How to make accepting your quote feel like the safe choice

What's the difference between buying a blender and putting your dad in an old-age home?

This isn't the start of a tasteless joke. It's a contrast that Sam Tomlinson raised in a recent email.

He was pointing out how some decisions are easily reversible and others aren't. Choose the wrong blender and you can return it or throw it away. You're out a little bit of money.

What happens if you choose the wrong senior living facility, or immigration lawyer or renovation contractor?

Undoing these kinds of choices is a nightmare. For all practical purposes your choice is forever.

Sam suggests that when it comes to permanent decisions people are more worried about avoiding a mistake than they are about getting the best possible value.

This got me thinking...

One of the ways I help make Google Ads more profitable is by improving my clients' quote follow up process. Normally through a series of automated emails.

In the past we've figured out what to write in these emails by brainstorming:

What are the top three things people worry about before hiring you?

We then write one email per worry.

It works. My clients win deals they thought had gone cold.

But we're basing our messaging on guesswork

There is no proof that prospects actually worry about the things we think they do.

Most of the time, when a sale doesn't happen it's because prospects go quiet. They stop responding or answering calls. On the rare occasion they tell you why they didn't buy, they're probably lying.

Confession time.

• I didn't sign up for a Spanish class because the teacher stank. His body odour could peel paint. I said I was too busy with work.

• I told a contractor they were too expensive because my wife and I couldn't agree what type of patio doors to get.

• I told a salesperson I'd sleep on it but the truth is I'd already decided on someone else. I only spoke with him because his son worked for me and asked me to give his father a chance.

People don't like difficult conversations. We lie to save face, to avoid confrontation or so we don't hurt people's feelings.

This means that the reasons we've heard for not going ahead are probably not the real deal.

So if you can't figure out what the real objections are, how can you write an email that resolves them?

If it's fear of making a mistake that stops someone moving forward, how can change fear to confidence? What would they have to believe to feel like they were making a safe choice?

Depending on your business, it might be something like:

• That you understand their problem.
• Your proposed solution will work.
• You're competent enough to execute it.
• Working with you will be OK.
• Your price is fair.
• There aren't going to be any surprise cost increases.
• You'll help if something goes wrong.
• Choosing you is safer than choosing someone else, or doing nothing.

Then, for each of these beliefs ask

What evidence would a cautious prospect need to believe this?

Imagine you were a drainage contractor. A homeowner is about to spend a lot of money because their back yard is a swamp every time it rains.

Would this typical corporate drivel make the prospect feel confident that you understand their problem? That your solution will work? That your price is fair?

We pride ourselves on providing high-quality, long-lasting solutions.

How about if your follow-up email included:

• An explanation of how you diagnosed the underlying cause.
• Before and after photos of similar projects.
• Details of the material you're going to use.
• A warranty and a clear explanation of what happens if the yard floods again.

How to turn evidence into follow-up emails

This doesn't end guesswork. We still can't see inside the prospect's head.

But instead of trying to guess why an individual prospect went quiet, we can figure out what all cautious buyers would need to believe before going ahead.

Start by listing those beliefs.

Be specific. "They need to believe we're competent" is too vague to be useful.

For the drainage contractor, it might be something like this:

• We have correctly diagnosed why the garden floods.
• The proposed drainage system will solve the problem.
• The quote includes everything needed to complete the job.
• We have successfully completed similar projects.
• We won't disappear if the garden floods again.

Now take one belief at a time and ask:

• What might make a prospect doubt this?
• What evidence would make it credible?
• Do we already have that evidence?
• If not, could we create or collect it?

For example:

• Belief: We have correctly diagnosed why the garden floods.

• Possible doubt: The contractor has recommended the same solution they recommend to everyone.

• Evidence: Photographs from the site, an explanation of where the water is coming from. Details of the other possible causes that were ruled out.

• Subject: Why your garden floods, and why we recommended this solution.

Or:

• Belief: The proposed system will work.

• Possible doubt: It might look better for a few months and then flood again next time we get heavy rain.

• Evidence: Before-and-after photographs, examples of similar jobs, an explanation of the materials being used and a clear warranty.

• Subject: What will happen the next time it rains heavily?

Each email now has one job: establish one of the beliefs the prospect needs so choosing you feels safe.

You don't do this by saying you're competent and trustworthy. You give the evidence and let the prospect reach the conclusion themselves.

One final clarification: I'm not suggesting you ignore the reasons prospects or your sales team give when a deal doesn't go ahead. Just don't assume they're the whole truth.

If the way I think resonates with you I'd like to give you a copy of my book Profitable Google Ads. You can grab it at https://pete-bowen.com/book

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