Sales calls with prospects should focus on IT audits.  Spending more than 30 minutes with a prospect should be called a billable IT audit.

The goal of a sales call is to get IT audits.  Unless there is a specific emergency, you need to try to sell IT audits; they will lead to future IT services and hopefully help turn prospects into steady, high-paying clients.

If a prospect gives you very direct points of pain, such as broken equipment or server problems, you have something to do and you should start there.  However, sometimes selling half-day tech assessments and IT audits makes sense.  But how do you approach IT audits?  

Quick = Free With IT Audits

If you do a stripped-down free version, go in for half an hour and offer a basic list of items.  Anything more than half an hour that involves actually investigating hubs, switches and other items is well beyond the scope of a free assessment.

IT Audits:  Get Paid for Longer Assessments

Any calls longer than half an hour that involve detailed work can’t be free.  Come up with a set rate for IT audits that extend beyond 30 minutes and stick to it!

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting Kit