The free consultation as marketing

[rnhaas]

Hi there,
I'm not sure this is the right board for this post, but here goes...

I provide digital marketing training and assistance for people who don't really understand it. A big part of this is building trust with the (potential) client. So I have started with "free consultations" to a couple of potential clients as a way of hopefully talking them into hiring me. The problem, though, is me. I give too much a way. I have tried this a few times and the potential clients all left feeling as though they had their questions answered with no (immediate) need to hire me.

I am looking for advice on how to manage myself better. Strict time limits? Strict rules about what I say and don't say?

Has anyone done this successfully?

I appreciate any and all feedback.

Riley

[Harold Mansfield]

When the phone rings it's generally someone one the other end with questions. To me the free consultation has already started when they ask their first question about what I think they should do. It's just part of sales.

Yes, in the excitement of the moment and wanting to show your expertise you can give too much away so that people don't need you anymore, or take what you said and direct someone cheaper to do it.

There are ways to answer questions without giving people details and "how to" instructions. It just takes practice. However, IMO giving free consultations in our industry is pretty much giving it away. People know how to play that game and ask everything they need to know for free all while telling you how serious they are about hiring you if they could just understand a few more things.

Being new you have to start somewhere and if this equates into actual sales some of the time, just fine tune it. But if you're getting hosed every time and not closing any deals, I'd rethink either how you're doing it, or as a marketing strategy altogether.

[David Hunter]

Instead of a free consult, how about offering them a free report/book that you wrote on how they can improve their digital marketing. But, your report/book is one giant sales letters. Yes, you'll offer a lot of great stuff, but you'll also want to throw in an offer and a Call-to-Action to get prospects to respond. Give them a reason to need your services.

[vangogh]

I did similar things when starting. I tried to be as helpful as possible, but I ended up in the same place. I was giving too much away for free. I like David's idea of offering a free report/book. Answer questions about why, but not the how. Explain why digital marketing can help a business, but hold back on the details of specifically how to do it.

I'm more like Harold now and when someone calls me looking to hire me, I'm giving away some free consultation, but again I don't give away too many of the details. Unfortunately I was burned by that a few times too many and had to stop.

Another idea is to start a blog talking about what you do. Since you're not answering specific questions about someone's business you don't run into the same problems and even though you're giving away a lot of good information, people will often come away thinking the work is harder than what they want to do, but convinced of your expertise as someone worth hiring. You still have to be careful to not give away too many details, but it's another way to show you can help people and convince them to hire you.

[Harold Mansfield]

I agree with VG. A blog is a great way to show some expertise, and offer helpful tips and advice on subjects of your choice without giving away the farm. It's also cool to be able to direct people to a post that you've written on commonly asked questions, or that are menial tasks that they can do themselves.

[tallen]

Here's a good video that puts the "free consultation" or other work "on spec" into perspective:

Let the (Latest) Revolt Against Spec Work Begin! - Video - Creativity Online (http://creativity-online.com/work/zulu-alpha-kilo-spec/44160)

[Harold Mansfield]

Here's a good video that puts the "free consultation" or other work "on spec" into perspective:

Let the (Latest) Revolt Against Spec Work Begin! - Video - Creativity Online (http://creativity-online.com/work/zulu-alpha-kilo-spec/44160)

That's awesome and so true. It's one of the main reasons I don't bid on projects. Ever. People searching for bids in this industry are just looking to gather all of the good ideas and processes, and then they're going to stick the cheapest person with doing them.

[JasonG]

Definitely understand how it is easy to give away too much information. I am inclined to believe that some people who opt in for a free consultation might not have any substantial intention to take it further even before they have spoken with you - they just want free advice.

As others have said offering a free book, or having a blog is a great ste to showing you capabilities without giving away too much.

[Amber]

Oh man. That's exactly how I felt after giving a "free consultation" for pet sitting. Although my field doesn't rely on information, it's still a service and as a service your time is precious. I remember when I went to my first customer's home, listened to them talk about their animals, gave an overview of my services, talked price, and then they wanted referrals. I figured okay, they want to check me out first. They gave me a vague time and date when they would need me.

The consult lasted an hour and a half of my time. With no guarantee they would call me back. Even though my references checked out for them and I ended up doing business for them...I learned a lesson quickly. I'm not sure how others in service businesses prefer to do consultations but it seems like it should be a time to lay out the contract, have it signed and then receive upfront payment. I'm thinking of no longer doing free consultations. They can ask me a few questions over the phone or email, but that's it.

