Whether you're a solopreneur just starting out or run an established,
multimillion-dollar company, you need a consistent stream of clients to be
profitable. Many business owners are perplexed about how they should find new
prospects. Should they buy mailing lists, do mass e-blasts, or try a new print
ad campaign? While it's great to have so many options, it can also be
overwhelming to choose the right prospecting vehicles, especially if you're on a
shoestring budget. Even if you do have a hefty marketing allowance, what's right
for your competitor may not be the best fit for your firm. So what do you do to
get your prospect wheel churning new sales?
First Things First
Before you run out and do anything, do some homework. Assess the gross amount of
sales you'd like to generate in any given week or month, taking into account
what you can physically deliver. Decide what your geographic footprint is--do
you want to be a local, regional, national or global firm? Then come up with a
clear idea of the distinct demographic markets you're seeking to engage. Are
they students, homeowners, other small-business owners, large corporations,
academic institutions or nonprofits? This preliminary back-end research can give
you a better idea of where you're most likely to find the perfect prospects who
match the buyer profile you've just compiled.
Keep Your Eyes Open
Prospects and opportunities are everywhere. If you're paying attention, you can
reap the rewards big time. I've gotten great leads--which turned into nice
sales--in the grocery line, at my hairdresser and through small trade
association meetings. I'm always on and always ready to initiate a dialogue--and
share what I do--when the right situation presents itself.
"Three of my three biggest clients, I got through unusual methods," says
Marian Gordon, 52, president of
Imprint on Us, a
specialty printing and embroidery company based in New Jersey. "One I picked up
because I overhead some people talking at lunch. I waited for a lull in their
conversation and introduced myself. They were starting a T-shirt line and needed
a good resource. I told them, 'I can help you, I do screen printing and
embroidery, and I'm in the area.'" Gordon says the women called her the very
next day and now do a substantial amount of business with her.
Dining environments seem to be a perfect connecting place for Gordon; she
scored again from "a brunch encounter." After a chance meeting on a Sunday,
Gordon's signature three-minute conversation (after being a little "nosy")
resulted in yet another coup for her firm. She now produces 43 original designs
for the client she met at brunch, and Gordon's goods are now sold at Macy's.
In another instance, Gordon got a lead from a friend and shot the CEO of the
company a quick e-mail. Her approach was simple and direct. She posed one
question: "Do you need a great screen printer and embroiderer?" That one e-mail
led to subsequent conversations and today this cold e-mail call is Gordon's
single largest embroidery account.
Gordon's golden prospecting nuggets:
- Your approach shouldn't be high pressure.
- Deliver your message quickly and concisely.
- It's all about timing and presentation.
- Deliver a quality product.
- Develop a great reputation.
- Seek out strategic alliances with your competitors.
"Be aggressive, but not in a bad way. Keep your eyes open for any
opportunity, then follow up," says Gordon, whose "please pass the word" requests
to current satisfied customers have also landed her numerous new projects. "The
more you're out there, the more possibilities you have," says Gordon, who
believes that constant networking is one of her best prospecting tools.
"I like methods that have several bangs for the buck--the more you can
leverage it, the better," says Peggy Champlin, 48, owner of
Success with Ease,
an Upstate New York firm that specializes in online marketing options in web
design and e-commerce. Since the web world is Champlin's playing field, she
advocates using blogging and teleclasses for prospecting.
According to Champlin, who has been in business for more than 6 years, a lot
of her customers are benefiting from using
SeminarAnnouncer.com
and FreeConference.com,
two virtual options that can help promote you and your expertise to a large
number of prospects at relatively no cost.
Champlin is also a huge fan of blogging as a powerful prospecting tool--if
you have something valuable to say. She often sets up blogs on her clients'
websites, a terrific two-fer. "When you add valuable content, it's attractive to
both search engines and visitors," she says.
Champlin also uses an "organic approach"--smart coding--for many of her
clients. Every time they blog, they automatically ping a number of blog
directories. According to Champlin, this setup allows companies to do a little
online preening in front of new prospects by getting links back from the blog
directories. "This setup also allows other people to potentially find you
through the listings in the blog directories," she says.
Another way to expand your blogging reach, says Champlin, is hooking up with
a service like FeedBlitz.com,
which lets you e-mail your blog posts to your client list--another way to stay
in touch and an alternative to traditional e-mail newsletters. Her best blogging
tip: If it has value and is a quick read, there's a better chance of your blog
post being read, and even anticipated.
Winning the Prospecting Game
While Gordon's style is to be bold in starting conversations with perfect
strangers, Champlin's online prospecting tips are about feeding your prospect
pool from the comfort of your office. You'll be most successful using a mix that
fits your unique personal style and your business's personality.
Just remember, you'll never run out of great leads if:
- You're in tune with who you are and can articulate your value
effectively;
- You know what your best prospects' profiles are; and
- You never stop looking for new opportunities and platforms to get the
word out.