Agree milestones, required client inputs and a procedure for handling delays.
The situation
In this fictional brief, important product pages attract poorly matched searches. The buyer wants a prioritised set of pages and search tasks tied to the offer. Your offer is a technical and content opportunity audit, but you must first establish whether its scope addresses the actual need.
A relevant delivery constraint is that the development team can implement only a few changes this month. Treat that as a fact in the exercise; do not remove it to make the sale easier.
| Your counterpart | a business owner with traffic but few enquiries |
|---|---|
| Offer under discussion | a technical and content opportunity audit |
| Evidence available | a sample audit entry connecting a query, page issue, proposed fix and measurement |
| Terms to clarify | Agree implementation ownership, reporting periods and what is outside scope. |
How to approach delivery deadline negotiation
A useful question for this stage: “If an input arrives late, which part of the schedule should change?” Ask it when the conversation creates a reason for it, rather than reciting every question in order.
- Work backwards from the required outcome. Identify approvals and inputs. Offer a phased delivery if it is genuinely feasible.
- Ground the discussion in the buyer’s work. Ask: “Which enquiries should organic search bring, and which should it avoid?” Listen for a concrete example before making a claim.
- Use evidence relevant to the decision: a sample audit entry connecting a query, page issue, proposed fix and measurement. Explain what it demonstrates and what remains unverified.
- Agree milestones, required client inputs and a procedure for handling delays.
Example exchange
An illustrative exchange. Real conversations will take a different path.
SellerWhat makes that date important, and which deliverable is needed by then?
BuyerOur concern is that important product pages attract poorly matched searches. Also, the development team can implement only a few changes this month.
SellerWhich enquiries should organic search bring, and which should it avoid?
BuyerCan you put us first on Google next month?
SellerWe cannot guarantee positions. We can establish the baseline, fix the highest-impact issues and measure relevant visibility and enquiries over time.
SellerIf an input arrives late, which part of the schedule should change?
An industry-specific concern
Buyer: “Can you put us first on Google next month?”
Possible response: “We cannot guarantee positions. We can establish the baseline, fix the highest-impact issues and measure relevant visibility and enquiries over time.”
Why this response helps: it acknowledges the concern, brings the discussion back to a verifiable requirement and leaves room for a different decision. Adapt the wording to what the buyer actually said.
Run the practice
- Prepare for two minutes. One person takes the seller role and one plays a business owner with traffic but few enquiries. Read the offer and constraint separately from your preferred answer.
- Have a five-minute conversation focused on agree a feasible schedule using actual dependencies and acceptance steps. The buyer should answer consistently with the brief and ask for evidence when a claim is vague.
- Add this challenge: The buyer wants the full scope sooner but cannot accelerate approvals. Explain the trade-off between scope and timing.
- Pause for feedback. Quote one useful question and one missed opportunity. Repeat the difficult exchange using a different response.
- Finish by writing the actual agreement. A sensible option, when it fits, is to audit one product section and implement a small agreed set of fixes. A clear decision to pause is also a useful outcome.
What to avoid
| Common mistake | Accepting a date without checking access, approvals or delivery capacity. |
|---|---|
| A stronger direction | We can assess that date once the inputs and approval windows are confirmed. Here is the dependency that currently controls it. |
| Scope and claim boundary | Do not invent search volumes, positions or guaranteed indexing dates. |
| What to measure in real work | qualified organic enquiries, separated from brand and support traffic. Establish a baseline and definition before interpreting a change. |
Your working sheet
Write your own version below. Notes are saved on this browser when local storage is available. Use Download to keep a separate copy; avoid adding confidential information on a shared device.
Example: important product pages attract poorly matched searches; the development team can implement only a few changes this month.
Example: If an input arrives late, which part of the schedule should change? Industry question: Which enquiries should organic search bring, and which should it avoid?
Example: a sample audit entry connecting a query, page issue, proposed fix and measurement. Do not invent search volumes, positions or guaranteed indexing dates.
Example: Propose a clear next step, such as: audit one product section and implement a small agreed set of fixes. Confirm the owner and date.
Review your work
Tick only what you can support with your answer or practice. This is a reflection checklist, not an automated assessment.
Questions about this resource
Who is this seo agencies exercise for?
Founders, salespeople and account managers preparing for a conversation about a technical and content opportunity audit. Adapt the brief to your real offer and authority before using it at work.
Can I use the example as a script?
Use the questions as prompts. Listen and respond to the buyer’s actual meaning. The target is to agree a feasible schedule using actual dependencies and acceptance steps, not to deliver a memorised speech.
How should I assess the result?
Agree milestones, required client inputs and a procedure for handling delays. Use the three review questions below. The checklist is for reflection; it is not a validated prediction of sales performance.
Fictional training scenario. The dialogue illustrates response choices; it is not a customer testimonial or a record of a real sale. About these resources.