...worth a pound of cure.
What are the similarities between Hurricane Katrina, the BP Oil Spill and potentially your business?
It usually takes a disaster to find out you should have thought about and have proper contingency plans in place.
Now there are a plethora of different sorts of disasters which could befall your business from losing your data in a computer crash, losing key personnel, to your building burning down.
However, that's not my speciality.
Marketing and Sales is.
So let me ask you a few pointed questions.
Do you have a definite, written plan to attract clients this year?
Do you have a proven methodology to attract clients?
Do you know what your cash flow will be in the coming year?
And if you don't have plans in these areas, are you at least thinking about it?
Over the last 10 years working with small business clients in over 25 different industries one thing is very apparent. The failure to budget and plan. And if they did have a plan, they failed to implement it.
And interestingly, this was the major factor that separated the "big boys" from small business. If you've ever worked in a large corporate you'll know exactly what I mean. Try getting away without tightly defined sales and revenue forecasts!
So if you are wondering why you don't have as much business as you can handle, there's really just one place you need to look:
Your Marketing and Sales Plan!
Let's break it down to the fundamentals. Your plan must have the following components.
1) A Marketing Strategy - Specific step-by-step actions you will take to attract clients.
Your actions need to be organised and consistent, not the random knee-jerk many businesses go through when they suddenly realise there's nothing in the pipeline.
You must know your average lead time. i.e. How long does it take on average for a prospect to become a client. In some cases it might be almost instant (you're looking for a plumber for a blocked drain), or the sales cycle may be months or even years for a big outlay.
This way you don't get caught short - suddenly scrambling for prospects who are going to take months to become clients while you twiddle your thumbs in the meantime.
2) A Package or Program
It is far, far easier to sell something tangible - an object that you can see, touch, experience than it is to sell any form of consulting.
So if you're in the consulting business, whether you're selling coaching, accounting, or legal advice, you must make your offering tangible.
So sell a "12 Month Boost Your Business Program" or a "Property Investment Mastery Program" which contain tangible, implementable steps.
3) A Selling Process
A good marketing system will generate interest from qualified prospects who are ready to explore doing business with you. But you still need to turn those prospects into paying clients.
Frankly, I've never met a born salesman! Good sales people learn a process of selling that works consistently and reliably, moving prospects towards a sale.
So how hard can all of this be?
Well, experience has shown many people find it difficult to impossible.
Many people have part of a plan. But if you want to produce a completely different level of results, you need the complete plan and the skills (and will) to implement it.
And that's where Marketing, Sales and Business Coaching comes in. Working with us you'll develop a direction, strategy and plan. We'll help you get clarity, acting as your sounding board. You'll learn to separate the forest from the trees and figure out what's really important in moving you forward today.
Then you implement the things that will make a difference now.
And one final word. Plans without implementation are meaningless. You have to have both in the right proportions!
Call me on (02) 9499-7958 if you'd like to discuss taking your business forward.
Rashid.
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