We’ve all run into situations where we’ve tried time and time again to reach a particular prospect who always seems to be busy. This can be frustrating when you’re the one trying to reach someone, but it should be seen as a good thing because often, the busiest people are also the most successful people. In reaching, and then converting these people into paying clients, you can significantly increase your revenue and improve your status.

If you’re thinking “That’s all fine and well, but what does it matter if I can’t reach them?” then you’re in the same boat as most business owners or sales people. The solution, fortunately, is fairly simple. It’s no coincidence that many successful business owners are hard working men and women that often put in extra hours before and after the work day, as well as during weekends and holidays. Contacting them during these times will increase your likelihood of reaching them, because chances are they won’t be tied up in meetings or on phone calls and the gatekeeper will be gone.

You’ve got an opportunity to do just that tomorrow on Labor Day, and if you put in just a few hours in the morning, you’ll still be able to make it to that cookout in time!

As children, we were all taught never to talk to strangers, and many of us still don’t. As adults and business owners though, it’s important to do just that if we want to grow our business. Not only do we need to get out there and get face to face with other businesses during our cold calls and our networking, but we also need to strike up conversations with random strangers throughout the course of our day, such as while standing in line at the bank or grocery store, while browsing the local office supply store, or even while sitting in the stands watching your children?s t-ball game.

For most of us, even the over worked small business owners, the answer is always going to be no. In a constant effort to grow, business owners are almost always looking for new clients, and while we can find them through effective and consistent marketing, we can also find them through effective and consistent networking. For some of the smaller businesses out there that literally have no budget for marketing, networking is a necessity.

All that you need in order to network is a handful of business cards, a winning smile and great attitude, and some other business owners to network with. So where do you find these other business owners? Well, you can try your local chamber of commerce as well as any local networking groups, fraternal organizations, and social clubs. If you don’t know where to find any of these sort of groups, you can always visit your favorite search engine and look up “your city + business networking groups” to find a few. In the unlikely event that you’re still unable to find one, there is nothing to say that you can’t start your own.

What do you say when someone asks you what your business does. Accounting? Plumbing? Plastic surgery? Maybe even underwater basket weaving. All of these answers are incorrect, because like telling people how your business is doing, the right answer can make all the difference in finding new clients.

While you may very well be an accounting firm, chances are that there is something that really sets you apart from other accounting firms. Perhaps you specialize in accounting for small businesses, accounting for restaurants, or even accounting for businesses that plan on becoming a public company. What ever the case, you need to make it clear specifically what you do. For example, at Wildfire Marketing Group, we specialize in helping small companies compete with the bigger companies and win.

So the next time someone asks, tell them specifically what you do and before long, you’ll see a dramatic increase number of prospects that are more suitable to your business.

When you’ve left a client really happy with your service, do you simply wait around hoping that they offer a testimonial or do you actively seek one? The latter should be the case, and there is an easy, pain free way to ensure that you get it.

Rather than just asking your client to write a testimonial for you, write it for them. Actually, what you want to do is write three versions. The first will be a little over the top, another will not really say much for you, and the last one will be a reasonable and well written testimonial. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, they will toss the one that’s over the top and the one that’s not really saying much, leaving you with the middle of the road, more reasonable one.

Since all your client has to do is simply approve what you’ve provided them instead of actually writing their own testimonial, your chances of getting what you need are increased dramatically. Since you are crafting the testimonial to meet your needs, you can word it to help persuade your target market more effectively. In the end, everyone wins.

What kind of reaction do your prospects have when you hand them a business card? Do they appear genuinely impressed, or do they appear to be holding back laughter?

If the latter is the case, then perhaps it’s time for an upgrade. Maybe when you first started your business you couldn’t afford to shell out the money for professionally designed and printed business cards, or perhaps you didn’t see the value in it.

The fact of the matter is that a professionally designed business card will set you apart from your competition, and when you go the extra mile and have them professionally printed you will really make an outstanding impression. Think 2-sided, full color business cards on a nice heavy 16pt stock (you can literally cut cheese with this) with a high gloss UV coating.

You don’t hear that very often lately.

The simple words “thank you” can really set you apart from your competitors. Even better is a hand written letter. Think of how you would feel if you received a thank you letter in the mail a day or two after meeting with a sales rep. They would certainly stand out in your mind, and if you truly needed what they were offering, chances are they would be the one to earn your business. Your prospects will feel the same way.

The next time you meet with a prospect, be sure to follow up with a hand written thank you note. It wouldn’t hurt to send your existing clients one from time to time as well. Make a habit of this and you will be well on your way to really standing out from your competitors.

If you’re like most people then you’ve probably been to a few networking events and weren’t really sure what to do. Maybe you felt awkward introducing yourself or didn’t know how long to talk to each person. The good news is that these are all pretty common for the majority of people. The better news is that it’s relatively easy to learn how to make the most of your next networking event.

• Be prepared - Have enough business cards in an easily accessible place. Then, have a “back-up” stack of cards in another pocket in case you run out. You should also bring a small notebook that fits in your pocket along with two pens.
• Dress appropriately ? Arrive underdressed and you usually won’t be taken seriously, overdress and you may be seen as pretentious. You should find out what the recommended attire is and dress similarly.
• Arrive early - There is no such thing as “fashionably late” when it comes to business. When you are one of the first people to show up, you have the chance to meet and talk to some of the other people that have shown up early with less interruptions.
• Work the room - Don’t spend your whole night talking to one person, no matter how promising a prospect they may seem. Spend between five to ten minutes with as many people as you have the chance to meet. Spending more time with each person cuts into the number of people that you and the people you are talking to will meet.
• Be a facilitator - If you see someone being a “wall flower” introduce them to a few people. It’s even better if you can introduce people that are likely to benefit from meeting each other. In doing this, you’ll be seen as a valuable resource but more importantly, you’ll also be helping other people - it’s not always about you.
• Follow up - Meeting people is the easy part, it’s following up afterwards that most people forget. A simple email or thank you card will set you apart from crowd and only takes a little time.

When we were little kids most of us were taught to say thank you, but as we grew older it somehow became less important for some of us. What many of us fail to realize however, is that this simple act of gratitude can help to make us more successful by separating us from the majority of other people. So then next time a prospect gives you the opportunity to earn their business follow it up with a personally written thank you card or when a client places an order, include something free at no additional charge to them. You could even make a charitable donation on behalf of one of your major clients. The possibilities are limited only by your creativity.

You’ll be doing the right thing and improving your business at the same time. You can’t beat a win/win situation!

It sounds contradictory, but as all things evolve so has the sales process. Rather than showing up to businesses without an appointment (the same goes for calling them out of the blue) begin working to establish yourself as the one that people come to when they need the best in your field of expertise. There are many ways to do this, such as writing articles (or even an entire book), public speaking on your industry, newsletters (web, print or both), hosting radio or television shows on your industry and anything else that you can do to provide information to your prospects at no cost to them.

This may seem counter productive - giving something away that you would normally charge for, but lets break it down and see why it really does make sense.

1. The people who are only interested in your service when it’s free obviously will not pay for it. They will usually tell other people looking for the same type of information about you/your company though - which means more prospects for you.
2. You will maintain TOMA (Top Of Mind Awareness) by appearing in the media often and through various mediums. When the time comes for your prospects to invest in your product/service there is a much higher probability that they will call you first.
3. You will establish more credibility in your field which will often shorten your sales cycle.
4. You will help the people that need, but can’t yet afford your product/service, who will in turn usually become your clients down the road. Even if they don’t, think of it as your way of giving back to society!

Now stop cold calling and increase your business!