Abandon Your Agenda

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

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Recently, a client introduced me to an advisory firm that was looking for a refreshed website and marketing services. The client arranged the call with the prospect and started by introducing me, my firm and the services we provided to him. He then said, “With that out of the way, I’ll turn it over to Dan who can do his presentation.”

Here was my response: “Please tell me what you’re looking for.”

The balance of the call consisted of me asking follow-up questions to clarify their requirements.

When all my questions were answered, I asked this question: “How would you like to proceed?”

They said they’d like a proposal. I then said: “I have two forms of proposals. One is a long form that explains in detail what we do. The other is a short form, done using Quickbooks Online. It just lists the services we provide and our fee. Which would you prefer?”

They wanted the short form. I provided it within an hour of ending the call. They signed it the same day.

Here are the lessons learned from this story.