How I landed a $6,000+ client (without selling)

[AndrewNC]

I figure I'll mix things up and post somewhere besides the mindset section today.

Two weeks ago, I landed a client that will result in between $6,000 and $20,000 in revenue over the next couple of years. Thanks to @Kak for his idea in me setting up a unique payment structure based on some of the people I work with - not sure if he remembers his advice from when I asked on his thread. So thanks for that!

The Client: An aspiring real estate agent based out of a big city in Colorado. She's been working at a real estate firm in a non-sales role for a while, and for the past year, she's been struggling to break free and make her own sales, despite being licensed to do so.

I met her in August 2016 at a personal development meetup group in Denver, Colorado.

My friend was hosting the group and she came walking in about 20 minutes late, as my friend poked fun at her. A couple hours later after his presentation was over and everybody was chit-chatting and about to leave, she comes up to me and says "You look familiar, have I met you before?"

I looked at her for a few seconds and said "I don't think so."

It turns out she saw me interviewed on a YouTube channel that she subscribes to (an interview I did 3 months earlier) and she recognized me from there.

For anyone who knows me outside of the forum, they know the work I do is my passion and I talk about it on here, on skype, on facebook, on dates, while out with friends, etc. So when she said that she came to the group because she lacked confidence in herself when she's at work, I went straight into helping her on the spot. 10 minutes later, she felt more confident, we got Jamba Juice after the meetup, exchanged numbers and parted ways.

A few weeks later, I ran into her at some nightclub in Denver. She told me how much more confident she felt ever since we spoke.

Sales insights:

1. I would guess having her see me interviewed on her favorite YouTube station added authority/credibility/legitimacy/trust and all that good stuff.

2. I helped her out with a problem she went through and she already experienced the benefit of what I do.

3. We became friends and not once did I try to sell her.

This was back in August. In September, I left Colorado and began traveling throughout Europe, maybe talking once every few months.

Sometime in February we had a Skype call and she brought up something else she was struggling with, so I helped her through that - casually as we were just catching up as friends. I talked more about the new things I learned when it comes to my work, and gave her some insights on how it could help her with her real estate career.

For all of 2016, and from August 2016 - February 2017: She still hasn't been getting any traction in making sales for her real estate goals, continuing to work in a support role for the company, even though she's licensed to make sales on her own.

For every house she would sell, her profit would be at least $5,000.

Fearing that this "pattern" of making no sales would continue forever, she offered a deal with me to help her get to where she wants to be (personally/getting rid of bad habits, and professionally).

Without me trying to sell her (ever), she proposed a deal for paying me X amount up front, and then $200 per every sale she makes over the next year (with our contract being for one year, and extended another year if I help her reach Y amount of sales within the first year). The reason she offered this is because when she asked casually what my rates are, she couldn't afford it - so we locked into a contract which would turn out to be more than I normally charge, but based on performance and in a unique way.

I obviously said yes because I see her potential, I know she will do well, and most importantly...I know for certain I could help her get there. Due to the closeness of our friendship, we formed a "casual" contract (written out via text).

The main point of me sharing this with you is because I noticed lately a lot of clients are coming to me and asking to work together, instead of me trying to actively reach out and "try to make a sale". I think MJ uses the cat/tuna fish analogy. If you try to chase after it, it runs away. If you sit with something they want, they come to you.

This has been a lot different than the way I've done things in the past.

Observations/Learnings from this experience:

1. Get myself out there more and show expertise in what I do (like the YouTube interview).
Practical steps I took today on this: Responded to 10 HARO inquiries and got one response back this afternoon.

2. "Try it before you buy it." Our first encounter involved me helping her with no desire to try to sell her or turn her into a client. I genuinely helped her improve her confidence and she already experienced a benefit from my services. When she had other struggles in her life, she came back to me because she knew I could deliver results.

3. We became friends, instead of "just" business contacts.

4. I never pressed to sell or gave off any vibes of trying to push a sale on her. Half a year later, this friendship turned into what I see as a very profitable business exchange for the both of us. In the past I might have tried to sell on the spot before building up the trust, and came off from a perspective of neediness.

Going forward, I'm going to get myself out there more through more outlets, attend more local networking groups (and not come off as the MLM sales pitch type they are tearing apart on that other thread).

 

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[Bigguns50]

Muwi vji hipisem tvsadvasi ug vjev fiem. Og O, us nz dunqepz fuit y enuapv op temit, us opdsieti, us xjeviwis, O xomm qez zua y Qisdipvehi gus e zies. Op sivasp, xi niiv updi e nupvj gus y juast fasoph vjot zies. Xju xuamfp'v ci jeqqz xovj vjot ?