How best to sell my services?

[Custom Process Solutions]

Hi All,

We create custom automated solutions within Excel with the aim to save companies time and money in everyday tasks.

The problem is that a lot of people I have worked with in the past don't fully appreciate how much of an impact Excel automations can have in terms of time savings until they have actually seen them working in an everyday situation.

I just wanted to know if anyone else had this kind of issue when starting up and how they made people see the impact their services could have?

Thanks!

 

[123Simples]

One way of promoting services like this, is to offer "freebies" to hook people in - if you are selling some excel based stuff then you need to let people see what it can do, and the only way of doing that would be to offer some sort of test or trial.

 

[Colin Smith CBP]

One way of promoting services like this, is to offer "freebies" to hook people in - if you are selling some excel based stuff then you need to let people see what it can do, and the only way of doing that would be to offer some sort of test or trial.

I would be wary of giving away your time for free. I would however advertise a money back guarantee that said, in effect, that if the automation of some of their important excel documents will not create labour savings that total over time worth double your fee, then you will give them their money back. Perhaps you feel confident enough to offer an even more extravagant guarantee. It's entirely up to you but you need to present this service in terms of it's benefits (less time spent in Excel and the associated labour savings) rather than in terms of the detailed features of your service.

 

[Alan]

My thoughts are limited by my experience, but I'm struggling to think what processes startups would be concerned with here an excel macro can help.

I would have thought this is more the realms of established companies that already have established (and antiquated) processes that are performed on a regular basis, then I can see so great 'quick wins' (the best quick wins are elimination of the process !)

I just have a problem visualising a startup saying, yes I need a complex process, but lets simplify it with a macro. Complex processes tend to grow over time.

 

[Custom Process Solutions]

Hi Roibot,

Thanks for the reply!

I think you're right, at first we did talk about focusing primarily on start-ups to help out automating process.

But the more we have spoken to people the more it has became clear that large companies have a clear need to automate and improve outdated processes

Thanks!

 

[Alan]

Absolutely. Process improvement is a big thing as companies seek to reduce costs and increase productivity.

 

[George Cornelius]

This is my very first post - lets hope I don't show myself up

Hi - I'm not up to scratch with Excel but I know it does loads of wonderful things - how I would sell it would be based around two ideas

1. As some earlier pointed out ' Free Trial It' - its an old sales trick called Puppy Dog I think based on the concept if you give some one a puppy dog its going to be hard for them to give it back

2. Pain v Pleasure - whilst they are using the service agree to discuss the results the prospect is now getting - have a range of questions you could ask that keeps reminding that person or the pain associated to doing things the old way - for instance

How much time did you spend doing that spread sheet before?
How many wrong results did you receive?
How much of your work day you loose doing this?

That type of question - sorry I cannot be more specific I don't know the situation

Then introduce the Pleasure of using your service and link it back to the answers to the questions

- You mentioned you spent 4 hours a day trying to get it right - using our xyz it would be automated which means you would save 20 hours a week - that in itself is a good reason to own one don't you agree?

Good luck

 

[PuddlePayroll]

Have you thought about some web demo's of a process before and after showing how much better it is after you have automated? Try and do some research on what people do manually. Perhaps payroll journals for accounts to input?

If you can show people video demo's they will probably be able to see your vision better.

 

[Custom Process Solutions]

Hi Puddle,

Thanks for the reply, I am in the process of sorting out a website so I will have to arrange videos posted on there to show the benefits.

I'm not sure if a video like this would benefit being on a social area such as YouTube?

 

[The web design girl]

Hi although I'm not a start up, I have been running my small web design company for years, I am just that- a small business. I think you need to target larger more established businesses. This would be of no benefit for a company the size of mine even though we have been going for 14 years. I would hate to think of you wasting time offering freebies to small start ups.

 

[Mailzas]

I would agree, that startups is not good clients for you. They should change their processes, projects, ideas and so on, frequently until they find business model, only after they find working model, it's worth to automate.

And also when people starting, they usually lack experience, and they do not have systematic view.

 

[Ola1]

Yep I have a brace of products I am trying to promote, though in my case the rivals are well established

you might consider direct approaches as an "excel consultant"

Plus are there any similar operations out there, what do they do

 

[Excel Expert]

I think I maybe able to help on this one as I have been in the same market for 4+ years.

Freebies are a waste of time. It is very difficult to find something suitable to create and give away. You will find a couple of people will use your freebies and the rest will have no use for it all.

Do not focus on the start up sector, the cost of developing an automated Excel / VBA based system for most does not provide them with enough ROI. Its not they can not afford it, it just not normally create enough of a saving for them. You would get far more joy providing training services for this market.

At that end of the market you are also up against people on People Per Hour and even Fiverr.

In short it is a lot of hard work for little return and no problems.

It really is the biggest companies that provide the best chance of a sale for a number of reasons.

1. Most will have an IT department that is supposed to provide these services but quote ridiculous turn around times. I have a major global brand as a client and their own IT department quoted them 6 months to produce VBA solution.

2. Once you're in the door your name will get passed around. From doing a job for a carboard box factory, my name got passed to Asda, then Walmart (same thing really) and then General Mills. All of them are now regular clients.

3. Companies that have cut back staff recently also make good clients. For some reason they always get rid of their in house Excel experts first as a result they have no idea how to maintain their existing spreadsheets. They are also in the market for automated solutions.

These markets are also hard work with a far better return and a lot less problems.

Give us a shout if I can give you any advice. Always happy to have a chat with a fellow excel expert.

 

[Ola1]

I thought something like the post above might be the answer.

I wonder, is there a market for Microsoft Access VBA