The strategy that worked for me while closing clients

Disclaimer- Am not a trained sales professional or a thought leader in the area. Just putting across in simple words everything I’ve noticed?and tried to apply while closing clients for my freelancing business. Views are personal.

Not aware of other cities, but back in Rourkela, during my school days, some salesmen that used to have regular visits to our localities were the ‘Aqua guard’ folks. These are the pre-Aqua-guard days when we relied on water filters and boiled water for drinking purposes.

Am not sure, this would be around when I was in std 5-6. Every Mar-Apr-May, just as the summers start to begin, these folks would go on a house-to-house pitch twice every week.

They used to describe its functionings, the potential benefits, how easy to use and more safe it was and the after-purchase services every month to ensure its functioning.

Our colony people used to get excited. And there used to be evening discussions sometimes whether to get it installed, calls to relatives and friends who already have it in their homes enquiring about its utility.

But, somehow, hardly anyone in our locality used to get it for their homes. And such aggressive were their sales campaigns that every time there was a doorbell in the afternoon, people used to think its the “Aquaguard” guy.?

In Odisha and Bengal, there’s a culture of taking a small nap post lunch. On hot summer afternoons when people after having a scrumptious lunch, with coolers on when used to go on a sound nap (read: sleep), there comes the calling bell screaming.

That year, hardly any house in our colony got it installed.

1 -Odias love their post-lunch nap more than anything else.

2 -People were resistant to change, somehow they were not convinced how ‘Aqua-guard’ would be better than their water filters

3- A minimum of 6 -12 months subscription was too much. And there was uncertainty and fear that what if we don’t want it after 3-4 months and want to withdraw.

Hence that year was a disaster.

Then came new year, new summers, new lunch, new post-lunch nap and lousiness, and ofc the ‘aqua guard.’

Everything that they did the previous year was the same except for the fact - they reduced their minimum subscription time for one month. That is- you try for 1 month. If you like it, we’ll discuss further terms & conditions; if not, we’ll cancel the subscription.

The next thing I knew was-

Everyone in my colony had an Aqua Guard installed, including my house. And it still remains!

So, what happened?

We as people, by virtue, love liberty, doing things at our own pace, our own way, the idea of having a ‘choice’. Even though we might not exercise choice, the power. We prefer to keep things under our control.

The more we find a source potentially binding upon our decision-making process, the more control losing from our hands, and the more we prefer not making the choice.

In most of my discovery calls with clients, I noticed its the same psychology there-

1- They are not sure how a 3-month personal brand package would turn out for them.

-What if it doesn’t work in their favour?

-They don’t get the desired results they signed it for?

Cuz 3 months is too long a time to undo the mistakes.

2- They don’t want an online presence.

-Ahh! Their businesses are doing great

- They have an amazing offline network over the years.

They find no point in investing in their online brand.

And in both of the above cases, I and Shivani Pahadiya ask them - You just try for 1 month. Tell us your requirements and let us do what we want to.?

The less sales-y and desperate you seem to close the client, the more chance of the client getting closed. They should feel they have the full freedom and bandwidth of making the yes-or-no decision.

3 months with Rs xx : Good for us, may/maynot be for them

1 month with Rs xx : Not good for us, great for them

But that’s all right! Within that 1 month, if you bring in both results and quality, you might end up getting the next 6 months deal and not just 3!

Sometimes, the clients dont even need any hard and fast results like generating leads and business online and dont care. They need an online brand presence, an online network, without being bound. That’s it.

With their minimum time and effort.

And 60% of the times, it works.

PS- Share some of your observations about group psychology, client calls, salesman approaching you

#personalbranding #salescall #marketing #influencer #branding