Are you feeling stuck on what to do or where to do it?
Well, the first thing I would tell most of you is to get networking! Jump right up from your desk, bring a stack of business cards and attend some events pertinent to your business right off the bat. This is the best way to generate new leads and new contacts; just do it, don't think about it. This might be tough or uncomfortable and you might want to 'ease' your way back into those circles, but don't do it. Otherwise it could take you up to three months to get back on track.
Get networking now to chamber events, trade or association meetings, business events or expos - anything where your target market will be. Afterwards, you'll be forced to follow up and the whole marketing cycle begins again!
Follow up you say? What's that? Well, in my experience only about 5% of small business people do this on a regular basis, however it can be the single most effective way to attract and retain new business and referrals. What are you waiting for? No one is going to do your networking or your follow up for you.
To effectively follow up with new prospects, new contacts or anyone in general you can do any or all of the following:
#1. Mail a handwritten note with your business card
"It was great to meet you, let's get together for coffee to see how we might be able to work together. When are you available next week?"#2. Send a personal email
"It was great to meet you, this is what I do now tell me what it is that you do so that we might be able to refer business to each other."#3. Make a phone call to say
"It was great to meet you, how could we help refer business to each other?"Not only do you need to follow up with these people within 48 hours of meeting them, but you need to follow up again and again and again. Find new approaches each time, ask them questions, ask them for coffee, mail them a list of your services, drop off a promotional item and your brochure or email them an article you read that you thought they might be interested in.
Persistence is the key. If a lead is really warm to hot, you will want to follow up or contact them at least four times. If they turn you down at all or tell you no, keep trying different angles, kill them with kindness, refer a potential client to them, show them you give without expecting to receive. Most of the time, with persistence, you can win the sale or meeting.
Now, I can hear some of you thinking, "Ok, the follow up isn't the problem, it's the actual networking, talking to people I don't know in a big crowd."
Well, what I say to that is get over it!
Take some public speaking courses, do a lot of practicing in front of the mirror or a friend, or you can even join Toastmasters or a business referral organization which will help you fine tune your 10, 30 or 60 second commercial. If all else fails or none of this appeals to you, too bad, do it anyway.
Let's face it, running your own business is tough, you don't always get to do the things you like to do, sometimes you have to do the things you don't like to do - so get used to it and fake it 'til you make it.
The trick to networking for those who are shy or who don't like crowds or small talk is to ask a lot of questions and ask for other people's business cards. Don't worry about talking about yourself or passing out your cards, just worry about the other person and getting their card. Ask them lots of questions about them, their life, their business, their target market, what kind of referrals they like to receive, etc. Because you can always follow up later and send them your card and info!
An important thing to remember when networking is to make sure you wear a clear, professional nametag so when you're busy talking about other people and what they do at these events, they can still read your name, business and what you do on your shirt so in case they are interested in what you do, they will ask.
So, now that you've started networking, doing your follow up and the leads and referrals might be starting to trickle in, what else is there? How are you marketing your business? Do you have a written marketing plan that you refer to and update on a regular basis? If not, write one. There are free seminars offered in most cities by the SBA or other Business Centers who are there to be a resource to small business owners or of course that's something I can help you with too in my 1-On-1 Marketing Planning Meeting.
For those of you who really need some alone time to rejuvenate and prepare to get back to business, try a weekend retreat for yourself. Go away from your home and your office for 2 days, stay over night if you can in a hotel or spa retreat to gather your thoughts and plan the coming year.
During this retreat, you will want to write down every idea or creative thought that comes into your head. Then you want to plot out on a big calendar any annual events, promotions, sales or focuses for your business. Along with those, you will want to outline timelines or deadlines for needed tasks or items in order to accomplish those such as book a hotel conference room for the client appreciation event and order and send invitations. Plot those on the calendar too allowing ample time to accomplish each item. Don't forget to add in your personal vacations and family time too - you have to do this to keep balance in your life for sure but if you don't calendar it right off the bat, that time gets eaten up doesn't it??
Your client base is your most valuable marketing resource so keep adding to it, following up with everyone on it and work them for repeat business and referrals and you will succeed. If you keep reaching or spending money trying only to get new business and forgetting about the old contacts and clients you will most likely fail.
Now, get networking!
0 Comments
Please add nice comments or answer ....