Tag Archives: decision-maker

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Level Up Your Thought Leader Cred

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Being a thought leader is a vital ingredient in a Freelancer’s recipe for a B2B content marketing strategy that moves the needle. In fact, establishing yourself as a credible thought leader is foundational to building a thriving Freelance client list. Freelancers must recognize that business acumen, lived experience and data you share with content followers, some of whom are prospects and clients, is a valuable strategic asset. What you know and how you express your knowledge is the core of your Unique Selling Proposition and the engine that drives your ability to deliver solutions that produce results and convert prospects into paying clients.

Many independently employed professionals label themselves an “expert in the field and thought leader,” but few do so with a carefully considered sense of purpose that leads to an actionable outcome—like persuading a hesitant prospect to become a client. In today’s hyper-competitive marketplace that’s populated with cautious prospects who’ve lengthened B2B sales cycles and pushed your next paid invoice farther into the future, it is imperative to distinguish yourself from those whose “thought leadership” amounts to checking the box and calling it done.

Tickling a handful of marketing metrics doesn’t prove that you’re a credible thought leader, either; click bait posts and articles are only eye wash and audiences recognize it. True connaisseurs of thought leader content track business impact (vs. 63% overall) and 51% track brand authority (vs. 38% overall) to assess how audiences really feel about their content. They measure the relevance of their thought leadership with insightful metrics:

  • Audience engagement — views, downloads, shares (80%)
  • Business impact — lead generation, pipeline influence (63%)
  • Audience feedback — client/prospect feedback, sentiment analysis (40%)
  • Brand authority — speaking/media opportunities, publication citations (38%)

Furthermore, connaisseurs publish their thought leadership on marketing channels that provide an audience of B2B prospects who are serious about obtaining useful information. If you are not currently publishing on these channels, as well as getting out in front of a live audience every once in a while, add these items to your thought leadership promotional activities.

  • LinkedIn (76%)
  • Email newsletters (54%)
  • Speaking events, webinars (52%)

Those who “get” the power of thought leadership know that the information they present may be used by audience members who are either familiar with or contending with a particular challenge. The insights and info you present as a thought leader is used to support responsible decision-making, whether in the moment or in the near future. Therefore, the goal of savvy Freelancers is to produce credible, possibly innovative and reliably useful thought leadership content that followers and other readers or viewers will notice and remember. Below are thought leadership ingredients you can use to develop your recipe for success.

1. Solve a problem readers will recognize

Effective thought leadership is born of a vexing problem that is urgent—an emerging risk, a stubborn and mysterious challenge or failing, or even a misunderstood opportunity. The most perceptive and confident thought leaders will dare to step outside the usual narrative or practice and provide a perspective the audience hasn’t heard before and use it as a launchpad for potentially effective solutions. Does your thought leadership content inspire your audience make smarter, braver, decisions, or help them to avoid a potentially costly error, or problem they may not have considered?

Thought-leadership content that presents insights and information that helps decision-makers perform not as mere functionaries but as leaders who know how to keep the mission-driven goals of their organization in the forefront builds trust and separates you from competitors. To achieve that, thought-leaders must be aware of what audience members need to know now—before a competitor tells them first.

2. Present thought leadership content with an out-of-the-box idea

Defining the problem is where thought leadership starts and proposing an innovative way to perceive and address it is what gets thought leader content noticed. A true thought leader is provocative, one who reveals an “aha” moment that makes a new way of looking at things both credible and memorable. Create thought leadership content that challenges conventional wisdom or reframes a common problem in an unexpected way—and show your audience that you understand the problem and how it can be solved.

To stimulate your creative spirit, you may want to employ an Artificial Intelligence tool to rev up your brainstorming. You’ll have to experiment to find the right prompts that help you discover intriguing, but credible, possibilities for topics that answer questions for readers and reveal what they consider to be an emerging concern. AI can also help you frame your approach to the topic and provide suggestions as to which narrative threads might be included in your content. Also, use storytelling to shape your content, as it is usually the most relatable way to communicate with your audience—and they’re more likely to retain the info you deliver.

A concise overview of a case study or references to insights gleaned from user generated content that’s appeared on your company’s social media accounts are excellent sources of lived experiences that are provided by your very own followers. You can also discover topics to explore as well. Let AI help you start the brainstorming process by showing you topics that your audience are likely to find relevant and then build your case with real time source material that might reflect both your own experiences and that of your clients.

3. The best thought leadership content is in the trenches

When scouting for source material, keep in mind that residents of the C-Suite may not give you boots-on-the-ground perspectives or stories that reveal out-of-the-box perspectives or possible solutions that bring “street cred” to your thought leader content. Clients and colleagues who have a customer-facing role are better positioned to provide you with the most interesting topics, experiences and insights that bring authenticity to your narratives. You want reports from those who notice shifting customer behavior, for example, and other grass-roots experiences that bring a rawness and depth to your thought leader content and makes it relevant to a wide audience.

