
How I Taught A Web Designer to Sell $10k+ Projects - sharkweek
http://www.ugurus.com/blog/how-i-taught-a-web-designer-to-sell-10k-projects
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plinkplonk
Isn't this a rather blatant sales pitch... err 'inbound marketing'.. for the
author's "Online Business Ecosystem paradigm"? (I didn't make that up. It is
in the article)

Random Anecdotes. Check. Softsell, some obvious truisms . Check. Throw in a
reference to Apple marketing the IPod and tie it into whatever the point being
made is. Check.

Why does this marketroid article get so much love on HN?

~~~
brentweaver
I write about my experience without thinking of my products. My editorial team
will typically go back through and add relevant links. Of course I think my
products are relevant as that is what pays for me to give away a bunch of free
advice and blog about my past experiences growing my web agency. But just to
make sure you know, I don't have a product called "Online Business Ecosystem
paradigm".

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EGreg
I like this a lot. However I would add one more powerful thing. Take the
existing technology you have (open source, in-house, etc.) and make a mobile
prototype for them in one of the meetings. As you talk, you can whip out your
phone and say you've been throwing some things together.

That'll put you ahead of everyone else who has done nothing but talk and it
will let the customer start seeing what the vision could look like ... and
start CRITICISIZING and RECOMMENDING things. And that's the point at which
they are emotionally invested in YOUR service, because they are now thinking
about what to change in your mockups and how to use your prototypes.

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gesman
Talking business vision over the coffee (or lunch) with the prospect could be
intellectually stimulating, but to begin with you'll have to start with the
person who has $10k+ burning the hole in their pocket.

Otherwise by delaying the money talk you'll be facing the frequent "Oh, I
thought it won't cost that much. Let me think about that".

~~~
JacobJans
If they're thinking about how much it will cost, you haven't done your job,
and you shouldn't be charging them $10k+.

In fact, they should be thinking about how much money they will lose out on if
they don't hire you.

Your mission, as a provider of services, should be to increase the wealth of
your customers. This means that you need to find a way to make them more than
$10k.

If your services won't be creating more revenue than you are charging, then
you probably shouldn't be doing business.

This also means that the more value you are able to provide, the more you are
able to charge.

What's $10k when you're building a business for your client that will generate
$10k many times over?

And yes, you should be building your client's business. NOT their website.

If they're thinking about how much a website will cost, you've completely
failed in selling them a vision.

If they're thinking about how your partnership will grow their business in a
whole new way, then you are on the right track. And they won't be thinking
"how much will this cost?" They'll be thinking "wow, I'm excited to earn this
much money."

~~~
gesman
I actually like your reply.

I'd add that the mindset as well as experience of a service provider should
contain a clear path for client to make more than the cost of the service.

And that includes the understanding that some clients are not willing to make
money, even if they have valuable business to offer. That happens more often
than not and such clients needs to be filtered out early.

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tonymarks
This really reminded me of an older post, "Never say wordpress when selling a
web design project". And, that's because it's the same author:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5570679](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5570679)

~~~
brentweaver
Nice observation :)

------
swah
These days I find myself afraid that Facebook is going to eat everything and
there will be no jobs outside Facebook. Its so easy to setup a Facebook page
instead of a website, and it normally has the up-to-date information that
people are looking for ("What band is playing on this bar tonight?")

Some of those are also already selling through Facebook and just let their
websites die...

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davidhariri
"When Apple sold the original iPod, they weren't selling an MP3 player (those
were already on the market), they were selling 5,000 songs in your pocket. The
simple shift in value statements changed the game. The net result was that
Apple's product not only cost a lot more, but it became one of the first
devices to be sold worldwide with universal love."

Uh, I feel like there was a lot more to this than mentioned

~~~
drzaiusapelord
Agreed. I hate "business speak" statements like this that just float on
marketing terms.

From a consumer and tech perspective the first ipod was a godsend in the days
of shitty AA-powered mp3 players with difficult controls, tiny screens, and
usually with no library management software. I had a nomad that took 4 AA
batteries and ate them like you wouldn't believe. So the cost of buying
rechargables and chargers was passed on to me.

No, it didn't launch with universal love. The original was interesting, but it
wasn't until later versions when they had USB support, itunes on Windows, and
better price points that it really broke through.

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zepolen
I could never trust a person who tried to sell me a 'vision' for money.

