"No negotiation or push back"
The advantage of leading with value
Imagine pitching your services to a potential client and having them sign up then and there. No negotiating. No push back. Just signing on the dotted line and getting on with what you’re great at.
I caught up with a recent client over the summer and they told me that’s exactly what they experience with their new menu of services. Within a few weeks they’d closed two new clients on higher fees, and without any push back on price.
Using quotes from the director of the business, I’ll explain why their pitching experience had changed so much - and how you can do the same.
Here’s the first quote:
“The model creates great dialogue with the client as we discuss and choose the option that works best for them.”
1. “dialogue/discuss”
We’re talking to the client, not at them. During a pitch process, you’re trying to prove your consultative skills. Having a discussion with your potential client is the best way to show how good you are.
2. “choose”
We want to engage clients, and there’s nothing better than asking them to make a choice. They have to turn on their brain and weigh up their options. And when they’re not sure, they’ll ask you for advice - which positions you as their trusted advisor.
3. “best for them”
While the new approach improves the commercials for the agency, it is designed to reflect what clients need. They can see we understand their challenges and can offer ways to solve them. The conversation then turns to which approach suits them best.
Now here’s the second quote from the director:
“There has been no negotiation or push back as the value is clear, and the model really leverages the [more premium] option as the price is only a little higher - with A LOT more value.”
1. “the value is clear”
Clients usually push back on price when they can’t see the value in a service. Think about something you don’t value highly, and you’ll realise you see it as a cost you’d like to reduce. By using a value-focused menu of services, you can reduce the amount of negotiation you get from your clients.
2. “A LOT more value”
The director used comparative words here - “higher” and “more” - because we created an approach that put the services and prices in context. People love to compare before they buy (hence so many price comparison sites), and we leaned into this by creating a menu that highlighted the levels of value and then using prices that made paying more feel like a no-brainer for the client.
If you want an external review of how you could win more pitches, just reply with your pitch deck attached - I'll analyse your current approach and send you a personalised Value Review video (from me, not AI).
Jon
P.S. When I worked with this recruitment agency, we hardly added any new offerings to increase the value to the client. I found that the agency already had a lot of high-value services, but they were being given away for free or only when clients asked.
The chances are you already have lots of value you could be offering to your clients, but they’re not seeing it. Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to look at how you do things and point out the value you’re hiding.
If you want an external review of how you could win more pitches, just reply with your pitch deck attached - I'll analyse your current approach and send you a personalised Value Review video (from me, not AI).