The only problem is what happens when you get there and the situation is different/more difficult then what the customer originally told you over the phone---i.e. a bait and switch? Time to set up some policies and a contract is my advise.

[Harold Mansfield]

Oh man. That's exactly how I felt after giving a "free consultation" for pet sitting. Although my field doesn't rely on information, it's still a service and as a service your time is precious. I remember when I went to my first customer's home, listened to them talk about their animals, gave an overview of my services, talked price, and then they wanted referrals. I figured okay, they want to check me out first. They gave me a vague time and date when they would need me.

The consult lasted an hour and a half of my time. With no guarantee they would call me back. Even though my references checked out for them and I ended up doing business for them...I learned a lesson quickly. I'm not sure how others in service businesses prefer to do consultations but it seems like it should be a time to lay out the contract, have it signed and then receive upfront payment. I'm thinking of no longer doing free consultations. They can ask me a few questions over the phone or email, but that's it.

The only problem is what happens when you get there and the situation is different/more difficult then what the customer originally told you over the phone---i.e. a bait and switch? Time to set up some policies and a contract is my advise.

In your case, seeing the home is pretty important so that you know what you're getting into. Maybe do the initial consultation over the phone, and make the next step a home visit before you take the job. You're correct, that going on location is costly of both time and money. Questions can be asked over the phone, and then a short interview.

[BobOlmstead]

I have used the free consult for many years very successfully.

The Basics

-Whenever you mention a free initial consult always add, "for those that qualify". This is massively important. Your time is valuable, putting this out there lets people know you mean business.
-Remove the mentality (if you have it) that more (as in more free consults) is better. You don't need a ton of consults, you need a few pre-qualified consults.
-Remove your phone number from your website, I dont even put it on my business cards. You have to go through a set process to get my time. I have never, not once, taken a call blindly and pitched someone.
-Sign-up for ScheduleOnce and set it up like this: LINK (http://www.booknow.so/BobOlmstead)
-Once you are on ScheduleOnce, GREATLY limit your availability for calls. I typically only have 8 openings a week during heavily sales cycles and 4 when Im booked up with clients (per week). ScheduleOnce automates all your reminders and thank yous.
-On your website, have a contact firm and have people jump through some hoops to make sure they are serious. If you click on the website link in my sig and then go to the "Chat With Bob", you will see what I mean.

The Set Up
-I have multiple channels to set-up the free initial consult: free live workshops, a webinar and my podcast. These are designed to establish (a) Im legit, (b) Im very good at what I do (authority) and therefore (c) my time is valuable.
-When I get an email from a prospective client, I insist on getting to know them a tiny bit, what they're looking for, before I am willing to send them to my scheduling portal.
-THIS PART IS A MUST: During your email exchange, you need to find at least one hot button that you can call back in the next step. Without it, you could end up wasting a lot of time. So getting skilled at finding that one thing they are most looking for and that you can legitimately deliver, is essential.
-If it appears I have a valid prospect, I then have a stand cut and paste statement i use along the lines of:

"Hey Joe

Great talking to you over our last few emails. Im excited to learn more about your business and how I might be of service. [PRETEND HOT BUTTON] It's clear to me that SEO is very overwhelming for you. Not to worry! Its overwhelming for everyone. If we end up working together, I only work with clients I can genuinely help, and if you follow my counsel, we should be able to make progress within about X months.

But here's the deal, Joe. If you are looking for a free hour of stupendous brilliance, that is not going to happen.The purpose of the free one hour consult is to determine if we are a mutual fit. Sure, most people get one or two things they can act on right away. But the main goal is to determine if your firm is the kind of firm that I can help. If that works for you, please go here to book your session [SCHEDULE ONCE LINK]. Please make sure to use the potential client portal, as booking client time would cause your appointment to be cancelled.

Many thanks for your time. I love forward to our upcoming collaboration!
Riley

[Harold Mansfield]

I have used the free consult for many years very successfully.