4. Thought leader content is considered useful

Good thought-leader content earns attention by delivering relevant information. That doesn’t mean checklists or how-tos—but it does mean clarity and ideas that make a subject that is complex feel as if it can be navigated and understood. When your followers and other readers finish your article and let the information you provided and hit the save and/or the forward button, that will verify your status as a thought leader. Useful content helps readers do things like:

  • See a risk they hadn’t considered
  • Argue for a decision internally
  • Convince the audience to take action
  • Shift the mental model audience members were using

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: ©nobelprize.org (L-R) Daron Acemoglu of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA, Simon Johnson of MIT and James Robinson of University of Chicago in Chicago, IL

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“Why Should We Hire You?” Your Answer Impacts Client Acquisition

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As you’ve figured out by now, an interview with a prospect who you hope will become your next client, is a sales pitch. In this scenario you, Freelancer friend, are both the product and the service. When you are being considered for a Freelance consulting assignment (or if you are an employee searching for a new job), the mission is to sell yourself—your brand—to the decision-maker(s) by demonstrating you are best in class. IQ/hard skills as evidenced by your education, professional expertise and experience and EQ/soft skills demonstrated by your work ethic, communication ability, teamwork skills and values when viewed together can predict with a high degree of confidence that project deliverables will be produced on time and within budget and, as well, contribute to a positive team experience that encourages productivity and camaraderie.

When hiring managers interview candidates to discuss project specs, a common tactic is to ask “Why should we hire you?” The question is quite helpful for decision-makers; they listen as the candidate basically sells him/herself and reveals who s/he really is. The insights that decision-maker(s) receive is known to promote selection of the right candidate. Prominent information that “Why should we hire you?” brings out includes:

  • Does the candidate grasp the importance of the project to the organization?
  • How might the candidate’s understanding of the relevance of his/her work contribute to realization of the project mission?
  • Which competencies and characteristics make the candidate stand out?
  • Might the candidate’s values and work habits be a good cultural fit with the project leader and team members with whom s/he will interact?
  • Does the candidate display enthusiasm and passion for the project and mission?

“Why should we hire you?” is usually one of the last interview questions asked, which means you can use your answer to sum up why you are the ideal candidate. Moreover, you can use what decision-maker(s) have said during the interview to your advantage. To that end, pay attention to competencies and qualities seemed to be especially important to the decision-maker(s) and as you reply to the big question, link your skills and experience to what matters to them. What do you say if “Why should we hire you?” is asked early in the interview? HR specialists recommend that you deflect and ask for more information about the role and include their language and priorities while describing your expertise, experience, work ethic and other factors that the decision-maker prioritizes.

Prepare for the question before the interview

Freelance consultants know that you are much more than a hired gun who operates with a narrow, “just the facts” mindset. It will be wise to obtain a big picture view of the project and gain an understanding of how the company will benefit from and utilize the project deliverables. Also search or inquire while in the interview the company’s history with this or or similar projects? The more you know, the more persuasive your answers and the more impressive you look to decision-maker(s).

Your best source for info that references the importance of the project and its mission to the company is certain to be the project specs. Give the document another read and pay attention to must-have and preferred professional skills and experience, as well as the expected project deliverables and/or outcomes. Item Two of your search could be “About Us” on the company website and Item Three might be the organization’s most recent annual report.

You will be much more authoritative and persuasive when you learn how company leaders visualize and measure achievement of their project mission. Don’t shy away from using their words to describe your own skills and values—chances are, they’ll love to hear it! Read on to learn how to compose a winning answer to a powerful, and common, interview question: “Why should we hire you?”

Elevator Pitch

A good elevator pitch is so useful. You can drop it in here and let it be the opening statement of your response to the Big Question. Remember that you get to sum up your qualifications and overall suitability and explain why you deserve to win this coveted assignment. Presenting your elevator pitch as the intro to your response sets the stage for a succinct and powerful statement that details your qualifications and experience and defends your ability to successfully produce the project deliverables.

Review and rehearse your pitch to ensure that your message will effectively reinforce your candidacy. Your pitch should be a 30-45-second well-articulated story that gives a brief introduction and overview of you and your work that tells decision-makers you can be trusted to deliver results and make them look good.

Competencies and success stories

When answering the question, link the project’s purpose, goals and desired outcomes to your ability to guide the project to a successful conclusion, as a key component of the strategy to distinguish yourself from other candidates. Lead with your most recent and relevant work to showcase your successes with previous projects that echo the aims of this project. Briefly share specific examples that illustrate why you should be hired. Rehearse your answers to ensure that your narrative is clear, concise and compelling. You’ll likely include some combination of the factors stated below.

  • Expertise. Educational degrees, professional certifications and work experience are proof of expertise. Providing examples of successfully working on similar projects will assure decision-makers that you are a competent and trustworthy candidate who can be expected to successfully produce the deliverables and/or desired outcomes (and make them look good).
  • Unique skills. Highlight relevant competencies and professional and/or volunteer experiences that make you uniquely qualified for the assignment and set you apart from other candidates. Some of your special skills do not need to be strictly job-related—maybe you have a pilot’s license, speak a foreign language fairly well, or sing in a choral group? The decision-makers may appreciate nearly any unique advantage that showcases you as an exceptional candidate.
  • Accomplishments. Communicate your appreciation for business imperatives and give the decision-makers yet another vote of confidence for your candidacy. If, for example, you include in your “Why should we hire you?” response that when you worked on a particular project you showed the client that it will be possible to reduce operating costs by 10%, or your work resulted in a 20% improvement in customer satisfaction ratings. If this was the case, share the good news in your reply.

Your vision of success

Recognize that “Why should we hire you?” is a gift that allows you to help decision-maker(s) visualize you in the role. For sure, it’s worth your while to envision yourself successfully performing in the assignment, so that you can create a powerful narrative that describes how you will bring about that success. Include in your vision narrative a description that is more than a recitation of your skills and education. Paint a verbal picture as well by describing examples of you working with their team, contributing to and supporting the purpose, goals, mission and/or bottom line associated with the project.

