When you first start out, your client has nothing to go on when it comes to assessing whether you can deliver what you promise. They will be analysing, both consciously and subconsciously whether you meet their expectations of what a knowledgeable computer consultant should sound like.

Pre-advert preparation that doubles your results – guaranteed!

I cannot stress enough the importance of practising what you will say before you say it. You simply must prepare before you get a call. Failure to do so is likely to result in sloppy handling of your first few enquiries – and this will cost you money!

Even with considerable experience, I still often have a handy checklist of points to make when answering calls or following up on enquiries. Its just too difficult to remember all the reasons why they should do business with you when most of your attention is spent listening to what the client is looking for. I keep this list by the phone.

How to answer with top-notch credibility – word for word

There is only one way: Write on paper what you intend to say and practice out loud. Do it in the car so your spouse or partner doesn’t think you are an idiot. Don’t skip this part. You have got to act as though you have been doing this stuff for years.

Also, keep your script handy, preferably next to your phone. When you answer it will be there to guide you along. The top telesales firms script their calls and so should you. It’s the only way to ensure a consistently high level of professionalism when on the phone. When you get lots of experience under your belt you can then break the rules but not yet. Get it right first of all. You’ll install good phone habits in the process.

My word by word script that has stood the test of time

YOU: “Good morning, XYZ Company, John speaking. How may I help you?”

This is a great introduction and follows the approach that most larger companies adopt.

ENQUIRER: “I saw your advert on computer training in the local paper and wondered what you charge?”

Don’t give away a price straight away or the client will often end up saying “OK, thanks. I’ll give it some thought. Goodbye.” Avoid this at all costs. Your goal here is to get talking with this enquirer and get them emotionally involved with their particular computer need.”

YOU: “Which paper was that?”

Get your advertising source and make a note.

ENQUIRER: “The Local Rag.”

YOU: “And what were you looking for computer training on?”

Get them talking. See if you can offer what they are looking for.

ENQUIRER: “I want to learn more about Word. I’ve been off work for several years looking after the kids and I want to get my skills current.”

YOU: “Have you ever used Word before?”

Get more information to establish what their level of computer literacy is. Half the time people want to learn something like Word but they don’t know how to use Windows. It is up to you to check out what they do know and advise them on what they actually need.

ENQUIRER: “Once or twice but that was a long time ago.”

YOU: “Have you used Windows before?”

ENQUIRER: “My friends got a home computer and I’ve seen it there but I haven’t really used it much.”

YOU: “We can certainly help you with your training on Word but you need to know something about Windows before you can use Word. We could combine the training so you can learn Windows and Word at the same time. There’s no point in you taking an extra course on Windows when we can combine the two. Does that sound like something you would want to do?”

You are advising them of their needs and at the same time suggesting away to get their training needs sorted without having to set up separate courses for Word and Windows. Then you test the water to gauge their interest.

ENQUIRER: “Yes, that’s the sort of thing I’m looking for.”

YOU: “Great! Well, we charge $40 per hour with a minimum of 2 hours in one session. We come to you and we speak in layman’s terms. Having someone show you what to do is by far the easiest way to learn. When were you looking for this training?”

If they say soon you are in with a great shot at getting the sale. If they say “It was just a tentative enquiry - we’ll get back to you” then they are probably put off by your price. People rarely give the real reason why they don’t want to go ahead.

ENQUIRER: “As soon as possible. Do you have something for next week?”

A sale! They have indicated they want to go ahead. Just agree the time and date. Then, just before you go, confirm the details.

YOU: “Let me just check. How about next Thursday at 2pm?”

ENQUIRIER: “Yes, that’s fine. Can we book it then?”

YOU: “Consider it done. Can I have your address please?”

ENQUIRER: “We live at 19 The Drive, Montargis Way, New York.”

YOU: “OK, just to confirm then. That’s next Thursday the 11th at 2pm at your home. See you then. Bye!”

The important thing is to remember the general structure of the call, the key phrases I am using and how I conclude the sale. You will eventually end up using your own approach but use something that works first. Then experiment.

Proven techniques for revealing your clients needs and budget

Here are some phrases that I’ve successfully used to…

• Establish the client’s requirements
• Discover how much they are willing to pay and
• Get them to sell themselves on taking you up on your offer.

