Sell it
A three-stage sales funnel, discovery that surfaces fit fast, objection handling, and proposals and contracts that win the deal and protect you after.
The sales approach
Most WordPress freelancers and small agencies never had sales training. They became technical first, then learned that being good at the work isn’t enough. You also have to convince people to buy.
Stop selling care plans. Start selling outcomes.
Here’s the mistake almost every agency makes on a sales call: they list features first. “We do plugin updates. We do daily backups. We monitor uptime 24/7.” The client hears: “blah blah technical stuff blah.” Flip the script — sell outcomes first, then mention features.
You shouldn’t have to think about your website. You should be able to run your business knowing it’s working, and trust that if anything goes wrong, someone is on it. That’s what we do for you.
Outcomes come from translating every feature into the answer to the client’s silent question: “What does this mean for me?”
- Plugin updates → “Your site stays up-to-date and more secure.”
- Backups → “If anything ever goes wrong, we have a safe copy we can restore in minutes.”
- Security scans → “You wake up to your business running, not to a hacked site.”
- Performance monitoring → “Your site loads fast, which means more visitors actually buy.”
- Monthly reports → “You know what’s happening on your site without having to ask.”
The three-stage sales funnel
Care plan sales work best when you split the conversation into three stages. This protects your time, qualifies the client early, and builds trust by showing them you’re organized.
Qualification
A 10-minute chat, email, or form. Figure out if there’s a real fit, or politely route them elsewhere.
Discovery
A 30-minute working call to understand the site, the business, and what they actually need.
Proposal review
Walk the proposal through live — don’t email it and hope. Many deals are lost to a proposal that never got an answer.
The five questions that matter most
Most discovery calls fail because the seller talks too much. The client should be doing 70% of the talking. Your job is to ask, listen, and take notes.
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“What does your website do for your business right now? How would you describe its job?”
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“If your site went down for 24 hours, what would happen to your revenue, to your team, to your reputation?”
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“What’s the worst thing that’s happened with your site in the last year?”
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“What’s been your experience with technical help so far?”
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“What would make this care plan feel like the best money you spend each month?”
Reading buying signals
- “How soon could you start?”
- “What do you need from me to get going?”
- They describe problems they want fixed in detail
- They mention a deadline (launch, busy season)
- They ask about specifics — “do you handle [X plugin]?”
- “Can you send me a list of what you do?”
- “I’m shopping around”
- “Just gathering information”
- Long silences with no follow-up questions
- “My nephew helps me, but I just want a backup option”
The five most common objections
“I have a guy.”
Translation: my nephew, my last developer, or the kid down the street handles it — for free or cheap. Don’t fight it. Ask:
That’s great you already have someone. Quick question: when something goes wrong, how fast do they usually respond? And do they handle updates and security proactively, or only when something breaks?
“It’s too expensive.”
Translation: this can mean three different things. Find out which.
Help me understand what feels expensive. Is it the dollar amount, the comparison to what you’re paying now, or the comparison to your budget?
“I’ll think about it.”
Translation: “You haven’t given me a reason to act yet.”
Of course. Before we hop off, what’s the one thing you’d need to be sure of before saying yes? Whatever they say is the real objection.
“Can you just do my updates?”
Translation: “I want the cheapest version, not the real thing.” Don’t agree.
We don’t sell updates as a standalone, because updates without monitoring, security or backups are how sites break and stay broken. Our entry plan covers updates and the safety net around them, and starts at $X.
“We’ve never paid that before.”
Translation: their last provider was cheap, or they never had one.
What did you pay before? And what did you get for it? Listen. Then explain the difference with a story of a client who used to pay less and what happened.
Minutes 1–3 · Welcome + your background Thank them for the time. Brief intro: who you are, why you do this work. Set expectation: "I'll ask you a lot of questions for the first 20 minutes, then I'll share how we work and what next steps look like." Minutes 3–20 · Discovery (you ask, they talk) What does your website do for your business? · If your site went down for 24 hours, what would happen? · What's the worst thing that's happened in the last year? · What's been your experience with technical help so far? · What would make this feel worth it? · Site tour together — plugins, integrations, anything custom? · Any deadlines, launches, busy seasons? Minutes 20–25 · Your offer Quick overview of your three tiers, premium first. Hint at where you think they'd fit and why. If needs are complex, don't quote a final price — say "I'll send a proposal that fits your specifics." Minutes 25–30 · Next steps Confirm timeline: "I'll have a proposal to you within [X business days]." Book the next call before they leave. Ask: "Anyone else on your side who should be on that call?"
The wrong client loses you weeks of your life. If you see two or more, consider walking away.
Where care plan clients actually come from
Cold outbound almost never works for care plans. Here’s what does, in rough order of effectiveness.
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Past project clients. Anyone you built a site for is your single best lead. They already know and trust you. Sell to them first.
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Referrals from existing clients. Ask right after a win — a great report, a problem solved, a successful migration.
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Hosting and tool partnerships. Managed hosts and plugin makers often have referral programs.
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Niche communities. Pick a vertical. Show up in their forums and groups. Be helpful for free for 6 months. Watch what happens.
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Migration and rescue work. “Site got hacked, can you help?” Take the rescue job, then offer a plan. Rescue clients convert at very high rates.
