Selling Your Services: Proven Strategies for Getting Clients to Hire You (or Your Firm) News & Views Book Review

Selling Your Services: Proven Strategies for Getting Clients to Hire You (or Your Firm) Robert Bly by Lynn Selhat Freelance Writer/Editor (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Originally published in News & Views July, 1996 issue. Copyright 1996 STC-Philadelphia Metro Chapter. For permission to reprint this article, contact the Managing Editor.

Although the title of Robert Bly's book is Selling Your Services: Proven Strategies for Getting Clients to Hire You (or Your Firm), it might as well be called Selling Your Writing Services, which is why this book speaks to the independent contractor in our field. The author of Secrets of a Freelance Writer; The Copywriter's Handbook: Technical Writing: Structure, Standards, and Style; and Ads that Sell, Bly knows our business intimately and has put together a nice set of reminders in this 300-pager. Like his other books, Selling Your Services is an easy read. There's no need to read this from cover-to-cover; you can scan the table of contents and pick the best chapters or sections to review. They include: Power Prospecting - how to generate leads; publicity techniques that work; and how to create brochures and marketing documents. Follow-Up - how to get past the secretary and secure the initial appointment. The Initial Client Meeting - making the presentation; handling objections; and getting the fees you deserve. Getting the Project - closing the sale; writing contracts, proposals, and letters of agreement. Continuous Selling - increasing your sales with client satisfaction; coping with difficult clients; and selling your services in a recession. No fast-talking required Don't let the word "selling" scare you. Bly is not trying to turn you into a slick, fast-talking potion peddler. Rather, he reminds us that selling "is the means, not the end. It is simply the first step in establishing a long and mutually profitable relationship between you and those clients who can best benefit from the unique services you provide." In fact, he uses the introduction to lay out what he believes are the differences between selling a product and selling a service: "Product salespeople are trained to overcome objections and sell to the prospect despite protestations that he or she does not want to buy. In service selling, an objection is not necessarily something to be 'overcome' but, rather, serves as a warning signal that the person may be a bad match for the service and that the meeting should be ended." A good refresher Though this book is not packed with priceless gems of wisdom (how many books are?), it's a great refresher for anyone selling a service. As I skimmed it, I was reminded that no matter how long you've been in business, it's easy to get complacent and forget who pays the bills. All too often, a successful independent contractor must start focusing on self-protection--protection from difficult clients, from clients who won't pay, from unreasonable deadlines, from burnout. And while self-protection is necessary, it sets up an adversarial relationship with clients. Bly's book goes a long way toward reminding us of the value of our client relationships and how hard we should work to keep them healthy. His basic, but very on-target advice, rings true with me. In a section called "Keeping Clients Satisfied," Bly gives us three pieces of advice: Always do the best job you can. Never miss a deadline. Give clients more than they expect. No, it's not rocket science, but it is the truth. Anecdotes from Bly's business help illustrate his points. For example, while addressing that third point, Bly tells of a client that was bowled over by a little extra work on his part. "I was asked to write a brochure on a new software product--so new that it had not been named yet. Although the client didn't ask for it, I submitted a list of names along with my manuscript. They didn't use my names. But they were appreciative, and the next assignment was even bigger." If you're open to remembering why you went into business in the first place, and just what it is that keeps you in business, Selling Your Services is worth a once-through.

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Last updated: November 6, 1996 (wq)