How,Profit,From,Initial,Consul business, insurance How To Profit From Initial Consultations

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How to Profit from Initial Consultations"I'd love to work with you, but..." How many times have you heard these words? As a professionalservice provider looking to grow your business, isn't itsometimes frustrating to hold an initial session with someonewho you'd love to work with but the potential client has awhole list of reasons why s/he would love to work with you,but...?As in, "I'd love to, but.."-"I can't afford it." Or "I'm notsure if it will work for me." Or "I'm going to try to work onit by myself and will get back to you." Here are some tips and strategies for overcoming the dreaded"I'd love to work with you, but..." syndrome. These aregleaned from my own personal experience in building mycoaching business, as well as tips & strategies I learned inthe SalesCoachTraining.com program. I'm happy to share thesewith you because I really believe it is much easier to runyour business when you can afford to do so because you haveenough clients who pay you well.So, there are 10 steps to consider:1) From the beginning, make sure your potential client has aneed for your service and can afford it. I can't tell you howmany times professionals hold a free consult, and then findout, after the 30-45 minutes is over that the potential clientcan't afford the service. It might sound a bit severe, but ifyou're in business to make money, you need to make certainyou're spending your time in the most profitable ways. 2) Consider cutting down the length of your initialconsultations. When I first started out, I used to offer fullinitial sessions of 45 minutes or more. Now I offer 10-15minute sessions. Within this time frame I can tell if theprospective client and I are a good match. If the clientdoesn't sign up I won't feel bad or annoyed since I didn'tinvest a great deal of time in the consult. If you are havingtrouble converting initial consults into paying clients, itmay be because you're "giving away" too much at the beginningand the client is not left wanting more. 3) Frame the call. At the start of the call, gently instructthe client that at the end of the allotted time, they will becalled upon to make a choice about the next action. Help theclient recognize that you are happy to assist them in making adecision and that you aren't tied to the outcome of theirdecision. The simple words, "I'm here to help you make thebest decision for you and I'm not tied to any particularoutcome." have gone a long way to create trust rapidly andeasily. 4) Listen carefully. Spend the time with the client listening"under the surface" for larger themes and bigger issues. Putforward one or two insights that come from your deeplistening. Take care to avoid offering too many solutions ortoo much advice. 5) Reflect back. Near the end of the allotted time, take a fewminutes to summarize what you heard and what the client seesas desired goals. If appropriate, take this time to let theclient know how you've helped other clients with similarconcerns.6) Take the lead. If you'd like to work with the client, sayso. Let him/her know that you really enjoyed spending timewith him/her today and you are excited about being able tohelp him/her reach their goals. 7) Don't push. If a client asks for more time to make adecision or wants more information give only as much time asyou are comfortable. It's good to ask in this case a questionlike: "Is there anything more you would like to know about methat would help make your decision easier or clearer?". Inthis way, you keep the dialogue open and find out whatconcerns the client may have. 8) Don't take it personally. If the client doesn't sign up,despite your best attempts, let it go. Somehow s/he was not amatch for your business and this is ok. By going to shorterconsults you can do more of them in a day. Sometimes you dohave to go through a certain number of No's to get to Yes. 9) Avoid adjusting your prices. It's not worth it for you todrop your prices just to get the client. I have had clientsask for my fees and then say, "Wow. That's really high." Inthe past, I would have responded back in some way. Now I justagree. "Yes, they are." And, if applicable, I might follow upby offering a product or group coaching option that mightbetter suit their financial constraints. 10) Practice and practice some more. Initial consults flowmore easily and proceed more satisfactorily the more youpractice them. Aim to make a lot of contacts and practicethese skills. You'll find your confidence and success growexponentially.(c) 2003, Dr. Rachna D. Jain. All Rights in All MediaReserved. Article Tags: Profit From Initial, Profit From, From Initial