If your sales pipeline is not as full as you would like it to be, get in front of prospects by speaking to them about something of value to them. Give them something actionable—something that they can take away and use that day to better their businesses.
Here is a short list of options you can use to effectively position yourself in front of potential clients:
1. Speak at chamber of commerce events.
2. Host an event, and ask your current clients to bring someone who might be interested in your service (offer something in return for the referral, if possible).
3. Speak at civic events such as Lions clubs.
4. Forward an article relating to your customer's industry with your business card or a personalized note attached. This will get your customer thinking of you in terms of a resource—not just another vendor.
When giving a speech or sharing a resource, provide clients or prospects something that they will actually use.
How can you find out what that might be? Ask!
Find out what matters most to your prospects by asking them about their values, challenges and opportunities. Use this information to create a value-packed answer that will help you stand out from the competition because you are solving real problems, instead of offering solutions to what you think their problems are.
If your knees begin to shake at the thought of speaking in front of your customers, start small. Send a value letter or a relevant article, and work your way up to making presentations.
And when you are ready to make a presentation, here are some tips to keep in mind:
1. Lead off with a question to involve your audience from the beginning.
2. Tell a relatable story. Facts and figures are forgotten; stories are remembered.
3. Use pictures and videos over text to make your presentation more dynamic.
Content contributed by Christopher Brooks, State of Ingenuity SourceLink (Wisconsin/Illinois)
State of Ingenuity SourceLink is a proud affiliate of U.S. SourceLink, America’s largest resource network for entrepreneurs.