Win More Website Projects – What ‘Good’ Sales Looks Like

If you’re going to grow a successful web design agency, then you’re going to need to get good at sales. But not everyone feels comfortable selling, and sales often gets a bad name.

Sales doesn’t have to be scary though, and I’m a strong believer that if you follow good sales practices and act with the client’s best interests at heart, then everything else should fall into place.

In this article, I share the six components that I think make up a good sales process.

01. Be Honest and Transparent

This one should probably be the most obvious, but I think one of the reasons why sales sometimes does get a bad name for itself is because this simple rule isn’t followed.

It should go without saying that if you’re quoting for a new website project, there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t always be open and transparent, and there are probably a few key areas that this covers:

1. The cost of the project, including any additions or extras.
2. What would be included, and what wouldn’t.
3. How long the project will take (realistically).
4. What benefits the project may bring.

When you’re quoting for a new project, it’s important that you’re honest about these areas.

If what the client is asking for is going to be expensive, then tell them why. If they think they can get it cheaper elsewhere, then explain the difference in your offering, and why the cheaper alternative may not be as good.

Telling the client what will be included, and what won’t, is probably one of the most important areas, and this is also where projects can go wrong. We’ll talk about this more shortly.

Being honest about deadlines is also crucial. If the client wants the project completed by a date that you just can’t meet, then there’s no point in promising something that you realistically can’t deliver.

Lastly, be honest about the realistic benefits that the project could bring. If you can’t guarantee something, then make sure that’s also clear.

02. Listen to the Client’s Needs

This is probably the one area that is most fundamental when it comes to good sales, but it’s also the area that I see so many people get wrong.

I think part of the reason why sales sometimes gets a bad name for itself is because certain people try to push something onto the customer that they may not want or need.

For me, good sales is the opposite to this – it’s about taking the time to listen to what the client needs, and then aligning that to what you can offer, if it can align at all.

That last part is really important. Good sales is basically a two-way process.

The client or customer tells the agency what they’re looking for and, ideally, how much they’re looking to spend.

The agency then listens to the client, asks the appropriate questions so they get all the information they need, and then it’s simply about aligning the client’s needs to what they can offer.

If the agency can meet the client’s needs and their budget, then there’s a good chance that the project can go ahead.

But if for whatever reason they don’t align, then the project can’t go ahead. It really doesn’t need to be any more complex than that.

Sometimes they don’t align, and what the client is asking for is just not what the agency can deliver.

The client could be asking for something that’s just too complex or beyond the agency’s skillset. Or perhaps what they’re looking to spend doesn’t align with what the project realistically costs. That’s okay, not all sales can be successful, and you’ll never win all the projects you quote for.

What’s most important is that you get a complete understanding of what the client needs, otherwise even if you do win the project, it could still go pear shaped later if the client ends up expecting something different to what you’re planning to deliver.

This is a two-way process. As the agency, you’ll need to ensure you ask the right questions to get all the information you need to accurately quote for the project.

But the client also needs to make sure they give you that information too.

03. Act With Integrity

Acting with integrity doesn’t just apply to the sales process; it’s something you should do in every part of your business.

But when it comes to sales and new business, it’s just as important to ask yourself a few simple questions:

1. Is the arrangement fair for both parties? If someone else was looking in from outside, would they agree that you’re both benefitting?
2. Is the client getting a good deal? If you were in their position, would you spend what you’re asking them to spend?
3. Will you be able to deliver what they need? As I mentioned earlier, there’s no point in promising something you can’t deliver.
4. Are you being honest with them? Have you been completely clear and transparent about everything? Make sure everything is in writing too.
5. Are you meeting their objectives? Will the website live up to their expectations and provide the benefits they need?

If you can answer all these questions positively, then there shouldn’t be any issues.

04. Be Clear About What You Can Deliver, and What You Can’t

As much as the sales process is about telling the client what you can do for them, it’s also vitally important that you’re clear about what you can’t.

If what the client is asking for is unrealistic, or unreasonable, then don’t be afraid to tell them, and don’t worry if that means you won’t win the project – there will always be plenty more new business opportunities out there.

Remember, just because the client is asking for something, that doesn’t mean that it’s possible, or that you should do it.

From my experience, the vast majority of clients are usually perfectly reasonable, but there will always be a small number who will just have unrealistic expectations or will think that just because they’re offering you money, that you’re somehow obliged to do the work.

Those are obviously the kind of clients that you’ll want to avoid, but that’s why it’s far better to have these honest, open conversations up front, before you get into the project.

05. Give as Much Information as Possible

Once you’ve gone through those initial conversations with the client and you’ve asked all the right questions to gain all the information that you need, it’s then imperative that you give as much information to the client as you can.

One of the hardest parts about selling websites is that you’re trying to sell something that has not been created yet, which opens up huge opportunities for ambiguity or mixed expectations.

It’s not like trying to sell something like a car or a house, where the customer can see the thing and inspect it in detail.

With a website, it doesn’t exist yet, so the best way to try and deal with this is by making sure that your quotes and proposals are as detailed as possible. Really spell it out in terms of all the features and specifications that the website will have, and again, what it won’t have.

Get all this down in writing, and get the client to agree to it. That way, if the project does go ahead, there should never be any ambiguity about what the new website will do or how it will work. If there is, at least you will have a written record of what was agreed.

06. Give as Much Time as is Needed

Commissioning a new website is often a big commitment for a client, both in terms of their time and money, and it may not be something they’ve ever done before (or do very often).

Don’t be surprised if they need a lot of handholding and ask a lot of questions.

This is normal, and in fact it’s a good thing. I’d personally be more concerned if the client didn’t ask any questions, as that could mean they don’t fully understand what they’re buying.

But once you’ve given them the proposal, it’s important that you give them as much time as they need to make an informed decision.

It will probably be a big decision for them, so it could take them a while before they choose to go ahead, if they even do go ahead. Don’t forget, they will probably be shopping around, and they’re well within their rights to do that. Plus, they will also be busy getting on with the rest of their lives and running their own businesses, so don’t be surprised if it takes them a while to come back to you.

In fact, when I ran my agency, there were plenty of times when projects I’d quoted went quiet, only for them to resurface months or even years later.

Remember, just because you may need the project to come in for your own financial reasons, you should never project that onto clients. You shouldn’t let that be a factor at all.

The best thing you can do is to keep in contact, follow up regularly, but don’t be pushy. Give the client time and space. If the project is going to happen, then it will happen.

Having a more low-pressure approach will give you a much better chance of winning the project than if you’re pushy.