Your answer is short and sharp

As with all interview questions, deliver organized and concise replies and especially so when responding to this decisive question. Your answer must be easy to follow — not rambling— and presented logically. HR specialists suggest that point out three benefits associated with hiring you and conclude by emphasizing your genuine interest in the role and the company. Furthermore, convey your confidence by modulating your voice and body language in a way that communicates your command of the necessary skills and leadership ability. Speak slowly and clearly and use a friendly, yet professional, tone of voice and mannerisms as you discuss your unique suitability for the project.

Show Enthusiasm

Do not neglect to demonstrate your enthusiasm for working on the assignment. First off, the decision-maker(s) want to see it and second, it’s how you feel. You want this project, whether you’re motivated by the billable hours you’ll receive, the opportunity to work with a prestigious client, or access to an assignment that adds luster to your portfolio.

However you communicate your enthusiasm, make it memorable and personal. If you position this job as your dream job (assuming it is), the decision-maker will recognize and appreciate your enthusiasm (and energy) to take on the role and meet or exceed performance expectations.

Be Humble

A small dose of humility could be music to the ears of decision-maker(s), after listening to candidates tell them about how wonderful they are! When your answers are matter-of-fact and not obviously bragging, you come off as authentic and that’s a quality decision-maker(s) can appreciate.

Happy Holidays and thanks for reading!

Kim

Image: © fizkes/iStock

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Bidding Tactics: Let Prospective Clients See Your Best

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An invitation to submit a proposal for an upcoming project is always a big deal. You’re excited and want so much for your bid to be accepted but even if you don’t make it this time, the opportunity to be a serious contender for a contract is always a vote of confidence. The bidding process itself is your opportunity to shine. At every facet of your proposal package, you have a chance to make a favorable impression. Step by step, you can give your prospect reasons to say yes to you!

You win the prize by telling the story of your company in a way that communicates your expertise and dependability. Your strategy is to first anticipate the questions that project decision-makers can be expected to have about a candidate and second, provide information that is likely to make the decision-makers feel confident that your organization is right for the role. In sum, you want to package and present your company in a way that radiates credibility.

First, you must decide whether or not you will submit a proposal for the assignment. It is important that you understand the company and the project before immersing yourself in developing a proposal. A reading of the project specifications will confirm if the assignment is a fit for your organization. A tour of the company website will familiarize you with the company’s products, services, mission and values and indicate whether you’ll be comfortable working closely with this company.

It’s also advisable to ask your contact at the organization to share with you the primary goals of the project, so you’ll gain a perspective of what the project means to company leaders. Finally, ask your company contact to share with you the metrics that will be used to measure project success. These insights will help you to decide whether or not to submit your proposal.

If you decide that this is a go, you want to give the decision-makers for the project every reason to select your proposal. Below are documents and other information to include in your proposal package that answer nearly every question about your entity, products and/or services and as it communicates your Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness and advances a narrative designed to please the project decision-makers (and also the Google algorithm).

Capability Statement

Capability Statements are used to evaluate and weed out contract applicants, so submitting one that’s eye-catching and presents your company’s strengths can be the difference between winning and losing an assignment. Furthermore, a Capability Statement can help you to identify and describe your core competencies and unique value proposition.

Succinctly introduce yourself and your company’s products and/or services and tell the project decision-makers your story—exactly what your organization can do for them and why your organization is the best option. Your story must clearly demonstrate that you (and your team, if applicable) are capable and prepared to produce the deliverables on time and within budget, happy to provide excellent customer service and a pleasantly memorable customer experience.  Below are attachments that can accompany your Capability Statement and enhance its impact.

  • Bio
    A personal introduction to you, your (usually one page) bio will provide a concise overview of your most relevant educational and professional qualifications and accomplishments.
  • Client List
    If you have prestigious, high-profile clients in particular, list them (unless there is an expectation of client confidentiality). If you have very few clients, add jobs and your employers, projects and volunteer work, focusing on assignments and posts that relate to the project you would be hired for.
  • Portfolio
    Include relevant and persuasive samples of your work, to demonstrate that you are qualified and can be expected to excel in the role. 
  • Testimonials
    Ask those with whom you’ve worked closely, whether clients or those who have supervised you. Three to five recommendations is ideal.
  • Workflow
    This section shows clients you have a process, a system for writing and working on projects. It tells clients you’re a professional and gives them clear expectations. Most important, as they read it, they begin imagining what it will be like to work with you.
  • Schedule of Estimated Investment
    AKA, your pricing. Prospective clients will be interested in the scope of products and/or services that your company offers and the range of your fee schedule.

Once you’re hired (and you will be hired because you are the best candidate!) you can take a few steps to streamline and enhance your on-the-job performance:

  • Task Prioritization Begin by identifying your most critical tasks and deadlines. To-do list tools, project management apps (e.g., Asana or Trello), or time management techniques like the Eisenhower Matrix can help you prioritize effectively.
  • Project Calendar develop a project calendar to visualize deadlines and milestones for your your project. This helps you allocate time appropriately. For example: A Freelance digital marketer can create a calendar to manage social media campaigns for the client, ensuring posts are scheduled strategically and are uploaded according to plan.
  • Time Management Time management is the engine of successful Freelancing. Learn to allocate your time wisely and pace yourself to ensure that you maintain the energy, concentration and creativity that are the foundation of your professional expertise.
  • Time-Tracking Tools Utilize time-tracking apps (e.g., Clockify or My Hours) to monitor how you spend your work hours. This also helps identify areas where you might be losing productivity.
  • Communication Maintain timely and clear communication with your clients. Keep the project point person informed about your workload, progress, achievement of milestones and any potential delays or obstacles.

