We don’t accept every potential client that comes our way.
Honestly.
We not only must feel we can help them in a material way, we must be enthused at the prospect of doing so. This positive feeling is based upon our grasp of – and appreciation for – their mission and business model.
Then we take a leap of faith, which should be at the foundation of any good relationship, business or personal. At this point, we focus on doing everything we can to assist them in achieving their marketing objectives while, hopefully, making them glad they chose to partner with us.
As we trust any client-centric marketing consultants will appreciate and identify with, this feeling is something like falling in love . . . without having to remember birthday and anniversary dates.
We don’t accept every potential client that comes our way.
Honestly.
We not only must feel we can help them in a material way, we must be enthused at the prospect of doing so. This positive feeling is based upon our grasp of – and appreciation for – their mission and business model.
Then we take a leap of faith, which should be at the foundation of any good relationship, business or personal. At this point, we focus on doing everything we can to assist them in achieving their marketing objectives while, hopefully, making them glad they chose to partner with us.
As we trust any client-centric marketing consultants will appreciate and identify with, this feeling is something like falling in love . . . without having to remember birthday and anniversary dates.
Summer vacations or summer doldrums (a malady being experienced by those NOT on vacation), when combined with pre-election doubts is a phenomenon that traditionally causes many marketers to crawl into a protective shell and do nothing.
BULLETIN! This neither is a positive tradition, nor is it a particularly protective shell. It’s more like a cop-out, an excuse which amounts to nothing other than a self-fulfilling prophecy for – at best – mediocre “returns on non-investment.”
Instead, make a list of clients or prospects from whom you haven’t recently heard or with whom you would like to cultivate a relationship.
Step 1: Make a list.
Step 2: Pick up the phone (yes, one of those) and call them
Step 3: Discus how they might use your services to advantage
Like magic, almost before you know it, you will be looking back on a summer that was more productive for you than it otherwise would have been.
Many — if not most — of us are caught up in the social media movement, and that’s a good thing . . . up to a point. While it’s an absolutely incredible way for staying in touch, the danger line is crossed if and when something like postings or tweets are habitually substituted for face-to-face interaction with clients, prospects, associates, vendors and others on whom we rely. If we generally avoid opportunities to “get out among ‘em,” we do so at our own peril. Sure, time is our most precious commodity, but an honest-to-goodness relationship is a terrible thing to click away.
To survive, let alone be a category leader, adequate numbers of prospects must be developed. This cannot be accomplished through time-and-energy-draining two-way communication, either face to face or on the phone. Publisher McGraw Hill has estimated that the average sales call requires approximately 45 minutes, and that an average of three calls is required to close a sale. That’s simply inefficient. Prospecting is what marketing – the one-way communication element of sales – is ideally suited for. Whether by e-mail, surface mail or online, your sales success likely be in direct proportion to your one-way outreach.
Your centers of influence, i.e. friends and fellow group members, are a great source of referrals and direct business. Use (your choice) email marketing or surface mail to stay in touch with your core contacts, no less than once monthly. Try to build your message around news or other helpful information (occasionally, special offers are OK) rather than out-and-out selling pushes. This way, your missives are more likely to be welcomed rather than dreaded.
