- Original Poster
- #1
I get so niggled with enquiries.
I realise I've posted about this subject before and no one else seems to do so. Having a think about it, I get excited to help a new client, I positively burst when I have a new client enquiry as I love to impress. My aim is to begin with low hanging fruit and demonstrate Google success with some easy stuff early on, then maintain focus month after month and prove I'm worth my fees. When I get a Google review I'm bouyant for days!
But I've been experiencing more feelings about time wasters and have identified my inability to let people go. I think my downfall is believing that if you sell yourself and provide recent, relevant case studies to mirror exacty what they are looking for, then price would not be a barrier.
So why can't I let it go? I've had a new website redesign recently (some of your already know, I asked for brutal feedback and have implemented many suggestions thanks to you lot) and one thing that came with the theme that the developer implemented was adding my phone number to the upper part of my homepage. The bit you tap on mobile and it calls.
Enter tighta$$.
Strike 1: He phoned at 4:45pm yesterday, expecting to have a full on SEO party session with 15 minutes before the office closes.
Immediately I could figure out he couldn't spell Google and had an air of authority. Apparantly asking him to navigate to my contact form to email me wasn't the right answer. I explained there were a few questions that would reveal his needs even if he didn't know what he wanted. Spoiler: He didn't know what he wanted.
To placate his dissapointed voice I wasn't about to give him an SEO lesson in what I do, explain linkbuilding and on-page SEO and tell him what faults his website has, I explained I was working against a deadline and I would be online to reply to his email around 7pm. I thought maybe by hinting I was working late on a project that I was dedicated to my client base?
I never got the email. OK, so here's the bit where I failed, I was curious, I Googled his phone number and it was linked to a personalised gifts website.
The thing is, I've worked for a UK household name in personalised cards and gifts, his homepage had zero content just the usual photos of products, typical eCommerce site with no previous SEO.
So, I joyfully emailed him last night with my case study, a timeframe of the deliverables I met when working for X company, and the KPI's that were given to me and achieved. In the email I linked to my paid consultation info, offered a free Google Analytics and Search Console audit and said I would be online today up to 4pm.
Still happy to know I could 100% help this client, I ran a SEMrush keyword report and thought "Jeez, I'm gonna look like a right muppet if I send this now, I've already emailed him 8 minutes ago" so I scheduled the email to send at 8am this morning, it simply said "I've attached a keyword report which highlights Google searches that match your personalised products, which ones would you like to focus on first as a priority for SEO?"
I didn't get a reply until 11am, accusing me of "Bombarding him with useless information and when can I call him to discuss" which ticked me right off. I replied again asking which day next week to schedule the consultation as today was fully booked. Apparantly that was not the right answer.
"No thank you"
Fine, I've tried really hard and I'm DEFINITELY not chasing him or offering to work for free.
"I agree we are not the right client fit"
Instantly I got another response "I don't know why you have to be so old fashioned about this, you should have offered to call me today so I can explain about my business and ask whether you are as good as you say you are"
Seeeeeeething, I am. Seething. I had to sit on my hands not to reply. It really needled me for some reason and I think I need brutal therapy from you guys n gals to stop a repeat of this again.
Give me some honest advice how to get him out of my mental head space. Or just say it's the hormones, we get this every day, we don't see your problem. Just hit me
I realise I've posted about this subject before and no one else seems to do so. Having a think about it, I get excited to help a new client, I positively burst when I have a new client enquiry as I love to impress. My aim is to begin with low hanging fruit and demonstrate Google success with some easy stuff early on, then maintain focus month after month and prove I'm worth my fees. When I get a Google review I'm bouyant for days!
But I've been experiencing more feelings about time wasters and have identified my inability to let people go. I think my downfall is believing that if you sell yourself and provide recent, relevant case studies to mirror exacty what they are looking for, then price would not be a barrier.
So why can't I let it go? I've had a new website redesign recently (some of your already know, I asked for brutal feedback and have implemented many suggestions thanks to you lot) and one thing that came with the theme that the developer implemented was adding my phone number to the upper part of my homepage. The bit you tap on mobile and it calls.
Enter tighta$$.
Strike 1: He phoned at 4:45pm yesterday, expecting to have a full on SEO party session with 15 minutes before the office closes.
Immediately I could figure out he couldn't spell Google and had an air of authority. Apparantly asking him to navigate to my contact form to email me wasn't the right answer. I explained there were a few questions that would reveal his needs even if he didn't know what he wanted. Spoiler: He didn't know what he wanted.
To placate his dissapointed voice I wasn't about to give him an SEO lesson in what I do, explain linkbuilding and on-page SEO and tell him what faults his website has, I explained I was working against a deadline and I would be online to reply to his email around 7pm. I thought maybe by hinting I was working late on a project that I was dedicated to my client base?
I never got the email. OK, so here's the bit where I failed, I was curious, I Googled his phone number and it was linked to a personalised gifts website.
The thing is, I've worked for a UK household name in personalised cards and gifts, his homepage had zero content just the usual photos of products, typical eCommerce site with no previous SEO.
So, I joyfully emailed him last night with my case study, a timeframe of the deliverables I met when working for X company, and the KPI's that were given to me and achieved. In the email I linked to my paid consultation info, offered a free Google Analytics and Search Console audit and said I would be online today up to 4pm.
Still happy to know I could 100% help this client, I ran a SEMrush keyword report and thought "Jeez, I'm gonna look like a right muppet if I send this now, I've already emailed him 8 minutes ago" so I scheduled the email to send at 8am this morning, it simply said "I've attached a keyword report which highlights Google searches that match your personalised products, which ones would you like to focus on first as a priority for SEO?"
I didn't get a reply until 11am, accusing me of "Bombarding him with useless information and when can I call him to discuss" which ticked me right off. I replied again asking which day next week to schedule the consultation as today was fully booked. Apparantly that was not the right answer.
"No thank you"
Fine, I've tried really hard and I'm DEFINITELY not chasing him or offering to work for free.
"I agree we are not the right client fit"
Instantly I got another response "I don't know why you have to be so old fashioned about this, you should have offered to call me today so I can explain about my business and ask whether you are as good as you say you are"
Seeeeeeething, I am. Seething. I had to sit on my hands not to reply. It really needled me for some reason and I think I need brutal therapy from you guys n gals to stop a repeat of this again.
Give me some honest advice how to get him out of my mental head space. Or just say it's the hormones, we get this every day, we don't see your problem. Just hit me
