"Thanks for coming, come on in."
[I direct you to a quaint, warm, quiet seating area. There is a window that overlooks the Mississippi river. It is Autumn and the trees are just turning color.]
"Please sit down, can I help you to anything? Water, coffee?" [You sit in a very comfortable chair, and instantly feel at ease, relaxed. I hand you your drink and sit across from you. There is an oak table in the center, a bowl with M&Ms (help yourself!) and my Caribou Coffee. You also see some magazines: Entrepreneur, Web Design, Inc., Fortune, and of course PC World. You also see examples of my work.]I smile, "How was your day?" After talking about how your business has been going and about the fun things you have done this week we start up a conversation about your needs: for you, your business, or the association you represent.
"Let's talk about what your pains are. First, what is your organization all about? What are you passionate about and what does your organization do for its constituents? What are some words you would use to describe your business?" I acknowledge and recognize you are very passionate for what you represent. You are proud, you care, and find that a web solution of some kind is needed to bring your organization to the next level.
"Let's discuss what a website is: it is a tool for your organization and who it represents, it is your organizations' identity online-and the first thing your customers/clients/consituents see when they go online. It is also a place for your current valuable clients go to get information quickly about you." I begin disussing the step-by-step, flexible, and customized web design process. I go over how the website we work together to make will focus on your client, your business' identity, and your passion. I go over how the website can be changed and modified without my help so that you can keep costs down. I ask you more questions about your organization and what you are passionate about. After a a very calm and warm meeting, you ask the simple question:
"Um, so, how much with this all cost?" I smile, estimate a quote and the time needed, ask you for your specific budget, then write down a number and show it to you. After a pause you simply say,