Proposals and contracts that win and protect
A proposal is not a quote. A quote is a price. A proposal is a story that ends with a price. And a contract isn’t there to win you a lawsuit — it’s there to prevent one.
The anatomy of a winning proposal
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A short summary of what you understood from the discovery call. “Here’s what I heard you say.”
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Your three tiers, with a clear recommendation.
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What’s not included, in plain language.
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How onboarding will work and when it starts.
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How to say yes — a clear next step.
One to three pages is plenty. What matters is that the client opens it on their phone, scans it in 90 seconds, and understands what they’re being offered and what to do next.
The two-version proposal tactic
For the busy stakeholder. Scans in 30 seconds and decides if they’re interested.
For the careful person on the team — owner, tech partner, or finance. Reads every detail.
[YOUR LOGO] CARE PLAN PROPOSAL Prepared for: [Client name and business] · Prepared by: [Your name] Date: [Date] · Valid through: [30 days from today] WHAT WE HEARD [Client name], during our call you shared a few things that shaped this proposal: · Note from discovery · Note from discovery · Note from discovery Our recommendation, based on what you described, is the [TIER NAME] plan. [ANCHOR TIER NAME] — $[XXX]/mo What's included every month: · _____________ · _____________ · _____________ OTHER OPTIONS [ENTRY TIER NAME] — $[XX]/month. Short description of what is and isn't included. [PREMIUM TIER NAME] — $[XXXX]/month. Short description of what is and isn't included. NOT INCLUDED (happy to quote separately): · Major site rebuilds or new design work · Custom plugin or theme development beyond small fixes · Full-site migrations to new hosting or domains · Content writing or copywriting · Third-party software licenses unless agreed separately · Recovery work from issues caused by other parties before our plan started HOW WE'LL GET STARTED 1. We send a credentials checklist. You send us what we need. 2. We start an in-depth takeover audit. 3. We do the technical setup. 4. After one month, you get your first care plan report. Total onboarding time on your side: about 30 minutes, spread across multiple occasions. HOW TO SAY YES Reply to this email or to [Your name] at [your email]. We'll send the contract and the first invoice. Once both are signed, we get to work the same week. Questions? Book a 15-minute call: [calendar link]
The contract: every clause that matters
A clear contract sets expectations on both sides, so disagreements get settled by reading the document instead of fighting. Use these as a starting point — then have a lawyer in your country review the final document.
1 · Scope: what you do
Spell out the work in normal language. The contract should match the proposal scope word for word.
"The Provider will deliver the services described in Schedule A ("Care Plan Services") for as long as this Agreement is in effect, including the support response times listed in Schedule A."
2 · Out of scope: what you don't do
Spell out what's NOT included, so nobody assumes.
"The following are not included and will be quoted separately: major redesigns; new feature development beyond small fixes; full-site migrations; content writing; third-party license fees; recovery work from issues caused before this Agreement began. Out-of-scope work will be quoted at $[XXX] per hour or as a fixed-fee project."
3 · Response time and SLA
Promise response time (time to acknowledge and begin), not resolution time.
"The Provider will respond to support requests within the windows specified in Schedule A, measured in business hours (Mon–Fri, 9–5 [time zone], excluding holidays). Resolution time depends on the nature of the issue and is not guaranteed."
4 · Payment terms
When payment is due, what happens if it's late, how auto-pay works.
"Care Plan fees are billed monthly in advance, due on the X of each month. Payments more than X days late trigger a pause in services and may incur a X% late fee. Payments more than X days late result in termination."
5 · Termination and notice period
Either side can leave. 30 days is standard; 60 for higher tiers.
"Either party may terminate with [30] days' written notice by email. Fees are not prorated for partial months. Upon termination, the Provider will deliver all client-owned credentials and assets within X days."
6 · Auto-renewal
Care plans renew unless cancelled. State this clearly.
"This Agreement renews automatically each month until terminated per the Termination section. Annual plans renew each year unless the Client gives written notice at least X days before the renewal date."
7 · Data ownership and exit
The site, content, and credentials belong to the client. Always.
"The Client owns all content, designs, and data. Upon termination, the Provider will deliver within X days: a final off-site backup; a complete list of credentials and access points; a written handover document — then remove all access."
8 · Liability cap
Cap liability at the fees paid in the last X months.
"The Provider's total liability is capped at the total fees paid in the X months prior to the event giving rise to the claim. Neither party will be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages."
9 · Force majeure and third-party carve-out
You can't be held responsible for things you don't control.
"The Provider is not responsible for issues caused by: third-party services or hosting outside its control; bugs originating from WordPress core, plugin, or theme authors; actions by the Client or third parties with access; or events beyond reasonable control."
10 · Out-of-scope rate
State your hourly rate. Make it real — clients use it as the price of future work.
"Work outside the scope will be quoted in writing before any work begins. The standard hourly rate for out-of-scope work is $X per hour, billed in X-minute increments, with a minimum of X minutes per request."
11 · Confidentiality
Both sides agree not to share confidential information.
"Each party agrees to keep confidential any non-public information received during this Agreement. This obligation survives termination for a period of X years."
12 · Insurance
If you carry professional liability insurance, name it. If you don't, get a quote — for most freelancers it's $50–$100 a month and worth every dollar.