Memorise them and use them.

“Is there any reason you don’t want to learn from computer manuals?”

Home users will quite often say, “I find they’re written for computer experts.” This is encouraging for you because it shows they are not really giving themselves much choice but to get some training. It also helps bolster their desire for getting outside help.

There’s a well known expression in selling…

If a client says it, its true.
If you say it, they can doubt you.

By getting your client to verbally confirm why they need computer training, it helps you get the sale.

“Why do you want to learn XYZ software?”

Find their reasons for wanting their training. They might say “The computers been stuck in the corner for 12 months and hardly gets used. We want to get the most out of it.” It is very common for home users to say that. Business users also come out with something similar from time to time but, the business users need more tangible reasons to get some training i.e. there is a specific problem they are facing and it needs an immediate solution.

Once you know their reasons, you can target your sales presentation towards these “hot buttons”. For example, you could reply: “Most people end up using only 5% of their computers with the remaining 95% going to waste. That’s a terrible waste of money.” Nearly everyone agrees with this turn of phrase. I’ve heard them say it so many times themselves. They all seem to think they’re using 5% of their machine. I don’t know where they get that figure from. In my opinion its more like 0.0005%!

“What’s in the budget for this?”

When estimating a price for software development for a small or medium sized company, sometimes the client has no idea how expensive it can be. They think the likely cost could be $1,000 when it may be nearer $10,000.

There is nothing more frustrating than spending a lot of your valuable time drawing up a software development specification to find the clients price expectation is way out. Getting a specification done for a typical project could initially take 1 – 2 days if you include client meetings. It is a waste of everybody’s time if you don’t give them a clue as to what this sort of thing costs.

Ask them what they have budgeted. Sometimes, to my amazement, they actually tell you. “We’ve got up to $4,000 for this.” This response tends to happen more for the larger companies as their IT departments may have already given them an idea as to the likely cost. Or, your contact has already had software development done for them before and they know it is costly.

Most small to medium sized companies will say something like “We don’t know yet. We just want you to tell us what it will cost.”

Respond with: “Do you have any expectations over price?” They say no.

You say: “Have you ever had software developed before?” They say no.

You say: “Well, the reason I’m asking all this is that quite often clients don’t have realistic expectations over what custom software development costs. And we don’t want to waste your time if your expectations differ dramatically from the actual likely cost.”

They say: “We haven’t got much of an idea but its certainly not rocket-science.” I don’t know why but so many people seem to say rocket-science. It’s their stock phrase.

You say: “Just to give you an idea, our average project costs around $8,000. Were you aware that these sorts of prices were charged for programming?”

If they say, “Yes, we know” then fine, proceed with your quotation.

But if they say “That’s much more than we thought. I was hoping for something nearer $800” then either they are negotiating or their expectations are way out. Establish which it is – if you can - and then decide if your time is worth chasing business that is unlikely to amount to anything.

Generally, a one-man band is much less likely to find software development affordable. There are exceptions to the rule but your general market is companies with 4 or more employees.

When it comes to training, companies generally have a better idea over the cost. A large company usually sends its employees on several training courses and the typical costs are known. Medium sized companies may also have an idea because they tend to use the services of professionals in their everyday business. However, smaller companies tend to expect more for less money. They have to for financial reasons.

“Have you had much computer training done before?”

This questions lets you know whether they have employed professionals in the past and therefore they have an idea of what it costs. They say: “Not much. We had one guy in about 6 months ago but he’s moved on to a full time job now.” You say: “What training did he do?” They say: “He did a couple of days on Word and a couple of days on Excel.”

This is EXTREMELY valuable information. You now know they are looking, most likely, for training by the day. When I first started, I used to advise about 3 hours training at a time. I ended up doing so much travelling for 3 hours work and the travelling was unbillable.

Also, when the client learnt a lot in 3 hours they used to say “Well, we know most of what we need so we won’t book any more training on this area for a while.” I was shooting myself in the foot every time.

If you get a gem of information like this, make them think that training by the day is the norm. You are much more likely to get one days worth or more if you do.

