So, we've covered a lot of ground in the last three weeks.
We've chosen a pricing model that works for both you and your client.
We've understood what it is the client is actually looking for.
We've countered the idea that your work is too expensive for them.
But there's still a chance that they might say no.
This is where you need to do some preparation. Objection handling is the salesy term for it.
Think through why the client may say no, why they may object, and prepare some answers in advance.
There's one objection that very few people think about though, and that's risk.
Everyone has a different tolerance for risk.
Some people love to roll the dice and see what happens. Others prefer the safe and steady route.
The same applies to spending large amounts of money on a new project.
And figuring out someone's appetite for risk is tricky.
So we make it easy.
Give them options. Preferably three.
All options have to achieve the client's objectives. There's no point starting the project unless the client is going to reach the outcomes they are looking for.
But instead, the options let the client choose their own level of risk.
If they're the safe and steady type, they choose option 3. This gives them guarantees. I guarantee that you will get £100,000 in new sales through this website in the next 12 months and if you don't I will make up the difference myself. And the price for this is a fixed £90,000.
If they're the risk-taking type, they choose option 1. This gives them no guarantees. I will build a website for you that meets all your criteria, targeting an income of £100,000 in 12 months. It will take between 3-9 months to build and it will cost you £15,000 per month of work.
And if they're somewhere in-between, they choose option 2. I will build a website for you that meets all your criteria and we will target an income of £100,000 over the next 12 months, but I can only guarantee £25,000 of sales. This will cost you a fixed price of £65,000.
If they're really risk-averse, they choose option 3 - where you offer to cover them if things go wrong. But they pay a high price for this, which covers you if things go wrong.
If they love to save money, they choose option 1 - they could get the project for as little as £45,000 (3 months) but they could end up spending £135,000 (9 months), which again covers you if things go wrong.
And if they're in the middle they pay a fixed price and know exactly what they are paying plus they are covered for part of that cost. But if things go well, as you know they will, you make a decent wedge from it as well.
Giving the client options in this way protects both of you - the risk is balanced on each side. And it gives the client the freedom to choose the way of working that sits best with them.