How can I make people take me seriously?

[Livengood]

I am going to try to acquire clients by direct mailing and then try to make a sale when they call but will meet up with them in person if need be. But I am 16 so when I am on the phone with them will they take me seriously? How can I make sure they take me serious?

[Patrysha]

If you know your stuff, and don't act like they would expect a 16 tear old to act, they should take you seriously. there will be some who judge because you're young - but for the most part people are very supportive of young entrepreneurs. Practice you spiel and be confident and you should do fine.

[runbch]

No matter what you are selling, you need to show expertise. Show people what you can do and have people willing to vouch for you.

[Harold Mansfield]

What exactly is your business? There are some things that you just aren't going to be able to overcome at 16. For instance, not many people (if any) will hire a 16 year old financial adviser.

[Livengood]

SEO, and other online related services.

[Harold Mansfield]

SEO, and other online related services.

A lot of people will trust a kid ( no offense) with that kind of work, but be prepared that many won't. I'm sure you're smart and capable, but no one who has been online longer than you've been able to read is going to think you have enough experience to know what you're talking about when it comes to SEO, but they may trust you with design. It just depends.

Any number of business owner are discriminated against by potential clients for everyday for many reasons...too old, too young, fat, black, gay, women, went to the wrong college, and so on. All you can do is present yourself professionally, know what you're talking about, and be able to back it up and deliver with excellent service. You can't control what other people think or how they feel, but you can make sure that you have your stuff together on your end so as not to give them an easy excuse not to hire you.

[BizAdvisor]

Being taken seriously in business isn't necessarily an age issue... It's a credibility issue, which is common for many start-up businesses to have to overcome. I know many business people, myself included, that would have no problem doing business with a 16 year old, as long as he/she had the credentials and references to validate the positive execution of their services or quality of their products.

How can you build up your credibility? For starters, make your own business viable as a reference. You mentioned you do SEO. Well, how does you own website rank? If you claim to offer SEO services, yet your own website has poor ranking, then you have poor credibility. However, if your own website has good optimization, then it gives some validation of your ability to produce results; i.e. "If I can do this for my business, I can do it for yours."

[MarkPoppen]

SEO, and other online related services.

You're in the business that we're in. SEO is really tough to sell, especially because a lot of people get calls regularly from "offshore companies", offering SEO with a smooth and quick sales call. If you sound mature, I don't care how old you are. If you're trying to close a deal on the first call, I will not hire you. I need to trust you with my money, so you will have to show me what you know.
I'm likely not your average target audience, but I would want to see results. Optimize a few sites, and tell the customer to google a specific keyword, then say "See Company XYZ on the 1st page? That's because of my techniques".
Also, if you blackhat, I will not hire you. If you guarantee me the 1st spot in Google, I will not hire you.

So: Results is all I care about. Show me what you've done, and I'll take you serious.

[TTS]

I'm not the least bit familiar with your line of work but my advice is don't hide your age and try to spin it into your sales pitch if you can. Play up how you're young which means you're not stuck in your old ways and you're in the tech generation so you're up on the latest and greatest from the online world. Take that plus what others said about acting like a professional adult and knowing your stuff and you will maximize your potential.

You will still get people that won't trust you because of your age just learn how to exit those situations gracefully and you will really prove what a professional you are.

[billbenson]

If you know your stuff, and don't act like they would expect a 16 tear old to act, they should take you seriously. there will be some who judge because you're young - but for the most part people are very supportive of young entrepreneurs. Practice you spiel and be confident and you should do fine.

Early in my sales career I found that customers would buy from me to 'help the kid out'. And I'm talking about $1M orders. But I really knew the product, acted professional, was honest, etc.

Take what could be a negative, in this case your age, and make it a positive!

[broudie]

SEO is a crowded space. You'll need to do something different other than direct mailing. I get a few every day and all of them go to my SPAM box.

[HooktoWin]

I am going to try to acquire clients by direct mailing and then try to make a sale when they call but will meet up with them in person if need be. But I am 16 so when I am on the phone with them will they take me seriously? How can I make sure they take me serious?

Livengood do this one thing well and your age stops mattering. Do it incredibly well and your age becomes a competitive advantage.

What is it?

Teaching.


Education (e.g. seminars, webinars, articles, blog posts, podcasts, etc.) attracts customers.
Information (e.g. warranties, policies, services, objections, testimonials, process, etc.) converts customers.


If you want to be known you need to teach. If you're a good teacher (with regard to your industry) your age starts to matter less.
If you're an exceptional teacher people start to see you as a prodigy or dynamo "Hey if you've got marketing problems you've gotta see this kid, he really knows his stuff".

Here's what I'd recommend:


Identify your target audience (the person that's willing and able to pay) for your stuff.
Find the places, events, functions or hangouts they visit.
Get in there and teach a workshop, webinar, seminar, meeting or event.
Conclude your class with a list of potential problems do-it-yourselfers face.
Show them how hiring you helps them avoid those potential problems.
Repeat steps 1 - 5.


Good luck!

Andrew

[JC]

I am going to try to acquire clients by direct mailing and then try to make a sale when they call but will meet up with them in person if need be. But I am 16 so when I am on the phone with them will they take me seriously? How can I make sure they take me serious?

Maturity is a big factor. I hired a kid who just turned 17 this past year and he's an excellent worker...very mature! He outworks most and quite frankly is smarter and more focused and has solid integrity. Stay humble and treat customers (and people in general) with respect and dignity.

[shrinkme]

I would use a 16 year old if they would get the work done. I, personally, would only pay after the work was delivered. Problem is, most people your age talk a good game but they don't deliver. But if you delivered, I would pay. And if you delivered, I would make use of your services again.

Provide your potential client with an estimate of expenses and stick to it. Best to provide free time then to make your client unhappy.

[Zman]

I agree with what billbenson posted. Use what you think is a disadvantage and turn it into an advantage and a point of differentiation from your competitors. Older people, specially in your line of work, can sometimes be viewed as "old school". That can be a good thing but it can also be a bad thing. Position yourself as cutting edge. You are the person to do business with BECAUSE of your age, not in spite of it. You grew up with this landscape around you and most likely know more than most BECAUSE of your age. Present it as a competitive advantage and a point of differentiation and you could be off to the races.

One thing I would concentrate on is getting customer testimonials and featuring them prominently on your website or in your marketing material or both. Even if you have to do some work for free just to get testimonials, they are worth their weight in gold. Specifically focus on gathering testimonials from people older than yourself. That will help solve some credibility issues people may have.

Good luck!

[KurtH]

Do you have any testimonials from past clients that can provide social proof of your expertise ?

[Owen]

You should be fine. I partnered with a company at 15 lol you should've seen the look on their faces when i walked into that office haha

[kelly55]

To be taken seriously you have to radiate confidence and have good body language. Greet them with a confident voice and give them strong and assured handshake when you meet them. These small things add up. Your expertise and how you talk about your business matters too. You should be able to answer any questions/inquiries they have.
Whatever age you are, it doesn't matter. If you are able to market yourself with confident and ease, they will definitely be your long-term clients. :)