Agency Sales Tip: Teach Clients HOW TO THINK.

Today I was browsing GoHighLevel's facebook group and I saw a post that struck me. I think there is a powerful lesson in it for my fellow agencies... so I figured I'd share my thoughts about it to help you all on your journey to agency greatness. 

Apparently in the post, there was some kind of situation where a guy got a potential client stolen out from under him for a cheaper rate by another person in the GHL group. He went to the group to vent the frustration.

Although I get it...  losing a client to a cheaper rate sucks, it struck me. I couldn't help but think he was blaming someone else for losing the gig rather than targeting the person actually responsible... himself.

I think in life, we like to have someone else to blame when bad things happen. It's not my fault! 

When I saw that post I was thinking, well obviously the client was open to be stolen for a cheaper price. Why did that happen? Why were they open to be poached in the first place? What did he not do to put up that iron cage around them to keep them wanting to go through him?

Personally in my agency, I try to live by a few rules and truths... 

1. You create your own reality. The choices you've made or didn't make are what got you to where you are right now. Your current reality as you know it is shaped by the sum of those choices good or bad. When you can truly accept that you are solely responsible for your own results... everything changes. 

2. Your limitations define you. What you are willing to do or not do defines you and where you will go. 

It's not someone else's fault. 

You see in business, you are going to get what you put in. Your results are dictated by the products you create, the value you provide, your effort to get it out there in front of the right people and the offers you make.

No one else can do that for you. It's on you. In the case of the post, sure that sucks for that guy... but as brutal as this reality is... business is business.

I didn't see someone to be empathetic towards... I saw someone that was a victim of their own making. I didn't see someone to side with and say "sorry bro, that sucks." I saw someone that got beat because he failed to provide enough value... or perceived value. He made the mistake of battling on price alone. 

To some, this mindset will be offensive and maybe a little abrasive. I think it's liberating. 

When you take responsibility for your life and results... you can dictate and shape it exactly as you see fit. You can make adjustments. Change things. You rule your reality and can form it to your will. You might not be able to control others, but you certainly can change you and how others see you. 

Now how does this all apply to your agency? One, I think it's time we become brutally honest with ourselves to change for the better. Two, most likely at some point, you're going to have a battle of your own with price just like this guy did. You'll face a similar situation where a client is deciding on you or somewhere else. I want you to succeed. 

Here are a few pointers on how to win it: 

1. Become More Than The Commodity / Set The Criteria For How To Decide Who To Buy From. 

Despite what most people think, price is a factor only in the commodity game. If you've only got the same exact product as your competitors... price and if they like you, are really the determining factors. It's your job to make your product or solution not a commodity and stand out.

I have this block with a cool quote on my desk: 

Never Be Like The Rest Of Them.

Sure, no one really wants to pay a premium for the same thing. That's why you've got to give them other unique reasons to choose you. If you are in a sea of sharks, become a different animal altogether. Change the game or terms you compete on. Take away the apples to apples comparison and make them see your solution in a different light. 

In your presentations and marketing, give the buyer the criteria on how to make their decision favorable on your terms. Make sure you define to them how they should make their decision.

When you give them nothing, they make decisions based on the criteria they already have in their heads or the terms they think matters... like price. It's important you TEACH and EDUCATE them how to think about what you sell. They may not think automatically about all of your features or benefits. You've got to set that stage upfront and show them how to make a decision. The best way is to literally give them the criteria. 

I've seen businesses go as far as to create a document like "How to choose a marketing agency." Then list out line item benefits or differentiators they offer like a checklist. When you do this, it can be a gamechanger. When compared to others you will have an advantage because you implanted that nugget of information in their brain. The criteria sets the terms and when the competition has lacking solutions... win for you. 

 2. Get a differentiator in your products. 

Back when I sold direct mail, I competed against all kinds of other direct mail companies. Everyone had mailers. They all pretty much looked the same. It became a race to the bottom and a commodity at one point. 

What did we do? We changed the game and terms to compete on. 

We were one of the first auto dealer agencies to offer a done for you direct mail solution that included calls, emails and PURLS for the same price others were selling just direct mail on. Now when we competed... we had a leg to stand on. We had that differentiator that separated us over every other option available.

It worked for a number of years until the competitors caught up with us. Then it was back to the drawing board to come up with a new element that made us stand out. 

The guy in the group post lost the deal because he battled on price alone. He lacked that differentiator and didn't give them enough powerful reasons to choose him over every other available option.

Take GHL for example. Everyone has the same platform. How can you provide additional value that no one else can? How can you change the criteria they use to make decisions when offering your services? 

GoHighLevel is just the tool. It's a hammer. How you swing it is what matters in the end. Perhaps you have pre-made funnels for your niche. Maybe you have proven follow up campaigns. Maybe you help them build everything custom. Maybe you have a hand hold service. Or maybe you are handsfree? 

Whatever it is... get that differentiator. 

What are you doing to set the criteria for your prospects? In your agency how are you providing a differentiator to give you a unique advantage over every other available option to your clients? 

Alright ladies and gents! That's all for now. 

Stay Hungry, 

- DB

Agency Armory