The Basics

-Whenever you mention a free initial consult always add, "for those that qualify". This is massively important. Your time is valuable, putting this out there lets people know you mean business.
-Remove the mentality (if you have it) that more (as in more free consults) is better. You don't need a ton of consults, you need a few pre-qualified consults.
-Remove your phone number from your website, I dont even put it on my business cards. You have to go through a set process to get my time. I have never, not once, taken a call blindly and pitched someone.
-Sign-up for ScheduleOnce and set it up like this: LINK (http://www.booknow.so/BobOlmstead)
-Once you are on ScheduleOnce, GREATLY limit your availability for calls. I typically only have 8 openings a week during heavily sales cycles and 4 when Im booked up with clients (per week). ScheduleOnce automates all your reminders and thank yous.
-On your website, have a contact firm and have people jump through some hoops to make sure they are serious. If you click on the website link in my sig and then go to the "Chat With Bob", you will see what I mean.

The Set Up
-I have multiple channels to set-up the free initial consult: free live workshops, a webinar and my podcast. These are designed to establish (a) Im legit, (b) Im very good at what I do (authority) and therefore (c) my time is valuable.
-When I get an email from a prospective client, I insist on getting to know them a tiny bit, what they're looking for, before I am willing to send them to my scheduling portal.
-THIS PART IS A MUST: During your email exchange, you need to find at least one hot button that you can call back in the next step. Without it, you could end up wasting a lot of time. So getting skilled at finding that one thing they are most looking for and that you can legitimately deliver, is essential.
-If it appears I have a valid prospect, I then have a stand cut and paste statement i use along the lines of:

"Hey Joe

Great talking to you over our last few emails. Im excited to learn more about your business and how I might be of service. [PRETEND HOT BUTTON] It's clear to me that SEO is very overwhelming for you. Not to worry! Its overwhelming for everyone. If we end up working together, I only work with clients I can genuinely help, and if you follow my counsel, we should be able to make progress within about X months.

But here's the deal, Joe. If you are looking for a free hour of stupendous brilliance, that is not going to happen.The purpose of the free one hour consult is to determine if we are a mutual fit. Sure, most people get one or two things they can act on right away. But the main goal is to determine if your firm is the kind of firm that I can help. If that works for you, please go here to book your session [SCHEDULE ONCE LINK]. Please make sure to use the potential client portal, as booking client time would cause your appointment to be cancelled.

Many thanks for your time. I love forward to our upcoming collaboration!
Riley

Looks exhausting.

[shutupdan]

I used to work in a computer repair store and my boss always got onto me for helping people with things that we could charge for, simply because for me, it took about 5 seconds, and I didn't feel that I was giving anything away. It just takes time to learn how to phrase things in a vague but satisfying answer.

[anilverma]

Learnt the hard way but freemium does not always work unless you do economy of scale (I mean do business with a very large number of prospects/clients). You should introduce a free bait that does not consume a lot of your time. (Free ebook, free basic software, think of other things). You first need to find a very small niche in your market and be the goto guy in that niche, then target your niche market. I have used Google Adwords, Facebook Ads to get clients, but nothing beats my personal network. Keep growing your network, a cold prospect can become a huge customer few years down the line.

[BobOlmstead]

Harold: Its business. Building a strong business that is supported by equally strong systems requires work. However, once its built, the system I outlined above DRAMATICALLY saves an owner tons of time on a many levels, while also pre-qualifying their lead flow. Well worth the effort. There are no quick fixes to a well run organization.

[Harold Mansfield]

Harold: Its business. Building a strong business that is supported by equally strong systems requires work. However, once its built, the system I outlined above DRAMATICALLY saves an owner tons of time on a many levels, while also pre-qualifying their lead flow. Well worth the effort. There are no quick fixes to a well run organization.
My process is just a little simpler these days. Generally my customers are already pre-qualified before they even call me and I don't put anyone through any hoops to contact me.

I also don't do free consults anymore. I tried it and realized that it didn't result in an increase in sales compared to the time I was spending promoting it, setting them up, and doing them. Since I stopped offering it and started promoting a paid one hour consult, I actually do more.

These days not a lot of window shoppers call. They've already seen who I am, what I do, read reviews, and have a general idea of starting pricing. It means less calls than before, but now most calls are closes.

Things were different before I started narrowing my targeting. It didn't happen overnight and I wouldn't suggest that what works for me works for everyone.

I said from day one that I wouldn't do any of the things that people complain the most about when dealing with people in my industry, and jumping through hoops just to contact someone is one of the things. I'm just personally opposed to having a different level of customer service online than you would if you were an office that was open from 9-5. But I also come from 20+ years of customer service, so being accessible and treating everyone the same has worked well for me over those years.

