SEO
Sales Assessment Results
60
Developing Closer
10 questions
Maximum score: 100
Completed in
Let’s be real here, your performance is sitting at a mediocre 6, and it shows. You’ve got some solid moments—like when you leveraged your unique value proposition and demonstrated a consultative approach. That’s where you shine! But there’s a consistent pattern of lacking depth and engagement, especially when it comes to exploring the prospect's specific needs. You’re throwing out good information but not enough curiosity or follow-up questions to really connect. You’ve got to stop relying on generalities and dig deeper into what your prospects are feeling and experiencing. I suggest you dive into Solution Selling and Consultative Selling. These techniques will help you build stronger relationships and uncover those hidden pain points. Remember, it’s not just about delivering a message; it’s about creating a dialogue. Here’s your coaching moment: being a great salesperson isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about asking the right questions. Start turning that curiosity dial up to 11. Now go out there and show them what you’re made of!
Question Breakdown
1.
5
/ 10Question:
"We're currently evaluating multiple SEO agencies and need time to compare their services and pricing."
Answer:
That's always a good idea. Let me ask you this - what is the most important thing to you when looking at a company to do business with?
Feedback:
The response acknowledges the prospect's need for time to evaluate options, which is good for showing understanding. However, it lacks a stronger engagement strategy. Instead of merely asking a general question about their priorities, the salesperson could have used a solution-focused approach by exploring specific pain points related to SEO. A more effective follow-up could have included a brief overview of how their agency stands out or a request to share what they’ve found so far. This would demonstrate active listening and curiosity. Overall, while the tone is appropriate, the response could benefit from deeper exploration of the prospect's needs and concerns.
Score: 5
2.
7
/ 10Question:
"I understand your proposal, but can you explain how this will specifically improve our website's ROI?"
Answer:
Yes - our clients have seen an average ROI of 22x when using our services. Here are some case studies proving our effectiveness.
Feedback:
The response effectively addresses the client's concern by providing a specific ROI figure and referencing case studies, which adds credibility and demonstrates value. However, it lacks a deeper exploration of the client's unique situation or needs. Asking follow-up questions to understand their specific goals or pain points regarding ROI would have shown curiosity and active listening. Overall, while the response is informative, it could be more engaging and collaborative by inviting the client to discuss their expectations further.
Closing technique is not explicitly applied, and the solution-focused approach could be enhanced by personalizing the benefits of the service to their specific circumstances.
In summary, good information was provided, but more engagement and discovery are needed to fully connect with the prospect.
Score: 7
3.
4
/ 10Question:
"We're satisfied with our current SEO provider; they have a long-standing relationship with us and deliver satisfactory results."
Answer:
If that were true, you wouldn't be talking to me. It appears something is missing in your current performance - running a quick scan of your website with our proprietary tools, I can see that you have 103 technical issues on your site that prevent you from being found locally. We can fix those quickly - and then dive into the other areas that are lacking that we can improve performance on.
Feedback:
The response is somewhat confrontational with the initial statement, "If that were true, you wouldn't be talking to me." This could alienate the prospect instead of fostering a collaborative dialogue. While the use of a proprietary scan tool adds credibility and highlights specific issues, it lacks an exploration of the prospect's needs and feelings about their current provider. A better approach would be to ask open-ended questions to understand their satisfaction and pain points more deeply, followed by an empathetic acknowledgment of their current provider’s strengths. While there’s a solution-focused element in identifying technical issues, the overall tone could be softened to build rapport. Closing techniques are not effectively employed here, as it jumps to fixing issues without aligning with their goals or interests. A score of 4 reflects the need for improved tone, curiosity, and a more consultative approach.
4.
5
/ 10Question:
"With the current economic climate, budget restrictions are a significant concern for us this quarter."
Answer:
I understand your situation. Let me ask you - would improving your ROI on your existing spend help alleviate your budget concerns?
Feedback:
The response acknowledges the prospect's concern about budget restrictions, which is a good start. However, it could be more effective by explicitly addressing the objection rather than just redirecting to ROI. A stronger approach would involve exploring the implications of not investing in SEO during tough economic times, potentially challenging their thinking about the long-term benefits of SEO versus short-term savings. Additionally, asking more probing questions about their current SEO performance and how they define ROI could demonstrate curiosity and discovery. Overall, while there is an attempt to engage, the response lacks depth and a clear follow-up strategy to address the budget concern directly.
5.
7
/ 10Question:
"How can I be sure your agency understands our industry-specific challenges and can provide tailored solutions?"
Answer:
We've worked with 4 other companies in your industry - in different market centers. For each one, they had unique challenges that we worked with the client to make sure we addressed. Our approach is not one size fits all, it's unique to every customer. What challenges are you currently facing in your market?
Feedback:
The response effectively addresses the objection by highlighting past experience with other companies in the same industry, which provides credibility. However, it could benefit from a clearer articulation of specific examples or outcomes achieved for those clients to strengthen the trust. The question at the end is a good way to invite the prospect to share their challenges, demonstrating curiosity and a solution-focused approach. The communication tone is appropriate for the context, but a little more detail about how those unique challenges were handled would enhance the response. Overall, it shows promise but lacks depth in demonstrating understanding of the industry-specific challenges.
Score: 7
6.
8
/ 10Question:
"There are a lot of SEO solutions out there; what makes your offering stand out against others in the market?"
Answer:
Our company was built out by necessity by two individuals that were, and still are, in your industry. You might say we eat our own dogfood. This gives us deeper insight to the challenges you face as the market changes because we are in it too. What part of an SEO solution is most important to you and your firm?
Feedback:
The salesperson effectively addresses the objection by leveraging their unique value proposition—being industry insiders who understand the challenges firsthand. This approach aligns well with the consultative selling methodology, as it builds rapport and demonstrates empathy. The follow-up question about the most important aspect of an SEO solution further promotes discovery and encourages dialogue, showing curiosity and active listening. However, the response could be improved by explicitly highlighting specific differentiators or unique features of their SEO services to provide clearer value exploration. Overall, it maintains a professional tone suitable for the SEO industry.
Score: 8/10
7.
7
/ 10Question:
"We have several ongoing projects that take priority over any new SEO initiatives for the time being."
Answer:
Do you have any exisisting SEO initiatives that are being worked on? We could help streamline that process and free up your time to work on the other projects. This would allow you put resources where they are most needed while still getting a head start on the SEO projects that you'd like to accomplish.
Feedback:
The response effectively acknowledges the prospect's concern about prioritizing ongoing projects while suggesting a collaborative solution to streamline their existing SEO initiatives. By asking about current efforts, the salesperson demonstrates curiosity and a desire to understand the prospect's needs better. However, the response could be enhanced by incorporating a stronger sense of urgency or a specific benefit of integrating new SEO initiatives alongside their current projects. Additionally, a more assertive closing technique could encourage further discussion about how the salesperson's services can provide immediate benefits. Overall, this response is solid but could be more compelling with a slight adjustment in tone and focus on urgency.
Score: 7
8.
8
/ 10Question:
"I need reassurance about the post-purchase support and how you handle changes in strategy based on performance."
Answer:
Our team provides bi-weekly reporting and we also have an ongoing checklist that we provide to you of all the steps being performed and the roadmap for success. Additionally, you are assigned an account manager that you can reach out to anytime to answer questions. Monthly, we meet with you to review performance and make adjustments, and suggestions to improve your overall ranking, for your account.
Feedback:
The response addresses the objection effectively by outlining the support structure, including bi-weekly reporting, an ongoing checklist, and an assigned account manager. This demonstrates an understanding of the customer's need for reassurance and emphasizes a collaborative approach. However, the response could have included a bit more emphasis on the adaptability of the strategy based on performance metrics, perhaps by mentioning specific examples of how adjustments have been made in the past. Overall, the tone is clear and appropriate for the industry, but adding a personal touch or inviting further questions could enhance engagement.
Closing techniques were not explicitly used, which could have strengthened the response; for example, asking if they have any specific concerns about the support process would have shown curiosity and encouraged further discussion.
9.
6
/ 10Question:
"Our decision-making process involves multiple stakeholders, and I need to ensure alignment on this initiative before moving forward."
Answer:
I understand - is there a time that we can all meet together so that I can answer any follow on questions that your stakeholders may have?
Feedback:
The response acknowledges the objection well, showing an understanding of the need for stakeholder alignment. However, it could be strengthened by demonstrating curiosity and discovery by asking who the stakeholders are and what specific concerns they might have. This would allow for a more tailored approach. The tone is appropriate for the industry, but it lacks a closing technique to encourage the next steps, such as suggesting a tentative date for the meeting. Overall, while the response is a good start, it could better explore value and foster collaboration with the stakeholders.
Score: 6
10.
3
/ 10Question:
"Considering our recent failed attempts with other SEO services, what guarantees can you provide that will instill trust in your capabilities?"
Answer:
As Chris Farley said, if you want me to shit in a box and slap a guaranteed label on it, I'll do it. But what I'd rather do is have you check out our reviews and if you're still not convinced, I'm happy to share some client contacts that you can speak to directly about what it's like to work with us and the results we've gotten for them.
Feedback:
The response attempts to inject humor but falls flat by using an inappropriate analogy that could offend or alienate the prospect. While referencing reviews and offering client contacts is a good strategy to address trust issues, the initial tone undermines the seriousness of the objection. A more polished and empathetic approach that acknowledges the prospect's concerns directly would be more effective. Additionally, there was no clear closing technique utilized. Overall, the response lacks professionalism and fails to build rapport effectively, which is crucial in the SEO industry where trust is paramount.
Score: 3