Need more business? These tips are designed to help you get more.
The tips follow a logical sequence. However, life can have its own flow. So, you may find yourself going back and forth as you apply them – that’s normal. As always, best of luck!
1. Create a compelling message. Offer a product or service that is different than your competitors – where it counts to customers.
2. Check continuously that your advantages matter to customers. Use market research as well as customer and prospect visits. Be sure to ask good questions.
3. Motivate your staff to work together and to consistently deliver on the compelling promise.
4. Understand who your ideal customer is – that is, your target market. Know what they want, how they buy, and where they look for suppliers of your product or service.
5. Promote your service via your compelling message. Meet your prospects where they are.
6. Use social media as appropriate for your market, together with the free promotional tools on the web, including all the Google info.
7. Monitor the effectiveness of your promotion – whether the activities are generating leads and sales.
8. Ensure the necessary resources are dedicated to selling – and that they have excellent relationship-building, value selling, closing and customer care skills.
9. Build a sales pipeline, with leads in each of your four or five selling stages. Track where leads are lost or slow down. Use this information to improve the efficiency of your selling process.
10. Offer excellent customer service to maintain customers and generate word of mouth referrals – always the best!
For more resources, see the Library topic Business Development.
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Tove Rasmussen, of Partners Creating Wealth, offers business expertise worldwide to help organizations grow, and disadvantaged regions thrive.
Photo credit: Bev Sykes
Tove Rasmussen, MBA, has strong background in growing small and medium-sized companies through developing and implementing effective marketing strategies, developing leaders, and expanding in emerging markets. She is educated in international development & business with strong experience in all facets of business, including over 20 years experience growing companies with up to multi-million dollar budgets.