employer. Sometimes, I use the phrase, 'in a former life, I...' Also, keep it short - a few sentences at most, and then get back into asking them about their needs. "how would that same kind of result help you in solving [the problem they're trying to address]"

 

[strictlysupreme]

further on the no previous clients thing that @Andy Black mentions:

You have had clients, they may just be called former employers. Tell stories about how you accomplished x for them. Explain the thought process that went into it and make that thought process relate to your prospect. You don't even have to mention that it was an employer. Sometimes, I use the phrase, 'in a former life, I...' Also, keep it short - a few sentences at most, and then get back into asking them about their needs. "how would that same kind of result help you in solving [the problem they're trying to address]"

Hmmm you are right, I am in the IT field and have been involved in a few process improvement projects (ITIL certified bull**** and what not) so I can kind of throw those in.

 

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[Andy Black]

You're right, I'll shut these portfolio asking people up by just showing them what I can do. At the end of the day I'll make them need me. Thanks for the write up Andy, you've given me a lot of solid advice.

Kinda. I don't go in with the mindset of "making them need me".

I consider sales as a screening process. I'm looking for businesses that I can build a long running and mutually profitable relationship with. (Actually, its not the business I'm building the relationship with, but the business owner - a person.)

Your job is to find people who see the value in what you do, rather than the cost.

Obviously you've got to show or prove you can add value, but if they don't get it, I drop 'me like a hot snot and move on.

Personally, I don't believe in "always be closing". Life's too short. I want to work with people I enjoy spending time with and see the value in what I do - that's why I run my own business after all, so I don't have to deal with f*ck-wits.

You've got something of value and limited people you can serve. Go into these interactions at least as a peer, trying to find out if you can create a win-win, and screening for tell-tale signs you don't want to work with them.

Personally, if I'm getting no bites from 30 interactions then I'm going to reconsider whether my offering really does add value, whether people want it enough, and whether I'm doing a good job explaining it.

IMO you can't sell to a need, only a want.


You might want to check out the thread where I do a post-mortem of a sales pitch I screwed up.

I also did one about how I often sell AdWords.

 

[Jon L]

Hmmm you are right, I am in the IT field and have been involved in a few process improvement projects (ITIL certified bull**** and what not) so I can kind of throw those in.

sprinkle a little bit of that throughout your conversation, but make it seem like its no big deal. If you can name-drop without sounding like you're name-dropping, that's the tone you want to convey. This stuff should always add to the conversation

I just got off another phone call just now. We were talking about ISO 9001 certification. This guy is sold on the benefits of it. (And I happen to agree with him.) I told a quick story about how, when I first learned about it, I was annoyed with the whole thing, "who are these ISO auditor people and why are they getting all up in our business." I then said that I later came to really like what it was all about. If you apply it correctly, the continual process improvement that is contained in ISO 9001 can transform a business. My prospect said, 'yes, exactly! I had the same experience you did...' and went on to talk about how its affected his company and how he'd like to see things improved.

All that was a natural part of the conversation. I didn't say, 'yes, I have experience with ISO 9001, here's what I know about it," I told a personal story about it instead.

 

[Andy Black]

sprinkle a little bit of that throughout your conversation, but make it seem like its no big deal. If you can name-drop without sounding like you're name-dropping, that's the tone you want to convey. This stuff should always add to the conversation

I just got off another phone call just now. We were talking about ISO 9001 certification. This guy is sold on the benefits of it. (And I happen to agree with him.) I told a quick story about how, when I first learned about it, I was annoyed with the whole thing, "who are these ISO auditor people and why are they getting all up in our business." I then said that I later came to really like what it was all about. If you apply it correctly, the continual process improvement that is contained in ISO 9001 can transform a business. My prospect said, 'yes, exactly! I had the same experience you did...' and went on to talk about how its affected his company and how he'd like to see things improved.

All that was a natural part of the conversation. I didn't say, 'yes, I have experience with ISO 9001, here's what I know about it," I told a personal story about it instead.

^^^ This!!!

Tell stories.

www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/simple-explanations.69679