Are You Fishing In the Right Pond?
I hear it almost every day. “My clients have disappeared. I don’t know where the next opportunity is coming from. All of my business comes from referrals and repeat clients and there’s nothing going on. The economy is killing my business.” If you’re experiencing a slowdown in your business, maybe it’s time to think differently.
Perhaps, it’s time to look elsewhere. Maybe, it’s time for you to be fishing in a different pond. Maybe, it’s time to reinvent yourself or your business. Maybe, it’s time to transition from a reactive process to one that is proactive.
Your new proactive process should begin by identifying your ideal client profile. If you don’t know who you are after, how will you ever do business with them? Be very specific about who you want to do business with. What industry are they in? Where are they located? How many employees do they have? What kind of revenues do they do on a regular basis? Do they have multiple offices? Who is the decision maker that you need to speak to? Create a list of these companies and respective decision makers.
Next, develop your message. What are you going to say to your prospects when you finally do connect with them? Are you going to magically come up with the right words about your company and services when and if they pick-up the phone? Are you prepared to deliver a compelling message to your prospects that is about them instead of about you that will grab their attention?
What if you meet your next prospective client at a cocktail party? Will the right words role smoothly off your tongue? If you can’t explain to your prospects who you are, what you do and why they should work with you, how can you expect them to give you consideration or make a decision in your favor? Preparation is the differentiator here.
Now…go forward and execute on your plan to proactively contact the companies on your list. It’s probably going to take longer than it has in the past to reel in your next client so your process needs to include multiple touches over a period of time which will help to enhance and improve your credibility. Finally, based upon results, make adjustments to your process as you go along.
Success with your new business development efforts will be the culmination of doing a lot of things right on a regular basis. It’s not about knocking the ball out of the park or throwing the “hail Mary” pass from one end of the field to the other. It’s not about trying to be all things to all people. Bringing new clients to your business is about proactively pursuing new opportunities with an organized, methodical, disciplined process on a daily basis. This process starts with knowing who you want to do business with and where you fit in your market.
Are you fishing in the right pond every day or do you need to drop your line somewhere else?
Good selling!
Ken
“Heaven and hell is right now…You make it heaven or you make it hell by your actions.” George Harrison
Ken Levine
Impact Business Solutions, Inc.
508-845-8849
SELL MORE BY SELLING LESS
www.ibs4sales.com