You will notice that many of these questions lead the client to open up and volunteer more information, which in itself is extremely valuable. Use this to good effect.

“When were you looking to have this XXX done?”

This phrase lets you establish their urgency, which can also affect your billing rate. If someone is urgent to get something done they are more likely to pay a premium than someone who has no time pressure and can shop around at their leisure.

Imagine someone has a network problem. They said they want some help with networking. You ask them when they want it done. They say immediately! You say “Fine, we can certainly help you with that this afternoon. We charge $100 per hour for emergency network support.”

If they said they wanted help sometime in the next 4 weeks you would say: “Fine, we can certainly help you with that. We charge $55 per hour for network support…”

By asking when they were looking for help, you have upped your hourly rate by $45 per hour. Nice!

3 beginners mistakes when returning calls

We all make mistakes when first starting out. But let’s avoid the most common
ones.

Mistake #1: You wait too long
If someone leaves you a message, you should return his or her call within 24 hours. I’ve had numerous opportunities go by the wayside because I left it too late. The reasons for my tardiness ranged from being on appointments all day to just downright laziness.

The longer you are in this business the more important you realise this is. Call 2 days later and they say “Its OK thanks. We’ve found someone who does XYZ now.” You’ve lost a potential client and remember what the lifetime value of a client can be worth. Or you’ve made a bad impression on an existing client. It costs a lot of money to acquire a client and even more for a good client. Don’t loose them by being slow calling back.

If you are in appointments all day, check your phone messages by remote control or have someone pick them up for you. Better still, have your calls redirected to your mobile phone. Then return their calls in your lunch break.

Mistake #2: You don’t introduce yourself professionally
If calling an existing client, don’t necessarily expect them to remember your name. Business clients deal with a lot of people and I’m sorry to say but your name may not be high on their list of things to remember.

Say, “This is John Doe from XYZ Company. You called me earlier today about some computer training you were looking for.”

You’ve given your name, company and jogged their memory on what they were phoning about.

They’ll say, “Oh yes, thanks for calling back…”

Some clients will remember your name but won’t have a clue as to the name of your company. Othertimes, a client knows your company by not your name. Sometimes they don’t remember either unless they refer to their diary, hence the need to jog their memory on what they called you for.

Often you will be returning the call to someone high up in a business. Their staff have been trained to screen out as many calls as possibly, especially if they suspect you are a salesperson.

In my early days of running my computer consultancy, I often faced problems contacting someone who made an enquiry earlier on in the day. The conversation went something like this:

YOU: “Hello, can I speak to David Jones please?”

SECRETARY: “May I ask who’s calling?”

YOU: “John Doe.”

SECRETARY: “And what is the nature of your call?”

YOU: “Its about computer training.”

SECRETARY: “I’m afraid he’s in a meeting at the moment. Can I take a message and get him to call you back?”

This is normally the brush-off. They think you are a salesperson trying to get through to David Jones to make a pitch.

This is the professional way to return a call:

YOU: “Hello, can I speak to David Jones please? He made an enquiry concerning computer training today and I’m returning his call. My name is John Doe from XYZ Company.”

SECRETARY: “One moment please. I’ll see if he’s free… Putting you through now.”

By stating all the information up front the secretary knows you are not a salesperson and will then put you through.

Mistake #3: You call at the worst times of day
I recommend against calling before 9:15 or after 5pm if you can help it. More often than not the person has either left work, hasn’t yet arrived at work or is involved in end of day and beginning of day routines. Also, avoid lunchtimes.

There are two problems when calling at these awkward times:

1. The client won’t give you sufficient time to sell your wares. They are in a hurry so you can’t get them emotionally involved in their computer requirements.
2. You end up being put on hold for ages while someone tries to track down the person you want. At lunchtimes they are often away from their desks and at the end of day people often seem to go walkabouts. You waste your time, which you should now highly value. Use it wisely.

There are exceptions to these general rules. Often you will find senior management can be contacted easier if you call before 9am or after 5pm. They frequently arrive earlier and leave later. Also, they may have more time during these “off” periods, as they will normally be free of meetings and staff demands.

