Here’s his guide to kick-off call success – which he compares to going on a first date!
London-based Chris (chrisdoescontent.com) was among Contentoo’s first copywriters, with plenty of experience; he’s worked in six countries for three global ad agencies, and his other clients include Google and Oracle. Here’s his guide to kick-off call success – which he compares to going on a first date!
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So Bich called back. Or Titus. Or any one of the Contentoo CSMs. You’re going on a date!
Well, a kick-off call isn’t a “date”. But prepping for one is much the same. You’re meeting someone for the first time, in the hope of an enjoyable and productive relationship. You just won’t be having sex. (Probably.)
So – assuming you’ve had a shower and put on a clean shirt, at minimum – what can you do to make it go with a bang? There are five little things … and one really big one.
First, get to know the company. This is the non-negotiable one. Hear that? NON-NEGOTIABLE. Never, ever go into a call without a page of notes about the company, even if it’s just from 15mins reading their website.
What is the company’s story? Why did the founders start it? What business pain does it solve? And if you can’t answer this – it becomes a question to ask during the call.
Second, get to know the team! Get full names of everyone in the call and look them up on LinkedIn beforehand. Note their past experience as a cocktail bartender, their passion for line dancing, their fluency in Ancient Sumerian. This gives you talking points to use in the meeting.
(Even better: see if you’re connected already, through a person, university, group, or company. For thousands of years, the best way to win a customer was to be part of their family.)
Third, customize your sales pitch. Those painful first minutes go faster if you’ve got your introduction ready in note form. But don’t just give the same speech every time; find ways to connect it to the client somehow. They don’t want all your experience; they want relevant experience. And that doesn’t mean it’s all about business.
Are they based on Potsdamerplatz, and it reminds you of that crazy night in Berlin? Did they once work for Lululemon, whose clothes you wear every yoga lesson? Mention the connection. And don’t worry if you get something wrong. The Contentoo guys will record it, but be assured: nobody has ever listened to a kick-off call a second time.
Fourth up: always think solutions, not problems. Maybe you don’t like writing blogs below 500 words, or editing text written by someone else. (I don’t.) So what? Your problems aren’t the client’s problems. Instead of saying No, try to imagine the Yes.
Perhaps a rewrite at creation rate *might* look better than a quick edit? Perhaps that blog needs 1500 words to do it justice? Clients are often open to change – if you offer a solution that works.
And five: give them some fresh ideas! Having a “real” job is very, very hard. (Much harder than freelancing.) These people have to work on the same products, with the same people, month in month out. They’re tired. So bring a little pzazz to their lives.
Could you answer their brief in an innovative way? A video script instead of a blog? An infographic sketch instead of a Top-10 list? A long-format White Paper that digs deep into their company philosophy? Needless to say: all this stuff increases your billings, too.
And that bonus tip six …
… be a real person!
Clients don’t want “a copywriter” or “a translator”. That’s just the baseline. They want an individual – someone they feel good about, with warmth and personality.
So don’t be afraid to make jokes (even with Contentoo’s new German clients) or share your weaknesses. (I recently told a fashion client my wardrobe contained nothing but black T’s and 501s.) The client wants an honest picture of you. It’s what creates the two most important things in any business relationship: trust and comfort.
The secret of business: people buy stuff they like, from people they like. So be likeable.
And a final note: the flipside applies, too. If you don’t get a good feeling on that first date, er, call – just accept you’re not a good fit. At least you’re not leaving someone with a dinner bill.