Have you ever had that feeling that your clients aren’t listening to you? Have you ever thought that they don’t value your opinion? If you work in B2B, I guarantee you have. You blame it all on them. They think you’re too young and inexperienced, or maybe they don’t respect you because you are different than them. And all those things may be true. But here’s the thing you probably haven’t considered: it may actually be you and your sales technique.
So how do we sell to clients? How do we craft the perfect sales pitch? How do we prove we are an asset?
We don’t. We shouldn’t have to pitch our business or prove ourselves.
This is what Blair Enns is trying to tell us in his book, The Win Without Pitching Manifesto. The art of selling has evolved tremendously and continues to evolve. But one trope rings true in Enns’ book — it’s that creatives have been underselling and undervaluing themselves in order to keep a client happy.
When faced with adversity, we feel powerless and oftentimes give the client exactly what they want — without getting anything ourselves. We’ve given our clients the upper hand, but why? We’re the guide. We’re the experts. We have the authority to set expectations and pricing. So why is the client always the one who seems to dictate how we run our business or project?
One reason is fear: fear of angering the client and fear of losing the client.
The other is positioning: have we failed to position ourselves as experts? Have we failed to create an effective strategy or clear process to buttress our business?
I think anyone in the marketing industry, or anyone who works for a creative agency, can relate to all of the above.
We’ve been order-takers when in all actuality, we should have been leaders all along. But how do we become leaders? How do we prove to the client we are leaders? How do we get them to respect us, value us, and ultimately, listen to us?
Step one is read to Enns’ book. It’s approximately 140 pages, and I promise, you’ll have nearly every page dogeared in the 90 minutes it takes for you to devour it.
Even after skimming the table of contents, you’ll want to stand on top of your desk, in a guttural voice pronounce all 12 proclamations, and imagine your colleagues going wild!
While I am not a business owner and have no aspirations to become one, the two proclamations that resonated most with me were VIII. We Will Not Solve Problems Before We Are Paid, and XI. We Will Charge More.
As a woman in the workplace, I have undervalued myself more times than I can recall. And I’ve cowered to older male clients time and time again. It has taken me nearly 10 years to realize — and accept — my true value. Enns states, “If we do not value our thinking, the client will not.”
A pitched-based business strategy devalues your expertise and your authority. Why? Because you are giving away your ideas for free! What’s the old saying, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?” You may think I’ve misinterpreted that antiquated adage, but believe me, it definitely applies.
Think of it this way. If you pitch an amazing idea to the client before they even pay you, why would they pay? They just got it for free, and you got used like a naive teenage girl in the back of a pickup.
Pardon my candor, but you get the picture, don’t you?
When reading the title of this book, you may assume it’s just about business, making things and selling things. But its contents provoke a deeper self-examination. The subliminal message is to value yourself and value your business. This book not only provides a new model for selling, but it also offers a new model for viewing ourselves. It will help you transform professionally and personally.
So stop questioning yourself. Stop underestimating yourself. Stop fearing failure. And more importantly, stop fearing the client.
Remember, “hold your head high.” You are the expert. You are the authority. And you are a leader. Demonstrate that to your client, and they will respect you for it. Whether you’re a writer, graphic designer, videographer or the owner of a creative business, add this book to your library.
