Tag: Business development

Are You Using BANT to Qualify Prospects?

Every lead is not a prospect and every prospect is not equally qualified. In your early days of running your business you, like many entrepreneurs, may consider every lead a “hot” lead. After all, business is business, right? Well, not exactly. The longer you’re in business, and the more successful your business becomes, the more selective you will need to be about which customers you decide to take on. What a great problem to have, right?

There are a variety of different ways that you might decide to evaluate or “score” your prospects. One commonly used approach, though, can be very helpful–BANT. Continue reading “Are You Using BANT to Qualify Prospects?”

Selling Yourself, or Your Services, on LinkedIn

Social media – and particularly LinkedIn – has emerged as THE new method of job search, providing significant benefits to both job seekers and recruiters. I’ve been a long-time LinkedIn proponent and use it extensively for my own professional communication needs. I also highly recommend it to the students I work with each semester as the “go to” resource for job search–whether looking for internships, freelance opportunities or full-time jobs.

In fact, at the beginning of each semester in one of my classes I like to use it as an introduction to “selling something” — in this case themselves. And, truthfully, the steps and process for selling yourself or your business services via LinkedIn are absolutely the same as best practice marketing for any product or service. Continue reading “Selling Yourself, or Your Services, on LinkedIn”

Which Comes First: Customer Service or Customers?

I saw an interesting comment on a blog site recently in response to an article about 6 effective marketing tips for small businesses. One poster noted that, among the small businesses she works with, her focus is on providing strong customer service and trusting that the rest will come. (Sort of a Field of Dreams approach I guess…)

There is, of course, absolutely nothing wrong with focusing on customer service–in fact I’m all in favor of it. But Continue reading “Which Comes First: Customer Service or Customers?”

Landing Clients Can Take Time! The Value of Ongoing Communication

I was recently contacted by a potential client who told me he had been receiving and reading my monthly eletter for a few years. I didn’t know him and neither of us could think of how he might have come to be on the list, but when I took a look at my email list I found that he had joined the  list on July 29, 2009–more than four years ago!

This experience highlights the long-tail sales cycle that consultants–and others–often experience. Landing clients can take time. Consequently, it pays to be patient. It also Continue reading “Landing Clients Can Take Time! The Value of Ongoing Communication”

Is Entrepreneurship For You?

I’ve wanted to be an entrepreneur ever since I was in grade school. I grew up in a family-owned business so the notion of “working for myself” was both familiar and appealing. For years I dabbled in various entrepreneurial ventures, primarily freelance writing which provided a very nice “second income” while I worked in traditional corporate environments. And, for the past 5.5 years I’ve been “on my own” and I can’t imagine ever going back to a “real job.”

Entrepreneurship is freeing primarily due to Continue reading “Is Entrepreneurship For You?”

Developing Your Personal Brand – Yes, You Have One!

As someone who grew up in a family-owned business and then worked in the field of PR/corporate communications for a number of years I’ve long been well aware of how my actions, or inaction, impact not only my reputation, but the reputation of the organizations I serve. From the day long ago when my father chastised me for not returning a greeting from a classmate we ran into at a local department store to early training as a PR/media relations rep I’ve known that what I did — on or off the job — made an impression. While that knowledge, especially as a child, was sometimes burdensome, in hindsight it has served me well.

Some other early lessons: Continue reading “Developing Your Personal Brand – Yes, You Have One!”

How to Generate Leads With a Limited Marketing Budget

In our technology-driven world, the good news for marketers is that lead generation does not have to take a huge investment. Traditional media still have a place, but the Internet and social media make it more cost-effective than ever to raise awareness, generate leads and ultimately create sales.
The process of lead generation is the same as it ever was, but Continue reading “How to Generate Leads With a Limited Marketing Budget”

Writing Your Elevator Speech: Individual Branding for Personal and Professional Success

I recently did a presentation for a group of Young Professionals that are part of a local Chamber of Commerce on how to create and deliver effective “elevator speeches.” Elevator speeches are those brief introductions that we’re all called upon to give from time to time, particularly in networking situations when we’re asked: “What do you do?”

For business owners, consultants and business leaders in any field, the opportunity to deliver an “elevator speech” is an opportunity to support your desired brand perception. We often fail to think of it that way, though–instead, we tend to think of it as simply a requirement to provide some general information about what it is we do.

Interestingly, as I worked on the presentation for this group it became very clear to me that just as when thinking about organizational brand impact, individually we have an opportunity to define and manage our personal brands. The steps are very similar to the steps I take when working with clients on branding-related issues. They are: Continue reading “Writing Your Elevator Speech: Individual Branding for Personal and Professional Success”

Landing Your First Client, Customer or Patient

For those in consultative roles, clients are everything. As consultants consider the launch of their businesses, obviously one of the first questions is: “where will my first client come from?” My answer, based on my own experience, as well as discussions with consultants in a variety of fields is: from those you know. Many consultants and freelancers have launched their businesses, initially, by reaching an agreement with a current employer to take on work on a contract basis and that can be a great starting point. If that isn’t possible, another channel to pursue Continue reading “Landing Your First Client, Customer or Patient”

Introduction to FourSquare

In the generation of the iPhone, Apple users are always looking for new, interesting, and most importantly, free apps to explore. Joining the popular Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is Foursquare, a check-in app and website that makes the most of where you go. FourSquare, like many social media options is “fun,” but it’s also a practical option for businesses hoping to connect with various audiences. Continue reading “Introduction to FourSquare”