Often in your business, you'll get a call or an email for a quote.
Or potential customers will want to meet you. And you have to drive half way across the city to get to the meeting. You get your quote across.
And then silence.
Nothing ever happens. Because the so-called clients weren't overly interested in doing business in the first place. They were just poking around, trying to test the waters.
Well, it's time for you to fight back.
The next time a potential client comes along, ask them to fill in a form. Tell them the form is so that you understand their business better. You don't want to waste their time and you'd like to know if you can help them. And to really help them, you'd need them to fill in a form.
Even the most form-averse person (that's all of us) would willingly fill in a reasonably detailed form, when they know the details in the form help to make a better first meeting. The form also keeps you well-armed in advance. You know their issues. You know what changes they'd like to make in future. You know if there is a current supplier and the reasons why they're not happy with the current supplier.
All of that probing and picking that you'd have to do at the first meeting can be quite effectively dealt with, by the client filling in the form.
This form system reduces the volume of tyre-kickers almost overnight. Of course, it takes some genuine clients (who refuse to fill in the form) as well. But the clients you're left with are those that are serious about their future. They're keen to move ahead.
The form: It's a potent screening tool.
Use it and test it's efficacy. Don't use it and you'll be wasting time and energy for the rest of your life.
Sean
Excellent idea on how to deal with tire kickers.
JM
I learned years ago that utilizing a “Site Evaluation” form on my design site did in fact screen potential clients effectively, on two fronts.
1. If they take the time to fill in the form, they’re pretty serious about their site, and improving it. (I’d much rather help someone that cares about their site that much.)
2. I have limited availability and a full client list, so when they do fill out the form, it makes it very easy for me to tell if their project would fit into my schedule.
Overall, it’s almost a matter of time management and convenience for both myself, and my potential clients.
Win-Win! 🙂
Thanks for the blog post. I think I’ll go update/spruce up my forms 🙂
This is great if they will do it, another thing i do is send them some info and ask them to call me about it and suggest a time. If they don’t call back or set a time soon you know it is not important OR they have like 10 other quotes anyway. I always ask how many other people they have asked to quote a high number is not a positive sign either.
I should say, some of this was a bit over my head, but all in all, i enjoyed reading your post.