Regularly Update Your Portfolio Periodically refresh the content of your online profile with updates that display the most current examples of your best work and simultaneously demonstrate the demand for your products and/or services. Writers will provide links to recently published articles and those who’ve worked on a big project or worked with a prestige client will document the experience to verify your professional expertise and the power of your brand.

When to Say No Avoid taking on too many projects simultaneously and overextending yourself. Politely decline offers that you can’t accommodate without compromising the quality of your work. Effective management of your Freelance assignments is essential for sustaining success and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. By prioritizing tasks, managing time efficiently, staying consistent and handling multiple projects strategically, you can thrive in the Freelance sector.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Shutterstock Asianmaninterview.jpg

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Differentiate and Dominate

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Here’s a question—what’s the recipe for a secret sauce that will persuade a prospect to become your next client? How wonderful it would be if you could walk into your pantry and pull those ingredients off the shelf. Lived experience tells me that the X-factor of the secret sauce is the client’s gut feeling of your ability to do the job. The interview questions, info in your resume and bio, the references submitted on your behalf by colleagues you’ve worked with have but one purpose and that is, to convince decision-makers you are uniquely qualified to seamlessly produce the project deliverables needed.

That may not seem like a steep hill to climb but in our increasingly competitive marketplace, search committees regularly meet with candidates who appear to be highly capable and able to produce the deliverables. Some may even seem as if they’d also be a joy to work with. The good fortune of being presented with a group of extraordinary candidates ought to make a search committee’s job easier but oftentimes, the abundance of talent only complicates matters. When everyone looks like a winner, how does the committee recognize who deserves the blue-ribbon?

That this is a problem may not be immediately obvious because risk is always inherent in independent employment. Still, the Freelancers and other business owners among you may have become uncomfortably aware of the need to be more resourceful, resilient and agile than seemed necessary just a few years ago. Could it be that while many candidates are impressive, they are for some reason seen by prospects as a commodity and more or less interchangeable?

The topic has captured the attention of researchers at top consulting companies, including Accenture https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/song/accenture-life-trends . Differentiation emerged as a viable strategy to distinguish you and your company from competitors and help increasingly jaded search committees to see you as an expert who, if nothing else, can be trusted to make them look good by hiring you. So your task is to find a niche expertise that fits your brand, is adjacent to your current offerings and that prospects value enough to pay for.

The right niche expertise can make you stand out from competitors and sidestep the dreaded commodity label. If you choose well, your niche expertise will generate enough billable hours to enable you to become a big fish in a small yet lucrative pond. So, the next question is, how can you differentiate your skill set to become more valuable and positioned to dominate a money-making niche market and simultaneously remain true to your brand identity?

Know the customer, know the brand


As always, comprehensive knowledge of your target customers and deep understanding of your brand and its impact on customers will make you feel confident enough to:

  • Recognize a market-worthy expertise that both fits your brand and will persuade prospects to pay you to provide
  • Create and carry out the strategies that entering the niche market entails

Whatever you choose, you’ll be most successful by making a data-driven decision that is based on relevant metrics. Most of all, you must verify that the niche you’d like to enter is capable of grabbing the attention of prospects, making you seem like a more worthy and exceptional candidate and also has the ability to let you generate sufficient revenue to make it worth the work it takes to enter that market.

Also, be sure to research the need for professional experience and/or educational credentials that will allow you to be seen as a credible and trustworthy expert in your new field. Make a plan to acquire whatever certification is needed. Moreover, if there are upcoming conferences or other programs that pertain to your niche expertise, plan to attend and network with colleagues and prospects (if in attendance).

Finally, update your website, social media platforms, business card, inbound and outbound marketing strategies and tactics to announce and support the introduction of your niche expertise to current and prospective buyers and other stakeholders and begin to build trust in what may be perceived as a new competency for you. Competitive intel as regards key words and messaging should be helpful.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Living Color Garden Center Fort Lauderdale FL

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Talking Your Way into the Sale

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Selling is an inescapable part of life and plays a significant role in your personal and professional sectors. Selling is a foundational life skill and your mastery of it can be a game-changer. When you’d like to get your hands on something that you value, it’s often necessary to sell a decision-maker and persuade him/her to agree that you deserve what you want—the acceptance of your proposal, approval of your promotion, or maybe just agreeing to have Italian food for dinner tonight instead of Mexican. But if the decision-maker declines to give you the green-light, you are left with two choices:

1.) Give up and walk away, perhaps to wait for a favorable outcome that might emerge in the future.

2.) Develop a strategy that might persuade the decision-maker to approve your request. Presenting the right information to the right person can open doors.

Because you are a savvy Freelancer, I am confident that you will not accept no for an answer. Your DNA tells you to climb through a window when the door shuts in your face. Achieving success usually requires a strategy, a road map and a script designed to overcome obstacles and objections. Those of you whose livelihood involves boots-on-the-ground selling must devise a proactive sales strategy, one that is finely attuned to the prospect’s needs, goals, competitive landscape, anticipated objections and budget availability.

