Build your Local SEO Business by Saying NO

[Linda Buquet]

Learning when to say NO in this business can help you go from flat-lined profits to profitable success.

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But when money is tight and you have a "scarcity" mindset it's hard to turn a new client away.

The following post is more geared to web design projects, but still totally relate to Local Search Marketing.
I really like the points made.

How to build your business by saying NO - - Startup Chat | Startup Chat

Famine vs Abundance mentality

When I think about why I used to say “Yes” all the time, I know that it was because I had a famine mentality. The thought process looks like this:

A client contacted me about a project > I worried that if I didn’t take it, we wouldn’t get another more suitable one > I took the job out of fear > It tied us up making us unavailable to chase more suitable projects.

Here’s my new thought process:

Someone contacts me about our offerings > I can tell right away if they don’t fit > I remind myself of the abundance of other suitable clients > I happily help them find someone else.

Here is another post at our forum where some very smart Local SEO pros weigh in with lots of great experiences and advice.

Just Say No to Bad Local SEO Clients - Let them Walk!

What about you? Have you learned to say the word NO?

 

[JoshuaMackens]

I've been fortunate to not have to deal with this yet. When you're just starting out, you do have to say yes to pretty much anything.

My advice is to build quickly and then when the dust settles, you'll be able to finally pick and choose your clients. It's nice isn't it Linda?

 

[Amber Robinson]

Oh boy, can I totally relate!

We are slowly learning to say No to potential clients and to recognize the signs of a "bad" client sooner than we have in the past.

In the beginning our firm really wanted to help small businesses. That lead to sometimes discounting services and taking a little less out of a package so that we could fit in the budget of that business owner. This doesn't deliver the best results for either party.

Gave an inch, they expected miles, and b/c I still hadn't learned to say no I found myself answering their emails seeking advice for other SEO related problems they would run in to. HUGE time suck but, in the moment, I just wanted to help. At the end of the month I'd take a look back at the amount of time I devoted to an account and compare it to what they were paying and realized we weren't making a profit if I continued to work that way.

Every day we have to remind each other how valuable our time and knowledge is. The majority of our business comes from Client referrals or Moz. Those are quick & easy sells b/c they already have a certain degree of understanding/trust in our firm because they have learned about us from a source that they trust.

The biggest problem I find us running in to is justifying our pricing to a client that is completely unfamiliar with SEO and the time and knowledge it involves to build a successful online presence for their business. It's also hard to compete with other firms that make promises of Page 1 rankings on Google b/c that's just something we don't do.

</rant>

 

[Blake Denman]

The biggest problem I find us running in to is justifying our pricing to a client that is completely unfamiliar with SEO and the time and knowledge it involves to build a successful online presence for their business. It's also hard to compete with other firms that make promises of Page 1 rankings on Google b/c that's just something we don't do.

</rant>

I totally agree. I find that I have to educate and debunk a lot of preconceived notions about "guaranteed" rankings. The more educated the potential client is, the easier it is for them to justify spending enough for good results. Though at least 1/2 of my clients have been burned by these "guarantors" in the past.

What I find that really helps is that we share all of the work and documented time sheets with clients via Google Drive. Being completely transparent has done nothing but build trust and authenticity with our clients. They can log on at any given moment and look at every single action item that has been completed, the time it took, and the day/time it occurred. Once they see the time and get to see a sneak peek behind the scenes of what really goes on they don't question fees.

 

[Amber Robinson]

Exactly, Blake!

We still have not built a solid foundation for reporting actions and the time it took. I think you have a great way of opening their eyes to exactly how much time and effort is spent on items big and small.

How else will they know that I spent 28 minutes on the phone with Google Local Phone Support to verify a listing if all I report is that I "claimed and verified the listing last month". Probably sounds like a walk in the park to them. That's got to be fixed!

Appreciate the feedback, Blake!

Best,
Amber