I don’t know about you, but the more I’m sold a product or service, the less I want it.
It’s like a knee-jerk reaction. The more you want me to want it, the less I want it! I don’t like being hounded when I’m browsing shops, I don’t like door to door salespeople, and I absolutely loathe telemarketers.
I may sound like a Grinch, but most sales pitches give me the ick! And I’ve finally worked out why:
I don’t like being put on the spot or pressured
I need to feel a connection before I am sold something
When I think back to major purchases and investments in my life, it’s clear that I invest in people, rather than products. I buy from people that take the time to strike up a conversation and build a connection before they sell me anything. After all, without understanding me and my needs, how can they possibly know what to sell me?
This got me thinking…surely our clients feel the same way?
I reached out to some of my contacts who have worked, or are currently working with, creative agencies and asked them how they felt about hard-selling. And guess what? Most of them said it gives them the ick!
The reasons varied, but mostly it was the way they were sold things that put them off. Many of the offending sales pitches were labelled ‘impersonal’ or ‘pushy’. In some cases, they felt ambushed by salespeople who were upselling packages they couldn’t afford or see value in. As you can understand, this would all be super off-putting coming from an agency you’re trusting with your brand.
So how can agencies sell to clients without it feeling icky?
The answer is simple – project managers! PMs are perfectly placed to sell services to clients (particularly existing ones). Now I know what you’re thinking. I’m so freaking busy already, I don’t want to add salesperson to my list of responsibilities! But I’m telling you, you’re already doing the legwork without knowing it.
Our job revolves around knowing our clients and their brands. We understand what our clients need (often better than they do) and can pick out the services that will benefit them most. Better yet, we have built up heaps of rapport so we can sell services in a way that is personalised, organic, and insightful rather than generic, forced, and icky.
Why PMs make awesome salespeople:
We’re not ‘sales-y’ by nature
We build great client relationships and trust
We understand the needs of our clients
We have detailed insights about the business we serve
We can spot opportunities and areas to expand agency business
Unfortunately…
PMs rarely do anything that even remotely smells like sales. We usually don’t ‘pitch’ new ideas to our clients, even though we are perfectly placed to do so. Maybe, like me, sales gives you the ick. Maybe you don’t feel like it’s your place. Perhaps you’re afraid it will scare off clients.
Well, I think it’s high time we reconsider all this! While selling can feel icky, it’s a vital part of agency life. If anyone’s going to do it, it should be PMs. We know our clients’ personalities, needs and budgets and can find ways to sell that aren’t going to scare them away or make them cringe.
How can PMs hone their sales skills?
Step back!
Take time to step back and figure out what services your client needs before trying to sell anything. For example, an existing web client can be sold new pages, a new brand client can be sold a strategy package.
Create a sales process
Gaining a basic sales knowledge is essential if you want to sell your agency’s services. The best way to do this is by building a process. While you can take the time to develop and evolve your own sales process, here are 7 steps to get you started!
Prospecting for leads – Identify existing clients that may benefit from additional services and always be on the lookout for potential clients. Networking events or referrals from existing clients are great places to start.
Contacting prospects – Contact your clients via a preferred communication channel and set up a meeting. When it comes to new clients, I think emails and DMs are far less invasive than phone calls.
Qualifying leads – Talk to new clients and establish if they have the money, authority and desire to buy your services. When it comes to existing clients, assess whether they would benefit from additional services or not before selling anything.
Presentation – Give your client a tailored sales pitch with as much valuable information as possible. Fully discuss the features, advantages, and benefits of relevant services. Be persuasive but not pushy!
Address objections – Listen to client concerns and questions all the way through and show sincere interest when they’re speaking. Don’t take objection to heart and always keep it friendly and realistic!
Close the sale – Look for signs the client is ready to buy such as more relaxed or friendly behaviour or asking more specific questions. Rather than simply giving the option of buying or not, offer them a range of helpful services to choose from.
Follow up – Keep in close contact with clients to respond to concerns and ensure you are delivering on promises. Be appreciative and send personalised holiday emails and pass on relevant industry news or articles that may interest them.
With improved sales skills, PMs will not only benefit their agency but also themselves!
By becoming a salesperson, you can:
Become more valuable as an employee
Become harder to replace in your agency
Earn more money and increase your employability
Help your clients better achieve their brand and business goals
Do you think PMs are good salespeople?
How do you feel about PMs becoming salespeople? Have you taken on the role of salesperson before? Add to the conversation over on LinkedIn!