Sometimes just answering the phone M-F 9-5 is all you need to do to put someone at ease enough to pull out their credit card. "Make it easy for people to do business with you" is what I'm always telling people. It works.

[BobOlmstead]

I dont think Ive ever seen anyone in your industry that actually builds the site, do free consults per see. Some opening chats, perhaps. "Putting people through hoops" and the need for it, varies greatly by industry. Free consults for low dollar offerings don't make a lot of sense to me. There are better ways to systemically handle those needs. However, higher dollar engagements absolutely demand as much screening as is reasonable. Especially so if the kind of advice you are giving away is in high demand and expensive.

In the example you gave on your industry, an accurate one that I recently did a podcast about (more about tech than web design), marketing your philosophy alone along with some social proof, could be enough. But for many that charge for their time, that is not enough. The "free advice" must be behind a gateway or you end up wasting a ton of time and resources. And thats based on 17 years in the professional service industry having worked with well over 100 businesses.

Im glad you found an approach that works for you. Im even happier that you seem to place a very high value on the integrity of your brand, massively important.

Best for a great day ;-)

[Harold Mansfield]

I dont think Ive ever seen anyone in your industry that actually builds the site, do free consults per see. Some opening chats, perhaps. "Putting people through hoops" and the need for it, varies greatly by industry.

These days I do less web design, and more support and marketing. Very few window shoppers when you start getting to the nitty gritty because it's usually not first timers. It's experienced business owners improving or needing tech support.

Yes, there's a certain price point where a free consult is just you giving people free advice and getting burned. Depends on the service. Most noobs definitely do it incorrectly. I know I did. Giving people all the information and tools to either do it themselves, or hire someone cheaper. But you have to go through it to learn.

It's also why I don't bid on jobs.


As for free advice? Of course I still give it, but on my terms. Here on the forum, my blog, and now e-books. But the hour on the phone, free consult thing doesn't work for me at this stage. Just call, we'll talk and I'll know in 5 minutes whether one of us is wasting the others time.

[Paul]

Just call, we'll talk and I'll know in 5 minutes whether one of us is wasting the others time.

That’s just about the whole thing in one sentence.

Take the call. Making it difficult to reach you makes no sense to me. Personally, if I can’t call I don’t bother.

Whether you call it a consultation or not the secret is for you to qualify the caller as fast as possible. You control the conversation. Ask them questions to determine if they might be a good customer, don’t just answer their random questions.

Just like Harold, when I get a call I know within just a few minutes if the conversation should continue or not. Be prepared for these calls, it’s not their fault if they waste your time; it’s your fault if you can’t qualify them quickly.

[Fulcrum]

Take the call. Making it difficult to reach you makes no sense to me. Personally, if I can’t call I don’t bother.

I do the same as Paul with this. I don't want to wait until I get home to contact someone (not worth installing internet at shop) and a 5-10 minute chat can almost always be more productive than having to play the email and wait game. I've dropped a few vendors because I couldn't reach a salesperson on the other end.

[Harold Mansfield]

I've dropped a few vendors because I couldn't reach a salesperson on the other end.

It's my biggest pet peeve in business. Poor (don't give a crap) communication skills.
Most times it's either a complete lack of consideration for your time, or just bad organizational skills. Either way, I have no patience for it anymore.

[BobOlmstead]

It's my biggest pet peeve in business. Poor (don't give a crap) communication skills.
Most times it's either a complete lack of consideration for your time, or just bad organizational skills. Either way, I have no patience for it anymore.

Well maybe high level consulting, which Ive been doing for two decades, is different- but Im reading lots of generalizations. If a potential client expects me to be immediately accessible then its not going to work out, not in the kind of work I do. It takes time and effort, patience and investing in a process. I would hazard to guess I save at least 10-15 hours a month by not offering direct and immediate access to my brain. And I weed out the ones that are big on attitude and low on commitment. Comprehensive brand development and business development work takes hard work. I dont take half a million firms to triple that by offering immediate access. And I have operated that way, without any problems, for many years now.

[Fulcrum]

I think we're just missing each other in what we're trying to say.

Immediate availability isn't easily achievable for many small businesses unless they employ people for inside sales - especially when dealing B2B. My opinion, and how I operate, is that if I call you and leave a message, or you call me and leave one, I expect, or return, a call back the same day (of course there are exceptions to this).