How an answerphone can make or break your image

Let’s assume you are a busy professional. You are out on appointments and can’t answer the phone. You get an enquiry and someone goes through to your answerphone. What do they hear? What you have recorded on that answerphone is the only thing that can determine their impression of you and your business. They don’t know you any more than the next person.

Your answerphone image can make or break the chances of them leaving a message. Many people don’t like leaving messages. Therefore, if possible get every call answered. However, depending on your circumstances this may be unrealistic.

If someone makes an enquiry but fails to leave a message, you get a 50:50 chance they will call back. They will often go to a competitor and see if they can speak to someone immediately. All that expensive advertising you have done ends up nearly twice as expensive for the same number of potential customers you speak to. You don’t want that to happen.

Make your answerphone image separate you from the rest of the crowd. Its not difficult as most haven’t put any thought into it.

7 power tips essential for an effective IT answerphone use

Tip #1: Don’t use the standard answerphone message
How often have you heard the default message that comes with an answerphone? You end up sounding like an amateur with nothing to distinguish you. The potential client doesn’t even know if they have called the right number, as you haven’t identified your company. Do your own message.

Tip #2: Set it to kick in after 3 rings when out
Researchers suggest answering a phone after 3 rings when you are in. If you answer earlier the caller is startled. If you answer later the caller may hang up.

Therefore I recommend setting your answerphone to 3 rings before it kicks in. If it comes on immediately, the caller may not have had time to psychologically settle down and be ready to leave an answerphone message.

Tip #3: Identify the company name and not your own
Don’t say, “Hello, this is John Doe. Please leave a message after the tone.” It will make your company sound small and that can go against you in the business market.

Instead, say “Thank you for calling XYZ company. We are unable to take your call right now, but if you leave your name and number we will get right back to you.” Stating a company name implies that there might be more than one employee. Fake it until you make it, so the saying goes!

Tip #4: Use someone you know with a good speaking voice
If you don’t have a suitable phone manner, ask a friend to do your answerphone message for you. You want someone who speaks clearly and sounds professional. Using someone else also makes your company appear larger because they get someone different to speak to when handling enquiries.

Tip #5: Keep redoing your message until its spot on
Take time to do it right. Don’t just rush it or you’ll cost yourself money.

Tip #6: Regularly call in to pick up messages
Check your message as often as possible. Buy an answerphone that allows you to check your messages remotely. You can pick up your calls in your lunch break when on appointments, which helps with rapidly returning enquiries.

Tip #7: Remember to switch it on!!!
Stupid though this may sound, make it a routine to always switch it on when leaving the office, even if going to the loo!

Effective alternatives to using answerphones

Consider these alternatives to replace or compliment an answerphone:

• Redirect all calls to your mobile. Make sure your mobile also has an answerphone to take messages when switched off.

• Log the phone numbers of your enquiries. Some countries signal the number of the person who is calling. You can buy devices that log the number and time of the call. Match these against your answerphone messages and when they were left. Call back all the other numbers and say “Somebody from your number called us at 2pm today. We are XYZ company and we offer computer consultancy. Was it you?” You would be surprised at the number of calls you can salvage by doing this. Well worth the effort.

• Get your spouse or partner to take the calls. Make sure they answer with your phone script and don’t let them try to sell for you. The chances are they will tell your customer what you do and that will be it. The client goes, they haven’t been sold and you loose the enquiry. Make sure your partner just takes their name and number, no more. You should do the selling.

• Call-taking bureaux. There are agencies that have someone who will personally take all your calls. They often charge around $1.50 per call but you benefit by not losing any enquiries. You can have them read a script to the client or just take their name and number. They will give you all enquiry details and statistics on calls taken.

How to price your services for maximum profits

I’ve lost more money through pricing mistakes than I care to think about. It was my #1 failing. Let me outline for you the path to maximising your profits.
Avoid this costly mistake – don’t do what I did!
The biggest mistake I made was not believing the market would pay high fees. I didn’t believe a home user would happily pay $30 to $40 per hour - my mind told me $20 was a sensible rate. I thought $25 per hour must be tops for a business, when a realistic rate would have actually been $65 per hour.

What it boiled down to was that I did not do my research. I should have phoned around 20 local IT business to get a feel for what people charge. Then I could have made more realistic decisions on what to set my rate at.