In this era of economic uncertainty, prospects are inclined to scrutinize every dollar spent. Selling is more than ever an uphill climb that entails a delicate balance of relationship-building, negotiation and communication skills. Here are five steps you can take to help you persuade prospective clients to spend money when budgets are tight:

1. Stakeholder perspective

Because the most successful sales pitch is personalized and addresses the unique needs and concerns of those who will hear and discuss it, ask your prospect if you might schedule a 10 minute conversation with one or more of the project stakeholders in advance of submitting a proposal and/or having a meeting. At the very least, ask your prospect to supply background info that provides context.

You would be wise to learn, for example, what the stakeholders hope will be the expected impact on the prospect’s organization when the chosen solution is implemented? You would also be wise to ask how the stakeholders define success and, on the other hand, find out what worries them?

Your purpose is to get an indication of the perhaps unexpressed expectations that stakeholders have for the project. Once you figure out what’s going on behind the scenes , you’ll incorporate that information into your written proposal and talking points for the meeting.

2. Articulate benefits

Again, what do the stakeholders really want to see happen when the chosen solution is implemented? Is your solution expected to improve the company’s competitive position, create excellent PR and significantly enhance brand awareness and reputation? Or is your solution expected to position the company for growth or expansion?

Your proposal and sales pitch should clearly describe your solution, detail how it will achieve the prospect’s goal or resolve the problem and how it will also satisfy stakeholder expectations and concerns. Provide examples of tangible and intangible benefits that your solution will deliver and what the results will mean in terms of ROI.

The idea is to make it as easy as possible for your prospect, the stakeholders and the final decision-maker to agree that your solution is the ideal choice. When spending money is an issue, focusing your proposal and sales pitch talking points on the value your solution delivers and the return on investment derived is the best strategy.

3. “Now is the ideal time”

When persuading others to take action, it is wise to create a sense of urgency. The background info that you learn in pre-meeting talks with stakeholders and your prospect will help you to communicate the cost of lost opportunity if the stakeholders and decision-maker fail to step up and approve the necessary funding for the project. Remind the stakeholders that enabling the project to move forward with your proposed solution will not only ensure that the problem will be resolved or the goal achieved, but the organization will reap substantial benefits as well.

Consider how you can persuasively describe how delaying a decision or under-funding a credible solution will be more costly in the long term. How can you demonstrate to your prospect and the stakeholders that they can’t afford to not take advantage of your solution?

4. Anticipate objections

Again, your off-the-record talk with the prospect, along with conversations you have with stakeholders before you submit a proposal and/or sit down for a meeting, will likely give you insights into any objections that lurk. In fact, you should directly ask if anyone opposes the project and what causes that hesitation.

You can take on matters that concern the naysayers in your proposal and in your talking points for the meeting, but it’s wise to be prepared for anyone who is not convinced by initial attempts to quell objections. I recommend the “feel, felt, found” technique, which shows empathy as you present a rebuttal:

  • I understand how you could feel that the solution proposed might not be entirely effective for this aspect of the problem/ goal.
  • Others have also felt that the solution proposed might not perform well in such challenging circumstances.
  • However, those who were initially reluctant, once they became aware of the documented efficacy of this solution, gained the confidence to move forward and found that the desired outcome was achieved.

5. Propose a logical next step

Once the objections have been settled and removed or, if there were none, once the benefits have been accepted by the stakeholders as likely to occur, move to conclude your meeting with a suggestion of next steps. Honestly, you want to get out of the room before someone gets the bright idea to raise a red herring issue that undoes your deal. Your purpose is to help the decision-maker and stakeholders see themselves successfully implementing your solution.

Ti that end, you might confirm the project timetable and ask when your proposed solution will be implemented (and note that your organization can adhere to the prospect’s preferred schedule). You might also ask if, since the stakeholders agree that your solution will be effective, s/he who has the authority to sign the contract would like to do so now, or on a date in the near future? Preparing a hard copy contract for your (we hope!) soon-to-be client to review and sign is another way to politely and firmly steer the decision-maker and stakeholders toward confirming that they’ll choose you.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo (1933-2021) and American actress Jean Seberg (1938-1979) in Breathless (France, 1960). Directed by Jean-Luc Godard (1930-2022)

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Waiting For the Call—Is Time on Your Side?

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First, the email arrives and you’re elated. The conversation you had was on the level and the project you were told about is real. They’ve invited you in (virtually or in-person) to discuss how your services could be utilized to produce the deliverables and achieve must-do objectives. Step two, the interview goes well, from your perspective. You’re not naive, but you feel confident about the possibility of being offered the contract.

But a week slips by and then two-—crickets. Uh, oh, this doesn’t feel good! Why haven’t they gotten back?

Unfortunately, this is a fairly common occurrence. There are any number of perfectly understandable and valid reasons reasons that delay the follow-up after an interview. It’s nerve wracking for Freelancers, though, who are anxiously awaiting a status update. It’s something that can wake you up at night. The wall of silence leaves you to twist in the wind.

Well, take heart—silence doesn’t always signal rejection. Why don’t we talk about a game plan to help you survive post-interview silence when it happens to you? There are proactive questions you can ask that might make the interview team less likely to resort to a news blackout. There are coping strategies that can help you understand why this sometimes happens. Life is about managing expectations and you can train yourself to keep calm and carry on, confident that you’re still in the game and can still win this thing. Here are a few things that you can do:

Questions that encourage follow-up

Communicate to the interview team that you want follow-up and not silence by saying something like this to the interviewer, “In light of the candidates you’ve met with so far, do you see me moving forward in the selection process?” However, bear in mind that you could be the first of two or more Freelancers who’ve been invited to discuss the project. You could be a top candidate today but later get knocked down the list tomorrow by more experienced competitors who come along.

