Make the Ask

I struggle to make the ask for me, but do so much better when asking for someone else! A friend and colleague writes an excellent road safety and fleet blog, and in every post he asks for an action – a sale, an indication you have done something to make yourself safer on the road etc. He has been hauled over the coals for being too self promotional by infrequent readers or industry journalists. Like you, his knowledge had to be learned and it shouldn't be boosting other businesses without some give back.

I just need to learn how to do it :)

Thank you for writing this, Chris. It's been my experience you don't get anything unless you ask for it. (No, that doesn't mean you get everything you want.) People aren't going to give you what you deserve unless you tell them what it is.

And your keep it simple advice is great. It really helps us set up our Asks.

This post could not be more timely – especially at a time when we practitioners are getting used to walking that fine line of truly being magnanimous and being generous. To your point, you can't start asking for money on everything you do – you'll come off as a tool and start looking as if you're only about the money.

But, you have to have a point where you put on your 'big boy britches' and have the ask. It can be hard at first, but once you do it a few times, it comes a bit more naturally.

Great Post, Chris!

Narciso Tovar
Big Noise Communications
@narciso17

It's all about the “give then take” mentality. You want to continue to deliver as much high quality information to the consumer or blog subscriber which benefits them before you ask for something in return.

Not enough people take this into account when people arrive on their website. They immediately launch into a sales pitch before giving the visitor what they are seeking – high quality information.

To be honest, it goes one step further. Unless you take time to build a long term relationship with your customer, it becomes harder and harder to say “Here's the content, now please click on my advertising”.

Great article, Chris, and spot on for where most of us are perhaps. I liked your throwaway line: “Heck, my community is mostly made up of people who offer similar services to me. You’d call them competitors. I call them friends. :)” – that is so darn stinkin' true. Thanks for letting us enjoy your “free lunch”.

I don't want to simplify this too much, but I often use the tried and true phrase “the squeaky gets the grease.” How are you supposed to get the sale, get paid, get a raise, get the attention, etc if you don't tell people you deserve it. Yeah, it's tough to judge when you've transitioned from the point of going to lunch and having a conversation to going to lunch and giving the person a lesson (or consultation), but at some point, the people who will eventually win out do realize that they have to make the ask.

Thanks for the post, Chris. A lot of people could and should hear this.

Nice flow to your writing Chris, and this all makes logical sense.

How do you handle questions around the price of your ask? I know the simple answer should be firmly and maybe assertively (especially when a competitor is introduced for comparative purposes). I know when you price your ask out of the ballpark, you're pretty much telling everyone let's not waste each others time, but for many, the ask price may need to be more sensitive and attuned to a competitive market and it may take a lot more “pre-ask” work than others.

An example here would be a charity that is having a tough year generating donations because a rash of worthwhile causes have propped-up, a battered economy hasn't helped, or the rippling effects of an administrative scandal by an unrelated but well-known charitable organization contributes to a worldwide perception problem with donors handing money over to charities.

Do you stick to your guns, or prepare yourself to be somewhat flex on your ask based on the dynamics of each situation? I imagine the trick here is to not find yourself sliding into wishy-washy.

Thanks for a great post!

Joseph
@RepuMetrix

G'Day Chris,
You are so right.Thirty five years ago when I first became interested in selling we learnt phrases like ” the close starts the moment you open your mouth” and “sooner or later you have to ask for the order.”

The fashion and techniques may have become a little more sophisticated. The principles haven't changed. However you do it, if you aren't prepared to “ask for the order” you shouldn't be in selling, online or off. That applies whether you're using The Ben Franklin Balance Sheet close or the super- sophisticated methods of Neil Rackham. Call it “the ask” or “the close” or whatever you like. If you want to sell stuff, learn lesrn the techniques

And whatever you do, make sure you have fun.

Regards

Leon

<”Remember, your community is made up of many people who aren’t your buyer.” >

I would add that the odds are good that they probably know someone who is your buyer. So, if you don’t make concise, but well-placed asks, you miss out on potential referrals.

Why be embarrassed about using the word 'sale'. You are selling your professional services much like an attorney or a doctor. If the person you approach, or approaches you does not value your services, deal with it and move on. That is the task of a professional consultative salesperson. And in this day and age of competitiveness out of necessity, if small business people still think they do not have to sell, they are wrong. Have the guts to ask for the order, you will be surprised at your results!

A salesperson wants to hear a 'yes' and we are willing to accept a 'no' provided we can hear the true objections. Maybes drive most novices up the wall. They keep waiting for that person to make up their mind or find out just when they'll get back to me! Most of the time they will not so go on.

Great post Chris. I like this comment David. People always ask me “how do you ask for the order?” In a sales environment, I believe it is more about the questioning, listening, diagnosing, and trust development that leads up to the ask rather than the execution of the ask itself.

Great topic!

Good message, Chris. We've all been in this position. Sometimes we enjoy it (let's face it, it's a great ego massage to be asked to have one's brain picked); however, other times it's just a brain drain and we feel (ab)used. Thanks for clarifying and helping with this situation.

Having a blog and writing about it is agreat way to prime prospective clients and client of what they can expect so I for one will be adding a link to this post from my next post. Great advice as alsways!

Chris, while I agree on many of these points, I have to say that I was helped getting started by people freely giving me of their time for that lunch. I do believe in a “pay it forward” mentality, that involves helping others. Of course they're not going to get the whole package, but sometimes it's about more than the sale, and can lead to the sale. This is not license for abuse. You can't give tons of free without asking for a sale. But there are also times when you give free simply because it's the right thing to do. I guess it's about where you draw your boundaries, and what your goals are. And you have to call each situation as you see it. But people helped us get where we are, sometimes for free. There's something to pay it forward (and free lunch!) too. :)

I don't know why so many of us struggle with this. I get asked to “sit down for coffee” all the time and have to be really careful with which offers I accept. It's never free, is it? The way you tackle this is great – thanks. I love what you said at SOBCon about the shock of wanting to make money. I refuse to apologize for that. This is an excellent reminder!

I think it depends on what you're selling. If you're a consultant, as you are Chris, then it makes perfect sense to ask for money for your advice and consultation. If you're selling a product, especially an expensive one, that's different. In that case the sales process may take a while and much of your time selling will have to be written off as cost-of-sales. In either case, you have to ask for the sale, but in the case of nurturing a lead, the “ask” may have to wait a while.

Absolutely! There is an exchange for value. Now the person taking you to lunch may be thinking hey I will pick their brain and buy them lunch as they are getting a free lunch and I am getting consulting time so it is a wash. Not so fast. Yes you got a free lunch and are well fed and spoke about something you love to do but there is also the time involved in the travel, time away from other projects that need attention. For the person buying the lunch their benefit in many cases far outweighs the benefits to the consultant/agency. Life is not all about getting paid for every minute of every day (we leave that to billable atty firms) but at the same time it is about ensuring your time is well spent and your professional advice is respected.

It can be a bit uncomfortable asking people to pay but I am sure that if I asked someone who asks for that free lunch if they are hiring me for that time, in many cases, the lunch will be canceled.

Thanks, Chris!

If one doesn't “ask,” one probably won't git. Sometimes it is hard to ask, but I have learned to just do it.

JL

Painful asking people for money. The best way I have found to overcome this is to make sure that at the first opportunity to make expectations clear about compensation. That way there are no weird feelings as the project goes on. Extra hard when clients become friends and there is a weird sense that comes over me that makes me think “we are friends now, I shouldn't charge them anymore.” Normally I don't yet when ALL of my clients became my friends living became a bit of a challenge.

Thanks Suzanne! You make some great points.