In part 2 of competing with large agencies I'll go over what to say once you get a client meeting. How to respond when they ask about your company (even if you have no clients and have only been in business for a week). How to respond to doubts about your capabilities and what to do when they ask to see your portfolio.
Before I begin, let me say that I personally have been in the position of having to defend my capabilities to a client and speak from first hand experience.
##You get a meeting with a client and they start to ask questions about your experience and how long you've been in business.
**The Situation**
Your problem is that you're a fresh graduate and have only been in business for a short time, so what do you say?
Understanding why they are asking the question is key. They're looking for assurance that you know what you're doing and won't screw up their project.
**Example Responses:**
Mr. Customer I've been studying web design for______ years now. (insert however many years you've been doing web design) What started out as personally hobby has culminated in me attending ______(name some schools or courses you've taken) and now in the creation of my own company.
When you decided to speak with me about your project there was obviously something about my work that impressed you, can I ask what that was?
*With this example you answer the clients question but then guide them back to a more positive discussion about your firm. You'll also learn exactly what interests them and what they like about your work.*
Mr. Customer I won't lie, we're a new company and haven't been in business very long. We are however, passionate professionals that take pride in doing a job well and look forward to being in business for many years. That said do you have any specific concerns about working with a new company like ours?
In this case you answer directly and with integrity. By asking them a direct question you can hopefully discover what their concern is and handle it directly so it is no longer an issue.
###You've got a meeting with a client for a very large project, one bigger than any you've worked on and they ask if you can handle it.
**The Situation**
You've just bagged a meeting with a big client, it's the largest project you've ever bid on and they know it. They start to have doubts you can handle it. What do you say?
**Example Responses:**
Ms. Customer, you're right in assuming that your project will be the biggest we've worked on to date. Let me say this though. Our policy has always been to never take on a project with a scope we don't think we can handle. We manage all our projects with a carefully mapped out set of milestones and project deliverable dates. Using this method both you and I have complete visibility into the progress of the project and there is very little chance of slippage. Would you like to know more about how we manage our projects?
*With this example you answer the question straight on and give some assurances. BTW you had better have some method of managing your projects like I referenced above. If you don't know where to start, [QuoteRobot](http://quoterobot.com/ "Try it today") has some templates that show you how to break a project down into stages and with specific deliverables and dates.*
I hope this series has been helpful and given you the confidence to tackle those big clients. If you have any questions or have a specific scenario you'd like me to address feel free to email me directly at jared (at) quoterobot.com.