Another question you might ask the interviewer is, “When will you review and compare the candidates and make a recommendation to the the decision-maker?” Below are four common scenarios that might cause you to encounter post-interview silent treatment:

  • Interview recap

When you speak with more than one interviewer, they will need to conduct a candidate recap and debrief. Candidates may or may not be interviewed on the same days, which means that interviewers can’t share their feedback with each other on the same days either. Furthermore, every interviewer is not necessarily on time with providing feedback; it could take a few days to align interviewer calendars and schedule the debrief meeting.

The unexpected sometimes happens—-in the middle of the selection process, the decision-maker or one of the stakeholders might go off on vacation, depart on business travel, or come down with COVID. The selection process would be put on hold and the Freelancers get to wait and wonder what’s going on.

  • Project spec change

The desired outcomes or deliverables, time table or even the purpose might change, perhaps in response to economic fluctuations that impact the prospect’s business. Sometimes, unfortunately, your hoped-for project may be put on hold or even canceled due to the changing economy or business needs. This scenario can happen fairly often, as there are fluctuations and uncertainty in the economy that could impact revenue. Companies may reevaluate what they need and cut budgets.

  • Making an offer

The decision-maker could be discussing how to finalize an offer to someone — but maybe not with you. If you’re not the number one choice, you may be number two and will need to wait, in silence. However, should the top candidate reject the offer, the second round pick usually gets the prize!

  • Ghosting

If you’re getting silence from your interview contact no matter how often you reach out, you are being ghosted and it’s probably for one of the above reasons. Ghosting is selfish and cowardly, unprofessional and unacceptable. It hurts. Remind yourself that it says more about the interviewer than it does about you. They did you a favor, you don’t want to work for such people anyway. Apply elsewhere.

On the other hand, If the interviewer stays in touch, it’s guaranteed that you’re in the top two or three. If you’re told something like, “We’ll have some decisions made next week” and the debrief time frame has passed, either the decision-maker has not made the decision, or s/he offered the assignment to another candidate and they’re waiting for a response before rejecting you (because you are the second choice).

Silence can speak louder than words. When interviewing for a project assignment, be bold enough to ask questions to obtain information on where you are in the selection process. If you were invited to interview but ultimately didn’t get the assignment, that means your resume demonstrates your experience and your interview skills are solid, but you weren’t the top candidate. The rejection may have nothing to do with you , it may be more about interviewer preference for a certain educational degree or certification, a specific competency, or a competing candidate’s superior interviewing skill.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: “Like sands through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives.”

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Good Questions Are Your Best Sales Strategy

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Many factors influence a B2B sale, including egos and power struggles, budget allocation and politics, trending industry fads and the success or failure of what’s been done before. But as you know, Freelancer friend, you can only control what you can control.

To obtain some measure of control you need information, because knowledge is power. To determine whether there is a sale here for you, you’ll need clarification of the factors listed below, which are known to influence B2B sales. Knowing if there was a recent attempt to reach the goal or resolve the problem before you were contacted is also useful intel, as is knowing if the prospect is actively considering another solution (that would be provided by someone else).

  • Define the problem or goal and learn if it’s high priority or urgent
  • Understand what the prospect wants you to do and when it must be completed or delivered
  • Is the prospect talking to a competitor?
  • The decision-maker
  • Estimated budget

The most efficient way to get the backstory on your sale and create for yourself a realistic chance of winning is to ask questions that bring out the answers you need. Phrase the questions in words that feel natural for you. I think what’s listed below will both lead you to more sales and quickly eliminate those who present themselves as interested but are just not that into you.

1. What led you to contact me/ respond to our outreach?

2. Is getting this project done/ product installed an immediate priority? When would you like to see it completed/ made available?

3. Have you been using a solution (i. e., a product or service) that isn’t working? What fell short of your needs?

4. What. are three key outcomes you want to occur when the goal is reached/ problem is resolved?

5. What other options are you currently considering?

6. Which department in your company will be the end users of the product/ or who will be my contact as the service is implemented?

7. What kind of support/ training/ post-sale service would your team like to receive as the solution is being implemented or when the product is purchased?

8. Are you the person who decides the budget for this project and has funding been allocated?

9. Based on what you’ve told me, I think my organization can help you achieve your objectives. I’d like to work with you! What is your decision-making process like?

10. Is there anyone else who might appreciate having a conversation about this solution? Anyone else I might speak with?

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Judy Holliday (standing) has a couple of incisive questions for her husband (Tom Ewell) and the other woman (Jean Hagen) in Adam’s Rib (1949, directed by George Kukor and starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn).

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Make Email Subject Lines Pop

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Email marketing is an all-star player in your outbound marketing lineup. During the 15 month pandemic shutdown email marketing which, BTW, includes your blog posts and newsletters, became even more important as business leaders struggled to maintain communication with clients and prospects.

Think about it—-before you can schedule a video call to launch a full-on sales presentation, you need to establish contact with would-be prospects and open the door to the buyer’s journey. LeadGen is how to keep your sales pipeline filled and the process deserves a comprehensive inbound and outbound approach.

