Joshua Feinberg is the author and editorial director of the Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course, which helps computer consultants, VARs, integrators, solution providers, and managed services providers get more of the best, steady, high-paying small business (SMB) clients.
If you’re going to start-up a small IT business, you need a game plan for identifying freeloaders that will threaten your business … and getting rid of them before they do any damage. Hey, I hate to be the bearer of bad news ... but knowing how to get rid of distractions is really, really important.
Freeloaders, moochers, time vampires – whatever you choose to call them – are no laughing matter, can drain you time and energy and steal your focus away from selling services to legitimately interested small business prospects that can become the lifeblood of your small IT business.
Here are 3 tasks for your start-up game plan, so you can protect yourself against dangerous freeloaders.
Identify the Cause of the Problem.
Where does the whole freeloader problem start when it comes to IT business moochers? It starts when your prospects have unrealistic expectations about what professional IT consulting services should cost.
You have to be able to convince your prospective clients that hiring your small IT business is an investment and not an expense. Also provide proof that the tangible benefits of what you’re delivering are greater than any out-of-pocket costs. This proof would generally be in the form of case studies, testimonial letters/videos, or client references. Prospective clients will not invest in your services if they think the costs outweigh the benefits.
Focus on Those That Already Outsource Professional B2B Services.
When you are selling highly-specialized services, your sales message needs to be very different from those of your competitors to highlight your uniqueness. To tip the scales in your favor and avoid freeloaders that will waste your time, look for small business decision makers that are already used to paying for highly professional B2B services, such as professional accounting services, legal services, public relations services or marketing consulting.
Why? Because these small business owners and managers will already be investing in very skilled high-value professional services, so hiring you as an IT specialist will not seem like a bad idea or an unnecessary expense to them.
Work Smart.
You will have an easier time and be more efficient with your small IT business if you go after qualified leads and prospects than you will if you try to talk unqualified leads or moochers into something they don’t think they need.
In your local area alone, there are probably tons – hundreds … maybe even THOUSANDS – of qualified leads and prospects with real IT needs that are used to paying for professional consulting services and have fairly realistic expectations about what they should pay. So be sure to recognize the tell-tale signs of clueless-ness so you can focus your efforts on those small business decision makers that get what your value proposition is all about.
In this brief article, we talked about 3 ways to avoid wasting time on moochers, so you can focus on prospects that are used to paying for sophisticated professional services. Learn more about how build your small IT business and attract steady, high-paying clients now at http://www.SmallITBusiness.com
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