{"id":1134,"date":"2012-03-31T05:24:19","date_gmt":"2012-03-31T12:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.salesjumpstart.net\/blog\/?p=1134"},"modified":"2012-03-31T05:55:40","modified_gmt":"2012-03-31T13:25:40","slug":"how-to-sell-search-engine-optimization-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salesjumpstart.net\/blog\/2012\/03\/31\/how-to-sell-search-engine-optimization-services\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Sell Search Engine Optimization Services"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to Sell Search Engine Optimization Services:<\/p>\n

Why do so many small SEO companies struggle with selling their services?\u00a0 Many reasons, as you will see below. SEO and Internet marketing services are, in the universal world of all type sales, on a scale of 1-10, 10 being really hard, and 1 being simple, about a 7. \u00a0Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

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1.) You are generally selling to a small business owner or manager.<\/strong>Small business owners really hate spending money on anything they can not see a very quick and tangible result from, and they have very good reason to feel this way. You must understand that most small businesses operate on a very slim margin of error when it comes to advertising and promoting their business. Unlike the fortune 500, where a $100,000 campaign is small fry, a few thousand dollars to a small business can be a big investment.\u00a0 A $10,000 investment may be one of the largest advertising investments they make.<\/p>\n

2.) They don\u2019t understand the process and experience needed to do SEO. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s far easier to buy a T.V. or radio campaign than SEO. You can see or hear what you are paying for. It\u2019s an easy decision (in comparison) to purchase a new server, computer, or furniture.\u00a0 SEO is a promise, an \u201cIOU\u201d if you will.<\/p>\n

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Many small business owners I have worked with just think it\u2019s some sort of I.T., PR, Web based thing we do.<\/p>\n

3.) Most local SEO providers don\u2019t have sales experience<\/strong> and rely on word of mouth.\u00a0 This in itself isn\u2019t a bad thing. If you have to rely on referrals and word of mouth you are going to have to be very good at what you do to keep the existing customers happy enough to refer you, so if this is your number one (and possible only) sales strategy, you are probably doing pretty good work for your clients! (That assumes you are getting referrals)<\/p>\n

4.)\u00a0 Most Local SEO providers don\u2019t really try to sell<\/strong>. This goes with number 3. Because they do not have the experience or training, they just don\u2019t try. Can\u2019t blame them really, if someone asked me to rebuild my cars engine, and just handed me a book with \u201chow to rebuild your cars engine\u201d, the job would most likely, never be done. Or if it was, the car would not run, or be so rusty due to the passage of time, that it would be worthless. \u00a0Does that sound like the state of your sales process?<\/p>\n

5.) Many businesses in some markets have had a bad experience with SEO\u00a0 or Internet marketing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This is the old one bad apple syndrome.\u00a0
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So what are the solutions?\u00a0 If you look at all the reasons there is one very large commonality.\u00a0 They are all fear based both on the prospect side and on the sellers side.\u00a0 A SEO service has to reduce and eliminate the fear of buying and the fear of selling.<\/p>\n

How do you reduce the fear in buying?<\/strong>\u00a0 You replace it with confidence by identifying what the fear is, and addressing it.\u00a0 Let\u2019s look at the first fear:<\/p>\n

1.)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I am afraid I will waste my money<\/strong>. How do you replace this with confidence?\u00a0 First acknowledge the concern (fear).\u00a0 Let them know you understand that many companies have a natural fear that SEO won\u2019t work, and it will be a waste of money. And of course ask them if they feel this way.<\/p>\n

2.)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How do you answer that or address it?\u00a0 Actual current examples of SEO clients that are similar to their business with a full explanation of their success. Don\u2019t go summary version with this. Have all the facts and details ready. Where they where ranked, what their traffic was and how much revenue increase they have seen. Have 4 pages of explanation, and the last page being the reference letter from that client. Three of these type examples, and a phone call from the prospects office to one of your current clients, on speaker phone,\u00a0 to let your current client tell your prospect how great your service is, and that fear as significantly put to rest.<\/p>\n

All the buying and selling fears above can be addresses with logical, honest tactics, and having trained over 1000 sales professionals,\u00a0 hundreds of sales managers and business owners, I know that any company that makes a commitment to the sells process will see results.<\/p>\n

Let me know if you would like a free consultation on how to grow your revenue. \u00a0You can reach me at mike@myonecall.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Oh\u2026 and if your challenge is just not seeing enough new prospects, we have proven systems that can jump start your sales with lead generation.<\/p>\n

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