If you’re in business looking to increase your business, particularly with other businesses, there are a few very useful tips you need to use to build up your client base that’s diversified, in size and purchasing power.
Personally in my business, I witnessed my most valuable client grow every season to where they were about 60% of my overall sales. As I saw this take place, I knew I’d have to diversify so that ‘all my eggs weren’t in one basket.’ I had to expand my business and built my list so my ‘Number 1 Client’ was only about 11% of sales and my other top ten were more than 80% of my sales. Within 12 months, nine of my top ten clients either closed or reorganized. It was due time that I began to forge new relationships.
And I accomplished this with the help of the B2B sales experience. You may be asking “what is B2B sales experience?” Business 2 Business sales is a systematic program generating targeted leads and it happens to be averaging over 40% conversion of prospects to clients. Allow me to share the most effective techniques to obtaining more leads today for anything that you are promoting:
Bring Life to Your Dusty E-mail Contacts. Turn your archived e-mail address list into leads on demand. Sometimes, you should search through emails that you’ve received in the past. Write a short note and send to relevant contacts you have made, but never kept in touch with to see what they re up to. Tell them what you are doing and then judge what happens. On many occasions, you’ll most certainly discover both your businesses have grown vertically or horizontally. Now, it s time to dial your leads! I’ve personally realized that it’s actually simple way to convert my dormant the grandest into leads as you need it.
Work the Networks – Whether You are a Member or Not! When planning your personal networking strategy, consider your business associates who are active in his or her local college or university alumni associations. Find out if you could attend as a guest. Alumni associations equals business 2 business sales opportunities.
The “Sunday Drive” Can Make Good Sense. Go the distance with your prospecting by taking an hour or so each Sunday to drive around an office park in your city. Note the names of companies and their addresses. There are probable many of them that are not in your own prospecting database.
Start With the Bottom. Once you have a fresh prospecting list and before you begin to dial your leads, use this valuable tip: Start calling the names for the bottom of the list. Repeatedly the businesses near the end of a list of all the things you need to improve in yourself never get prospected because salespeople never ensure it is through the entire list.
Association Power Lead Generation. Many people join professional trade associations for usage of current industry information. Another important membership attraction is undoubtedly an association’s buying power for value-added deals on product or service that benefit its membership. This type of arrangement can lead to power lead generation. Arrange an appointment with the Membership Director to discuss ways your product or service can be of use to the overall membership.
Where’s the “Hidden” Wealth? A lot of folks with wealth don’t show it off with fancy clothes and fast cars. There’s business potential with “blue collar” companies such as plumbers, auto repair/maintenance, contractors and many others who have lucrative service businesses. Include some of these companies in your prospecting mix.
Celebrate “Gatekeepers”. A crucial mistake that many business people make is neglecting the “gatekeeper”, the receptionist, secretary or administrative assistant. These persons are the “necks that turn the heads” of their organizations. Fortify those relationships! Send flowers, send a note of appreciation or a particular gift to them as expressions of gratitude.
Invite the “Expert” to the Table. Indentify that prospect who is a “hard sell to make” and invite him or her to be a speaker at your next important organization or network meeting. This offers your prospect the opportunity for being perceived as an “expert” and then to sell the advantages of using his/her own business. Additionally, it just may also increase your chances of that prospect becoming a client after all.
Appreciation Goes a Long Way. A classic B2B sales experience is “Appreciation Days” for key referral sources, such as CPAs, bankers, attorneys, etc in your local district. These types of leads are warm and friendly, leading them to remain open to your business product or service.