A while ago, I had a client who liked to talk about how well we might work together.
Trouble was that’s all he did — talk about it. It never amounted to anything.
Call it analysis paralysis or just lack of knowing how to go forward, but sometimes clients just can’t pull the trigger on hiring you.
Like I mentioned a few days ago, you may have to stop trying at some point. But when you’re in the middle of talking out the details? That may take a little finessing on your part.
Here are a few things I do to get the client from Maybe to Yes:
Slow down your speech.
Seems odd, but if you slow the cadence of your speech, your prospect isn’t going to feel rushed. Could be you’re trying too hard to get to Yes, and they’re sensing it in your tone or in how fast you’re talking. Slow it down. Ask probing questions to try drawing the project details out. Maybe they want to see that you’re actually trying to understand.
Acknowledge the roadblock.
Sometimes people in corporate settings get stuck in the meeting-about-the-meeting loop. They’re used to discussing to death ideas. It’s a smart way to make sure there are no holes in what they’re about to do. But sometimes it’s just not necessary. I use one sentence that brings the roadblock to light and gets movement of some sort: “What is getting in the way of you saying yes to this project/contract today?”
That brings the focus onto what’s really happening — the stalling. Maybe it’s that they hadn’t realized they’d talked it through, or maybe they have some reservations they’re not sharing. That question is direct, and it gets you to the root of what’s going on with all these meetings and phone calls.
Propose a smaller first step.
Maybe they’re trying to put together a five-year marketing strategy and they need everything from press releases to research reports. That’s a lot to think through. If they’re stuck in inertia because they don’t know where to start, help them. “What if I start with the website content? That way, you can get the message clarified before you move on to the other pieces.”
Reframe the conversation.
Instead of hashing out minor details that really don’t mean squat, try reframing the conversation. “I know you were hoping for a full-time employee, but here’s where hiring someone like me might work to your advantage.” Or “Knowing where to begin is tough, I agree. Have you considered trying this?” Just by switching gears, you can help them get out of the quicksand a bit and on to a new perspective.
Writers, how do you get a client prospect from Maybe to Yes?
When do you give up?