A consultant used my service information template, and I received this message after.
“I wanted to update you on the progress since our meeting. I’ve finalized the document. It’s now a professional document!”
“I sent it to the Exec Dir before our meeting. It made a huge difference. They have now committed to the project. We have a final budget discussion tomorrow and an agreed start date.”
I have quarterly review meetings with clients, where we spend a day together reviewing their progress on growth map and discussing any areas of concern.
One area of concern was a substantial contract, which was in the balance.
Having spent considerable time in meetings and drafting proposals, my client learned that there was a new head of department, and he had put a hold on the project moving forward. Thankfully, he agreed to a meeting.
After all the time invested, it was a huge disappointment. as winning this contract would be a bonus.
I said we needed to sit in his shoes and imagine his concerns. Why was he putting it on hold?
As the new head, his reputation was at stake; he was taking a risk on a provider he didn’t know and wanted some certainty.
Also, he needed to assert his position and knew very little about them as it was a substantial fee.
A different approach was required.
As she had a meeting coming up, I suggested she provide him with my template to give him a more detailed insight into the service, as he probably If you needed more to go on.
In a way, it’s answering the hidden questions that are not raised.
She was not sure my suggestion would work but trusted my guidance.
The message at the beginning of this post says it all.
This works.
It would be ideal to send this template to your clients before your discovery call and encourage them to read it before your meeting.
It improves your chances of closing the sale.
When it’s complete, you can put it on your website or send it as a document for them to read.
