How can you find the prospective clients that will most benefit from your services long-term?

Look for companies that are big enough to need your services on a regular basis. So these potential clients are candidates for signing on-going service contracts, that bring you the steady revenue that will be the foundation of your business. Doing this successfully, as you are becoming an IT consultant, means you absolutely need to know the major qualifying questions inside out and backwards, like the back of your hand.

1. Geographically Desirable? Because most small business clients need a lot of hand-holding, potential clients need to be located nearby to you. Look for prospects located within a 30 – 60-minute drive from your location. If you live in a large urban area, for example, your service area may shrink considerably, as there will be a high concentration of viable prospects very nearby. Also think about proximity as you attend networking events and develop your marketing campaigns.
2. Big Enough, But Not Too Big? Think Goldilocks: not too big, not too small. As you are becoming an IT consultant, target clients that have 10-75 workstations. At this size, the prospect is big enough to need a real, dedicated server … but not so big that the prospect needs a full-time, in-house IT department. Another way to think about this is that the prospect will likely have $1 million – $10 million in annual sales, or your local currency equivalent. Know this type of information about your potential clients, so you can develop much more powerful, affordable, and cost-effective marketing strategies.
3. A Platform You Can Support? Before you get too far into the sales process, be sure to properly qualify prospective clients based on their installed platform of OS’s and NOS’s. For example, if your specialty is Windows-family OS’s/NOS’s and a prospect is 100% standardized on Mac’s, you should refer that prospect elsewhere.
4. Serious About IT? If you come across a small business prospect for your IT consulting business that doesn’t have a dedicated server, because they’re messing around with peer-to-peer ad-hoc networking, you probably want to run the other way. Before you spend too much time on a potential client, make sure the prospective client is really ready for your solutions.

In this short article, we talked about 4 simple, but very powerful qualifying criteria for prospective clients. By consistently asking these questions, you can more proactively manage the selling process and utilize your limited time more effectively. Learn more about becoming an IT consultant and attracting steady, high-paying clients now at http://www.BecomingAnITConsultant.com

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Many IT companies struggle to establish the right criteria to secure great client accounts. When you fail to have a consistent process for qualifying your leads, you will find yourself scrambling to get good clients and working way harder than you need in order to stabilize your computer services business.

1. Proximity. A potential client for your computer services business needs to be geographically close to you. In most areas, this means within a 30-60-minute drive from your location. Proximity has an impact on the types of networking events you attend and everything else you do from a marketing perspective. Proximity will also be an important benefit to stress as you are building a long-term support contract plan. This way, you can build long-term relationships with your ongoing clients.

2. Size. Make sure with your computer services business that you are targeting potential clients with 10-50 PC’s… those that we call Sweet Spot Clients™. Basically, prospects have to be big enough that they need a real server. Typically, this level of investment is required once a small business reaches somewhere between 10-100 employees. You can also measure size in annual revenue. A good prospect for you will have $1 – 10 million in annual sales. Know all the details of prospect size because that information will help you with your marketing efforts, particularly when you plan direct mail campaigns.

3. Existing IT Assets. Most of the time your computer services business prospects will have their own e-mail domain. You will want to address how their users retrieve and send e-mails when meeting with them, because it’s going to be an important way to qualify them as good candidates for your services. Many times prospects will have a dedicated server, which will indicate that they have more serious IT needs and probably would be receptive to the solutions you offer.

4. Platform Match.  If your expertise is on Microsoft Windows, will you be able to adequately and profitably support a potential client’s largely Mac-focused environment? As part of your lead qualification process, be sure to ask about predominant OS/NOS platform investments to make sure that you’re not embarking on an unsupportable-platform wild-good-chase. Or at the minimum, make sure you have a competent contractor or partner that can help to bridge any of your own company’s skills gaps.

This is the second straight quarter that Research in Motion (RIM) has not met its expectations.  The problem is tied to development of four new phones.  Technology marketing of the new models made up $379.6 million in sales and marketing costs last quarter, which was twice the amount of last year’s sales and marketing costs.  Shares of the Canadian-based Research in Motion company at one point fell to $77.47 in extended trading after closing at $97.53 in the stock market.  

To learn more about how RIM is improving its technology marketing efforts and partnering up with other companies, visit the attached link.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

This is the second straight quarter that Research in Motion (RIM) has not met its expectations.  The problem is tied to development of four new phones.  Technology marketing of the new models made up $379.6 million in sales and marketing costs last quarter, which was twice the amount of last year’s sales and marketing costs.  Shares of the Canadian-based Research in Motion company at one point fell to $77.47 in extended trading after closing at $97.53 in the stock market.  

To learn more about how RIM is improving its technology marketing efforts and partnering up with other companies, visit the attached link.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

If you introduce a prospect or client to someone that has an entry-level certification and then send someone in the next week that has an advanced certification like an MCSE, your client will most likely not appreciate the difference.  Your clients also won’t want to pay really high rates for senior levels of IT certification.

In the eyes of most sweet spot small businesses, senior-level IT certifications won’t matter; most of their projects will not be incredibly technical, and those that are can typically be subcontracted to other specialists.    

