abbeyvet - 5:06 pm on Feb 5, 2007 (gmt 0)

What has this whole post to do with selling websites?

I think he meant selling websites in the sense of selling web design services as distinct from, well, selling websites.

"Sir, we design the most in-cred-i-ble... THE most INCREDIBLE websites...".

My experience, and that of many others I know, has been that once you get over the hump of getting your first few clients, the best source of new ones is word of mouth recommendation.

Many of those who arrive looking for web develeopment services now are people who already have web sites, just ones that under-perform, add nothing to the business or are more of a headache than an asset. And in many cases these sites were sold to them with the promise of INCREDIBLE results.

My impression is that by using sales tactics like this you could be creating for yourself a body of clients who you have already set up for future dissatisfaction. Under promise and over deliver will always trump the opposite.

Personally, those kind of calls (and I have had them) hold my attention even less than the standard scripted ones, because they come over as patronising, annoying and, well, incredible.