Written by Jamie May
Big purchasing decisions are hard to get approved. They involve multiple stakeholders, procurement processes, risk assessments and budget conversations that can take months and still go nowhere. Procurement, tendering, scoping can be really expensive for a small business, but you need to build the trust and prove your value.
When you reduce the size of the initial commitment you reduce the perceived risk for the buyer and allow them freedom to make a wider bespoke purchase. They don’t need to be completely convinced you’re the right choice.
The military calls it the tip of the spear engagement. Get the point in first. Everything else follows. In business it’s called a ‘pace car sale’ or ‘land and expand’.
Getting the Foot in the Door
Think about what the smallest useful version of your product or service looks like. Not a watered down version that undersells what you do, but a genuine entry point that delivers real value and leaves the client satisfied.
A one day workshop instead of a full consulting engagement. A single campaign before a retainer. Architectural plans on one location before a national rollout. A fixed price audit before an open ended project.
Price it to be easy to say yes to, but be clear that pricing is low as cost of sale. What you’re buying is access, trust and the opportunity to prove yourself inside the account, not make a million bucks.
Expanding Once You’re In
This is where most businesses leave money on the table. They deliver the initial work, the client is happy, and then nothing happens. Nobody asks what else might be useful. They spend a lot of effort on little profit. Nobody maps out where else in the business there might be an opportunity, nobody asks the tough questions of next steps.
Once you’re inside an account you have advantages no outside competitor has. You understand the business, you know the people, and you’ve already proven you can deliver. Use that. After every piece of work throw in an account management meeting. Ask three questions. How are we going? What else is the client dealing with that you could help with? And who else in the organisation has a problem they would recommend us to?
You don’t need to pitch aggressively. Just stay curious, stay visible, and let the relationship develop naturally. The opportunities will surface if you’re paying attention.
The Takeaway
Look at your current client list and identify two or three where you’re only doing one thing but could reasonably be doing more. Not because you want to sell them something they don’t need, but because there’s a genuine problem you could solve that you haven’t raised yet.
Have that conversation this week. You’re already in the door. All you have to do is ask.
