Mastering the Client Consultation - The SCOPE Strategy (WordCamp Orlando 2017)

@nathaningram nathaningram.com#WCORL

Hi, I’m Nathan!
From Birmingham, Alabama
Host at iThemes Training
Freelance Web Business Owner since 1995
Business Coach for WP Freelancers since 2014

Overview
•  Why you desperately need a strategy
for client consultations.
•  The purpose of the client consultation
•  The SCOPE Strategy

Overview
I’ll pause for questions in each section
Slides and Checklist link at the end
Freelance table talk at lunch today

Why the SCOPE Strategy?
Have you ever
gotten nervous during a
client consultation because you
didn’t know what to say next?

Have you ever
spent hours talking to a client
and gotten nowhere?

Have you ever
left a meeting and realized
you forgot to cover something
important for the project?

Have you ever
spent time agonizing over a proposal
only to discover you were
way off the client’s price point?

Take Control of the Client
Consultation
You’re spending your time.
Make it count.

@nathaningram nathaningram.com#WCORL@nathaningram nathaningram.com#WCORL
the
Purpose
of the
Client
Consultation

What the Consultation is Not
Is not to try to sell a website.
It’s a ﬁrst date.
You need to be sure this relationship
is going to work.

Is not to reﬁne the client’s
business plan.
You might be able to help,
but that’s a separate service.

Is not to answer “how” questions
You’re there to discover the “what”

5 Purposes of the Consultation
S C O P E

S C O P E
Scope
Learn enough about the project to create a proposal.

S C O P E
Chemistry
Determine if this is a client you can work with.

S C O P E
Ongoing
Explain the importance of your ongoing services.

S C O P E
Process
Set expectations by walking through your process.

S C O P E
Estimate
Provide a ballpark estimate and get client buy-in.

Using this method,
I closed over
90%
of my proposals
in 2016.

S C O P E
Scope
Learn enough about the
project to create a proposal

Client Intake Questions
5 Main Buckets
The Business The Launch
The Purpose The Budget
The Website

Client Intake Questions
5 Main Buckets
Create a checklist for every consultation.

The Business
§  What’s your coffee shop answer?
§  What do you do or make?
§  Who is your competition?
§  Who is your ideal customer?
§  Why choose you instead of the competition?

The Business
§  What is your price point?
§  How do you ﬁnd customers now?
§  Do you have an existing brand identity?
Goal: Determine how much
they understand their business

The Business
§  What is your price point?
§  How do you ﬁnd customers now?
§  Do you have an existing brand identity?
The client may not be ready for a website.
Suggest a consulting arrangement.

The Purpose
§  How does the web ﬁt into your marketing strategy?
§  Why should your ideal customer come to your site?
§  What are your goals for the website?
Goal: Determine how much
strategy assistance you’ll need to provide

The Purpose
§  How does the web ﬁt into your marketing strategy?
§  Why should your ideal customer come to your site?
§  What are your goals for the website?
Again, the client may not be ready.
Suggest a discovery phase.

The Website
§  Do you have a domain name already?
§  Who will be our point of contact?
§  Where will content for the site come from?
§  Roughly how many pages will the site include?
§  Will you be blogging or sharing news items?
§  Will you be selling things online?

The Website
§  Do you need an event calendar? Event registration?
§  Do your clients need to log in for any reason?
§  Do you use Social Media? Which networks?
§  Do you have videos you want to use?
§  Do you want testimonials? Do you have them already?
§  Is there any third-party integration needed?

The Website
§  Should the website simply be a credibility piece or
will you want to generate leads from search results?
§  Aside from communicating information, is there
anything else the website will need to do?
Goal: Create a solid scope of work.

The Launch
§  Do you have a deadline?
§  How do you handle email?
§  Who will be responsible for maintaining the site
after it has been launched?
Goal: determine timeframe and
start the discussion about ongoing services.

The Budget
§  Do you have a ballpark budget for this project?
§  Can we simplify or do things in phases?
§  What is the decision-making process?
§  When do you expect to make the ﬁnal decision?
Goal: Make sure you’re not wasting time.

S C O P E
Chemistry
Determine if this is a client
you can work with.

Chemistry
Listen and Watch for Red Flags
By the end of the Scope phase,
you should have a feeling whether this is
a person you can work with or not.

Common Red Flags

Common Red Flags
Unanswered Questions
The client doesn’t know what is needed.
A discovery phase can be helpful.

Common Red Flags
Disrespectfulness
The client doesn’t listen, interrupts,
won’t answer questions, nickel and dimes
you or won’t take your advice.
Or… the client is a jerk.

Common Red Flags
Scheduling Problems
The client is hard to reach, reschedules
or is late to your meeting.

Common Red Flags
Complaints
The client complains about
a previous web developer
who “did everything wrong.”

Common Red Flags
Emergencies
The client needs everything
done immediately.

2 Frequent Mistakes

2 Frequent Mistakes
Running a Red Light
Thinking a red flag is “no big deal.”
Remember this is a first date.
Red flags are icebergs.
Don’t make excuses for the client!

2 Frequent Mistakes
The Hero Syndrome
A need to “ﬁx” the client.
A need to be needed.
Client Co-Dependency.
Ultimately, this will wreck your business.

S C O P E
Ongoing
Explain the importance of
your ongoing services.

Selling Management Services
Education is the Key
Explain the need. No commitment yet.
Provide training or a white glove service.

S C O P E
Process
Set expectations by walking
through your process.

Explaining Your Process
You have a process right?
Every Client, Every Project, Every Time

Explaining Your Process
Talk it through with the client
Explain the steps and tools
Explain the value your process brings
Set expectations early

S C O P E
Estimate
Provide a ballpark estimate
and get client buy-in.

Creating an Estimate
Ballpark not Exact
By this point you should know enough
about the project to offer a price range.
I usually give a $1000 range.

Creating an Estimate
Get Client Buy-In
“If I return a proposal within that price
range are you ready to start the project?”
If not, dig into why not…

Thanks!
nathaningram.com/wcorl
training.ithemes.com
Freelance Table Talk at Lunch – Let’s Chat!

Mastering the Client Consultation - The SCOPE Strategy (WordCamp Orlando 2017)

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