Agency Foot In the Door Framework with 90% Close Rate

Would you like to close deals faster? Are you tired of giving away strategy for free and only getting paid for execution? If you want to convert more prospects into agency clients you need a solid foot in the door offer to make it an easy decision to work with you.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

• 4 Benefits of selling a foot in the door offer.
• Components of a great foot in the door offer.
• 2 mistakes to avoid with your foot in the door.
• Successfully selling a foot in the door offer.

On today's show, I chatted with my friend Ian Garlic who founded Authentic Web and StoryCrews. Ian is on the show to talk about how his foot in the door framework has helped him grow and scale both businesses. If you want to get a 90% close rate on working with the clients you choose, this is the guy to learn from.

4 Big Benefits of Selling a Foot in the Door Offer

1. Speed up your sales cycle. A foot in the door is a no-brainer. It’s an easier “yes” and therefore, doesn’t take as much time for a client to decide on.

2. Future pacing. It’s like dating before proposing marriage. It gives both parties the chance to see what it’s like to work together on a small project before committing to a longer-term project at a higher cost.

3. Charge more in the long run. The key is finding the sweet spot for your FITD price point. You want to charge enough that it keeps the time-wasters away, but also charge enough that serious prospects can easily commit.

4. Set up your team for success. When you sell the foot in the door offer it is easy to get your team involved right off the bat. The client can see how awesome they are and will be ready for you to hand them off for the bigger stuff later on.

What Are the Components of a Great Foot in the Door Offer?

Ian says the best foot in the door (FITD) is a small, low cost, no-brainer offer that provides something of value and is a splinter of your agency’s core service. It’s an easy and secure decision.

The key is keeping it simple, valuable, and affordable. When it is easy to understand the benefit and there’s little or no risk involved, it’s much easier to say ‘yes’. Plus, you get a sense of what it’s like to work with each other on a small project before you take on something much bigger. And if they’re a PITA client, you’ll know sooner than later. ( PITA = pain in the a$$ :)

Don’t just do an audit and review it with them. You need to build something for them that demonstrates your agency’s strengths and makes them want more. However, it needs to also be easily repeatable so you're not reinventing the wheel every time.

2 Mistakes to Avoid with a Foot in the Door Offer

1. Starting a new service. Your FITD offer needs to be a slice off of your existing services. It should be an obvious continuation to the next project with you. If your offer is not a natural lead-in to the rest of your offering that defeats the purpose.

2. Not being hands-on. The point is to give the client a taste of what it’s like to work with you. You need to interact with them during the foot in the door process so the client can feel and see what it’s like to work with you (and you with them).

How to Sell a Foot in the Door Offer that Converts

Here’s the thing, you can’t just go sell a FITD offer. You need to have a solid process in place. You need to help the client build something. Think about how you can get their answers to these questions: Where are they now? Where do they want to go? How can we get you there?

I like to tell prospects, there will be one of three outcomes from the foot in the door.

1. Hate it and get their money back.
2. Like it and choose to execute themselves.
3. Like it and want to work together on execution.

They literally have nothing to lose.

Ian says a successful FITD provides alignment with your prospect’s end goals. You need to position it as a small step toward their goals and when you are successful at that small step, there is a natural tendency to continue onto the next step. This positions you as a strategist instead of just an order-taker.

Would you like a 90% close rate on the deals you want?

It took my agency years to develop a solid foot in the door offer that converted at a high rate. And, Ian has spent the last 10 years developing his too. That's why we decided to collaborate and create the FITD framework to share with other agency owners.

If you want to learn more check out FootInTheDoor.com. You can discover the exact framework that Ian and I created so you can be successful. Close deals faster, stop giving away strategy for free and win the deals you want. When you have the right framework, you will find your sales process is scalable. You can even step away from sales and so you can spend your time working on the best.