The challenge with email marketing is getting your message opened and read, even when the recipient knows your company. The powerful decision-makers you need to reach are pummeled with dozens of emails every day, Monday to Friday (and sometimes on the weekend). To manage the inflow, your decision-maker prospects are constantly prioritizing their inbox, often setting up filters and other gateways to organize messages that help them respond to important and urgent notes as efficiently as possible.

If you expect to persuade your intended prospect to click on your email in the midst of a typical deluge, it’s imperative that your email stand out in the best way. The way to do that is to create a stop-and-read subject line, an irresistible headline, that acts like a magnet. The subject line is the single most important part of an email because the opportunity to tell your story is lost if your email is sent to trash. The success of your marketing strategy is tied to the open rate of your sales/ marketing emails.

So, how does one create an intriguing, arresting, read-me email subject line? While every subject line is unique, there are guidelines to keep in mind as you write. In short, your subject line must tell recipients that your email contains information they’ll consider valuable, or somehow interesting, maybe a tad controversial or unexpected.

Eye-catching

Words such as free, limited offer and new are among those that can potentially make your subject line grab the reader. Providing a contrarian or surprising fact or statistic that challenges a common belief can likewise be compelling. Info that concerns a recent change in the industry is an update that many clients and prospects will appreciate.

Call-to-action

A call-to-action asks the reader to do something — learn, win, sign up, give feedback, for example. Many emails that drop into the average inbox lack an interesting, appealing subject line. It’s so easy for the eye to slide over much that is sent.

Devise an amusing, novel, or practical call-to-action that will both grab attention and either inspire or dare your intended reader to read on.

What’s in it for the reader?

Do you sell a product or service that can help your email recipients make money, save money, or save time? Can you help the reader’s organization achieve a mission-critical goal faster, more easily and maybe at a lower than expected cost? All of these scenarios offer value to your recipient and are enticing benefits to include in your subject line.

Be concise

Your subject line must do a lot of work in a small space. It must grab attention with a call to action, tempt the recipient with what could be in it for him/her and concisely getting to the point.The ideal length of an email subject line varies between mobile, desktop, and tablet devices, so keep this in mind as you craft the perfect one-liner for your sales email. On average, the maximum subject line is about 40 characters so that it can be seen in its entirety on phone, tablet, laptop, or desk model devices.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Attention grabbing front page headline in the Roswell (NM) Daily Record July 8, 1947 issue

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Pitching to Prospects: 5 Tactics That Works

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Freelance consultants do not have the luxury of a guaranteed weekly paycheck. We earn only as much as we can invoice. We generate a stable revenue stream by continually marketing our products and services to attract new clients and get repeat business.

In tandem with marketing, Freelancers must also identify and pitch prospective clients we’d like to work with; and who we want to work with are those who use what we sell and have the money to pay for it. Our mission is to convince prospects that our services or products will benefit their organization and make them look like geniuses for doing business with us. We must articulate our value proposition in a way that resonates. Our sales pitch must always place the prospect at its center. Below are pitching tactics that you might find helpful:

Pitch to the right person

As we’ve discussed ad infinitum, you must know your customers.  Start by noting the job titles of prospects who usually work with you. Which industries invite you in and which rule you out? Don’t waste time preparing and delivering a good pitch if the prospect is not a prospect. If health care professionals don’t seem to have a need for what you provide, then don’t try to pitch them. Talk about the weather instead.

Second, do your best to speak with either a decision-maker or decision-influencer. This can be tricky because people are known to overstate their role in decision-making. Some want to vet you before revealing the real decision-maker. Others, I guess, just want to feel important? Whatever!

Dig for the truth by inquiring about the budget, confirming the project timetable or important deadlines, asking who else must agree to green-light the project and authorize funding and who signs the contract. You want to unmask any pretenders. Remember to notice the job title of the person with whom you are speaking (ask for a business card). Decision-makers are Directors, Vice Presidents, Chiefs, General Managers and owners.

Speak to their needs

One of the most common mistakes Freelancers (or entrepreneurs or sales professionals) make when introducing their product or service to a potential buyer is placing the focus on those items rather than on the prospect’s needs. While it’s important to explain features and benefits, the key to making a sale is helping the prospect understand how his/her unique need or problem will be resolved if a purchase is made or a contract to bring you in to provide services is signed. You won’t get paid unless the prospect can envision him/herself using the product, achieving the desired outcomes and looking like a hero to his/her colleagues and the higher-ups.

Identify your prospect’s needs and challenges, concerns and priorities and use that information to devise a solution that’s specifically tailored to the prospect’s circumstances and shows that you’ve thought carefully about and understand the goals. Also, start your pitch with a great opening line. You’ll lose the prospect’s attention if you can’t capture him/her immediately with something that entices.

If you’re cold calling, or if you will attend an event and expect to to encounter an important prospect while there, visit his/her company website to view their organization’s mission statement, learn about major initiatives that were recently or will soon be launched and investigate the management team. Look for community outreach efforts, peruse the social media accounts, read what’s appeared in the press and skim the annual report—you may be surprised at what you learn.

When pitching products and services, you want to incorporate whatever “intersections” between their operation and yours into your presentation. Whenever possible, use their words to illustrate your points and explain why you will make a good partner for them.

Establish credibility

When cold calling a prospect to whom you have no connection, you must demonstrate unassailable proof of your trustworthiness and ability to produce results and meet or exceed expectations. If you meet a prospect at a business association meeting or social event, in general you will be regarded as more trustworthy than a cold caller, but demonstrating your specific expertise and reliability will still be required.