What Is the Technology Curve?

Sweet spot small businesses don’t usually keep up with the latest in technology, so you don’t have to keep up with cutting-edge IT certifications and skills.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Computer Repair Business:  Good and Bad Signs

Some industries are more focused on IT than others.  There are good signs and bad signs when it comes to a business hiring you, and as you go along you will figure out whether a business is going to be up for spending $1,000-$2,000 for computer consulting services.

What is a good sign?  If you go to meet with a prospect and find out the prospect is already working with another computer repair business in your community but is dissatisfied.  If the prospect is dissatisfied and looking for someone else, that says that the company is willing to pay you or anyone else for sophisticated services.  

What is a bad sign?  If you go meet with a prospect and discover he/she is working with a moonlighter, friend or family member who helps out occasionally and gets paid in pizza or pats on the back.  Any price you quote this type of lead is going to seem high when the alternative is free.  

Sweet Spot Clients for Your Computer Repair Business Hang out Together

Sweet spot clients willing to spend $1,000-$2,000 per month on IT services will have relationships with trusted business advisors in the local community like accountants, attorneys and management consultants.  They may even be working with other niched tech providers, which works to your advantage when it comes time for referrals.  

When you can recognize favorable characteristics of prospects and clients for your computer repair business, you can find more prospects that can turn into great relationships.  

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Do Your Research

You may have to spend 30 or 45 minutes to do homework before a meeting, but any research you do can help you better close a sale for your computer consulting business, whether you close the sale on the spot or within a week or two.  If you want someone to agree to your computer consulting services, you have to make yourself credible and share ideas with a prospect to show how much you care about his/her business.   

There’s no reason not to do your homework, because it’s so easy.  Simply go to Google and type in a person’s name or phone number or address and you will find out everything you need to know and more.  

What Should You Know about Your Prospects

When you are researching, find out the following information about your prospects:

1.     What their businesses are about;

2.     Which industry they are in;

3.    Which types of services they offer;

4.    The number of locations they have;

5.    The length of time they’ve been in business.

What is the Recent News about Your Computer Consulting Prospect?

You will most likely find articles in the local newspaper about your prospects that will show up in a Google search or by going to the local newspaper Web site and doing a directed site search.  Look for anything that will give you extra background and help you determine whether prospects will be a good fit for your computer consulting business.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit

Can You Overcome IT Sales Objections?

There are some pretty concrete tips you can follow when handling IT sales objections to help you overcome them and sell more networks and services to your small business prospects, customers and clients.  No matter what stage your business is in, you can get to IT sales successfully that will lead to on-going, long-term relationships and more high-paying clients. 

The Source of the Problem

The problem typically starts during the part of the IT sales process when you are talking about a network upgrade.  This is the point at which most customers and clients will start getting very concerned about cost. 

IT Sales Objections and Cost

Small business prospects that complain about cost during IT sales calls typically are not taking into account the soft costs of not investing in networking solutions at the beginning.  They don’t think about lost productivity that results from cutting corners, downtime when fault tolerance is not part of the plan and service costs from computer consultants when they continue to use products and systems that are hard to support.

The Bottom Line about IT Sales Objections

For more helpful tips about how you can overcome IT sales objections with your prospects, customers and clients, visit the attached link.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

Prepare Before-Hand

Prior to your initial IT sales call, you have to do some homework.  If the prospect is worth driving to and spending half an hour, an hour or even more with, then you should take the time to learn more about his/her business.   Properly qualifying your prospects before you even get to the point of the initial IT sales call is CRUCIAL so you know you are spending your time well.  Ask the right questions about size, platform and industry.

Services vs. Products

You need to research your prospect before an IT sales call so you can manage expectations right away.  Prospects need to know that you are selling your expertise and comprehensive business solutions and not hardware or software. 

If you want to sell hardware or software you can, but don’t lead off in an IT sales meeting with this.  You are in the services business, and you need to communicate this to prospects. 

Choose Your Clients

Tell your prospective clients that you are a service provider the second you start speaking to them.  Your initial IT sales call is as much their interview as it is yours.  Be selective so you are getting the best long-term clients. 

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

The Meaning of IT Certifications to Clients

If you send someone to a client that has an MCP or CNA or entry-level certification one week and then send a more advanced MCSE or senior level person, your clients probably won’t know the difference. Most clients won’t know what IT certifications are, and they won’t want to pay high hourly billing rates for senior levels.  The main point is, most sweet spot small businesses don’t care about IT certifications.  Most of the projects you will work on will not be technical enough to warrant a high-level technician and those that are can be subcontracted out.

What About the Technology Curve?

Sweet spot small businesses are typically behind the curve with technology.  You really don’t need incredibly current IT certifications to deal with your clients.

The Main Idea About IT Certifications

Small businesses are pretty far behind when it comes to technology.  Basic, advanced-beginner and intermediate-level technical skills are the only IT certifications you will need to serve most of your sweet spot clients.

Submitted By:  Computer Consulting Kit