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So, just the other day I had this Vault guy come to my door.
Vault, if you don’t know, is a home security service. They install door and window sensors, cameras, wifi locks… that kind of stuff. And, this guy was offering a free system if I put their Vault sign in my yard.
Afterword, I looked it up and I guess their systems run nearly two grand.
So, this was a very appealing offer.
And, having been in the Army for 11 years and traveled around the world a bit… security is something I take serious. Anybody who knows me… knows I’m semi-paranoid about that stuff.
Anyway, I told him no.
Why?
Because I didn’t believe him.
Usually when someone shows up with an offer that sounds too good to be true… it is. I wondered what the catch was. How was I gonna get screwed?
Turns out, it’s totally legit.
My brother has Vault. I knew he had a system but not what. And, he got it through that very offer. Free system if they put out the yard sign.
The catch?
Of course, you have to do the monitoring fee which is like 50 bucks/month. Which I expected. And, you have to sign a 5-year contract. Again, totally expected… and nothing real shady about it. They gotta pay for the system somehow.
That’s a legit deal.
But, I said no.
There’s a lesson here for your web development career.
People are naturally skeptical. As they should be. And, if you want to get hired to write code for people… you have to address that skepticism head-on.
Let me give you an example…
The other day, I had a guy on YouTube ask me to look at his Upwork profile and let him know what to change. Now, the real answer to that question is everything… but there was one part that really stuck out:
Now, first off…
Notice how this fits what I almost always say about developer profiles on Upwork. He starts by listing what language he knows. 90% of clients are already gone at that point. They just don’t care that much about that stuff.
But… let me stay on track here. 🙂
Towards the bottom, he talks about working hard to satisfy his clients… and his loyalty and effort, etc. Trying to make a pitch on why someone should hire him.
We could talk about if that’s stuff even worth putting on there…
But, the larger point is… saying it means nothing. People don’t believe you. You could say “I’m the baddest coder on the planet”… nobody would care.
You have to PROVE it.
And, this is what so many developers are missing when it comes to marketing themselves. Proof. You’re loyal? Prove it. You’re reliable? Prove it. You know XYZ skills? Prove it.
Every single claim you make needs to be backed by hard evidence.
Otherwise, clients will just gloss over it.
You just sound like one of the millions of other developers spouting off about how great they are. The truly good ones… can prove it.
Think of your client’s natural skepticism as a rock that you have to chip away at piece by piece with your proof… until eventually it just crumbles into dust.
And then, you can sell yourself.
Funny thing is…
When you only say things you can prove… you’ll notice the things you say tend to shrink. But, that’s okay. That’s how it should be.
You only need a handful of sales points… that people actually believe.
What’s likely missing from your pitch isn’t more sales speak… it’s more evidence.
So, you build badass-looking contact forms? Prove it. Show me your portfolio full of those contact forms.
You’re a PHP genius? Prove it. Show me your test scores or accolades.
You’re reliable? Show me a testimonial of a client saying that.
Proof! That’s what matters.
Let me give you one last example:
This is a picture I took from one of the top floors of One World Trade Center tower in New York City. I was in the Inc. Magazine offices.
I was there for a mastermind of some of the top internet marketers on the planet.
Little old me… sitting “courtside” for an exclusive meeting of some of the best business minds on the planet.
What’s this proof of?
The power of PHP.
I got there because I’d built a website for an Executive Director at Inc. at the time. And, he asked specifically for me to be there. So, I was flown out… hotel paid for. Meals paid for. And free attendance at this event (while they all paid).
And, knowing PHP was the whole reason why.
The same opportunities are open to you. Just gotta learn PHP. And, this is the easiest way to do so, in my opinion: https://johnmorrisonline.com/php
P.S. If you liked the show, give it a like and share with the communities and people you think will benefit. And, you can always find all my tutorials, source code and exclusive courses on Patreon.