[Harold Mansfield]

Well maybe high level consulting, which Ive been doing for two decades, is different- but Im reading lots of generalizations. If a potential client expects me to be immediately accessible then its not going to work out, not in the kind of work I do. It takes time and effort, patience and investing in a process.

I don't think it's as different as you think it is. You just do it differently. Which is OK. Whatever works for you.

Immediate access comes at a price and I don't mind giving it. And that's true in every profession whether you're a Doctor, Lawyer, Car Mechanic, or Landscaper.

Even The White House responds in a timely manner even if it's just a form letter.

I don't think it's out of line to expect a response from a business during business hours. Especially one that I'm paying. And I give the same to my clients whether they're paying by the hour or the year.

[Paul]

I’m not sure what you mean by “high level” consulting. I believe the regulars on here all provide high level services or consulting.

Apparently the mystique of the inaccessible guru works with your target clientele. It’s very different for me as most of my calls come from some form of reference so I don’t need to run them through a maze to weed out the tire kickers. I just have to determine if it’s a situation that makes sense for me. That I can do fairly quickly with a phone chat.

But, the subject of this thread was in response to a new business that was looking for advice regarding free consultations as a means to develop some business. I’m not so sure creating obstacles for prospective clients is the best strategy for that. I think rather the OP just needs to learn to field the calls and inquiries in an effective manner. That comes with practice. In the mean time take the calls.

[BizAdvisor]

Free consultations are opportunities to kick your sales game into high gear. Consultations aren't necessarily about giving free advice... Rather, your window of opportunity to sell the potential client on the benefits of what YOU can do for them better than they can ever possibly do for themselves. Give the potential client outcomes that you can realistically achieve without actually giving away your strategy in which you plan to achieve them. This can be done by referencing past/current client experiences and results to validate your sales pitch.

[BobOlmstead]

I’m not sure what you mean by “high level” consulting. I believe the regulars on here all provide high level services or consulting.

Apparently the mystique of the inaccessible guru works with your target clientele. It’s very different for me as most of my calls come from some form of reference so I don’t need to run them through a maze to weed out the tire kickers. I just have to determine if it’s a situation that makes sense for me. That I can do fairly quickly with a phone chat.

But, the subject of this thread was in response to a new business that was looking for advice regarding free consultations as a means to develop some business. I’m not so sure creating obstacles for prospective clients is the best strategy for that. I think rather the OP just needs to learn to field the calls and inquiries in an effective manner. That comes with practice. In the mean time take the calls.

Im well aware what the OP asked, our views and experiences are just significantly different in our response.

[marketingwriter]

Hi Riley,

You're on the right track. Building trust is critical. I think you might be a bit quick in the offering of how-to advice and not giving the relationship a chance to take hold.

The first thing to do is ask questions. What is going on in the person's business that they took you up on your free consult offer? What have they tried? Are they getting traffic? etc..the idea is to get into a conversation that allows you to fully understand what you're dealing with.

The answers will tell you if the person is just a freeloader or sincerely looking to fix a problem. During this time, a relationship has a chance to form. A little less HOW and a bit more WHY and WHAT should fix the issue.

Hope that helps.

[tbrehse]

I am a marketing consultant, and I limit "consultations" to a single call, in which I am happy to answer as many questions as the potential client has. After that, I limit communication to email only and if they persist with questions, I answer very bluntly with the offer to create a proposal for services. That usually gets the message across. I have no problem giving away my knowledge up front, and if they're a quality client they will recognize there's much more where that came from and hire me. If not, and they only want to pursue free advice, they're probably not the type of client I want to work with anyway and can be cut off!

[ericchristopher]

I provide digital marketing training and assistance for people who don't really understand it. A big part of this is building trust with the (potential) client. So I have started with "free consultations" to a couple of potential clients as a way of hopefully talking them into hiring me. The problem, though, is me. I give too much a way. I have tried this a few times and the potential clients all left feeling as though they had their questions answered with no (immediate) need to hire me.

Maybe the demographic you are targeting isn't the right one? Offer advice that leaves the user with value that nearly forces them to ask for more.

Generating a lead for an attorney would mean more to the attorney than doing the same for a lawncare business owner. The latter can find leads a hell of a lot easier than an attorney. And the attorney's, more than likely, pay better.