Presenting your business card is step one, but if you neglected to bring cards (or you ran out), ask for your prospect’s card and in your email to confirm whatever preliminary agreements have been made (such as a telephone call or meeting to gather more information), be sure to include your company website address, LinkedIn profile address and links to two or three examples of work that the prospect would like to assess (I always send a link to this blog).

Follow-up

It seems so simple and basic, doesn’t it? But Freelance consultants, sales professionals and others have the unfortunate habit of failing to follow-up on potentially promising leads. Maybe you misplaced the prospect’s business card?

Showing persistence is another important element when pitching a potentially good client. Maybe your first email doesn’t wow them, or it gets lost in a pile-up of messages, so always follow-up if you don’t receive a reply. Generally, I consider it polite to wait at least seven days before reaching out again and to never follow-up more than twice.

Know what you want

Keep at top-of-mind the type of relationship you want to create with your prospect. Be clear about what that relationship would ideally look like from your perspective and how it will benefit both parties. You’re probably looking for ongoing projects or sales and referrals, too, more than just a one-off interaction. It may be too early to share that ultimate goal with the prospect, but keep your eyes on the prize as you set the stage at every touch point to achieve it, beginning with your focus on your potential client’s expectations and shaping an appealing client experience.

Thanks of reading,

Kim

Photograph: © Bob DeChiara USA TODAY Sports. Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Koji Uehara (now retired) was awesome in the 2013 American League Championship Series and World Series. His 2013 Earned Run Average was 1.09, as he struck out 38.1% of batters faced. Boston won the 2013 Series against the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 2. Koji won the 2013 Most Valuable Player Award in the ALCS, Boston v. Detroit Tigers.

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Speeding Up Your Sales Pipeline

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How wonderful would it be if your prospective clients would just hurry up and make a decision about if and when they’ll give you a sale? Even if 80% decline, as predicted in Pareto’s 80/20 rule, think of the time and aggravation that you’d be spared.  There’d be no more chasing so-called prospects who either can’t or won’t green-light a sale for you.  Your numbers would probably increase, if for no other reason than you’d stop wasting time on lost causes and look for better possibilities.

Getting a commitment to either fish or cut bait in maybe a week or two is a fantasy, but learning how to get better at qualifying prospects is within reach and here are four tips to help you do just that.  Implement these tactics and you’ll move prospects through your sales pipeline faster than ever before.

1. Sell to the decision-maker

Is the person who you think is the prospect really the prospect? Does this person have the authority to make the decision and approve the budget? If not, there will be no sale until and unless you get in front of the real decision-maker.

Especially in B2B sales, a gatekeeper or other lower-level employee could be enlisted to find out the details and then report back to the actual decision-maker.  Alternatively, the decision could be made by a committee of senior staff members, one of whom may be speaking with you, but s/he alone cannot give the green-light without getting agreement from other committee members.

In either case, you’ll need to get around the stand-in, learn the identity of who has the most influence and focus your attention on addressing that person’s hot buttons, so that the sale can move forward at a faster pace.

Step One in ferreting out the identity of the real decision-maker is noticing the job title of the person with whom you’re speaking.  If s/he ranks lower than Director or Vice President, most likely there’s someone in the background pulling the strings.  Unless you’re selling office supplies, ask the stand-in if s/he is able to directly approve the budget and if there are others who might like to directly ask you questions about your product, service, or project.  Be respectful of feelings, but do encourage the participation in the sales process of the one who can sign the check.

2. Discover what worries your prospect

Get a big-picture understanding of your prospect’s most urgent and top-of-mind challenges and near-term objectives, as they apply to what you can bring to the table in terms of a product or service.  What does your prospect think will happen if the product doesn’t get purchased or the project doesn’t get done?  How will company leaders feel when the problem is resolved and objectives are achieved?

Learn as much as possible about what your prospect wants and how committed s/he is to achieving goals and resolving issues.  Ask “what” and “how” questions to discover these key insights.

3. Confirm that your solution is a fit 

Ultimately, all salespeople want to close deals. But ironically, it’s sometimes better to walk away from a potential sale if the product or service isn’t a good fit for either you or the prospect.  Pushing for a sale that won’t bring about the best outcomes never ends well and it should be avoided, even when you’re desperate to do business.

In these situations, your objective is about getting to “no” faster.  Then you can move on and pursue other prospects who may be better positioned to buy from you.  It’s  preferable to speed inappropriate prospects through the pipeline and devote the time saved to identifying and meeting with qualified prospects who might say “yes.”

To ensure that your product or service can solve the problem or help the prospect meet a goal, ask pointed questions and listen well to determine whether your solution will produce the best results and be cost-effective in the long run.

4. Learn the prospect’s timetable

Is there an urgent need or deadline that compels your prospect to take action and implement a solution quickly? If you know that to be true, you can most likely expedite the sale (and get the price you want, as well).  Ask questions to help yourself evaluate whether the prospect could be ready to do the deal in a week or two, or in months.

One important line of questioning should concern available funding for the proposed sale or project.  In some cases, the prospect would sincerely like to move forward, but there is insufficient political support in the organization for his/her agenda.

The information will allow you to adjust your expectations for the sale and decide if you should continue to pursue, pick up the thread in a few months, or close the book on a pipe dream.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Portrait of Evdokiya Nickolayevna Chesmenskaya (1780) by Jean-Louis Voille (1744 – 1806) courtesy of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow