Practical Sales Training™ > How To Convert > Judge Me on My Results
What is it?
When it comes to “closing” a potential client, few things are more powerful than allowing someone the freedom to judge you on your results before they commit further.
Why does it work?
It works because it puts the buyer in control and it helps to limit their risk. If you are willing to place your fate in the hands of the buyer getting the results they seek, it’s the ultimate demonstration of confidence in your offering.
How can you use it?
There are two main ways you can use this in your selling conversations:
1. Getting buyers to start small. I use this when I’m looking at a longer term retainer/coaching situation. I work in 3 month cycles where at the end of the 3 months the buyer can choose to continue or cancel. They are in control and if the results they are getting change in any way they have the freedom to not renew.
2. Pay on results. If you are brave and it makes commercial sense for you to take this risk, you can offer to work essentially for free and your buyer only pays when they get the result. The risk is HEAVILY stacked against you but as far as reassuring your buyer and using it to close a deal, it’s a powerful move.
Hypothetical Example:
A digital marketing agency is pitching a £5,000/month retainer to a medium-sized e-commerce company. The company is hesitant, worried about committing that much money without seeing proof of results.
Instead of pushing for a long-term contract, the agency says:
“Let’s start with a 90-day test period. If you don’t see at least a 20% uplift in sales from our campaigns, you don’t have to renew. We’ll review everything at the 3-month mark so you can decide based on results.”
This lowers the perceived risk for the client and shows that the agency is confident in delivering real value. The client agrees because they feel in control and reassured that they’re only committing short-term with the option to walk away.
Alternatively, a personal trainer might say:
“You don’t pay me unless you lose 5kg in the next 6 weeks. If you don’t hit that goal, our sessions are free.”
This “pay on results” approach is risky for the trainer but extremely compelling for the buyer.
See also
