With the economy slowing, it is now time to start a marketing campaign to find new clients and generate new leads. Here is a plan of action that I would suggest:
1. Who is your target audience or ideal client? Really spend some time on this and analyse your client base. Find out who the clients are that are giving you the lowest profits and the biggest headaches....we all have them. Now either get rid of them or assign them to a call centre team or someone else in the office, so you can spend more time on the profitable clients. Now take a look at your most profitable clients, the ones you really enjoy working with and profile them. How did they come to be clients, were they part of a marketing campaign, a referral, generated from the internet or other means?
2. Develop five marketing tools or strategies to get more ‘ideal clients’. What were the strategies that worked best in the past is everyone in the team still applying those strategies. There are many methods to find new clients or leads, but you should spend your time on the strategies that work best and give you the most profitable results and ‘ideal clients’. Marketing or prospecting strategies include:
• Referrals
• Associations and Trade Bodies
• Exhibitions
• Speaking at targeted conferences
• Centres of Influence
• Networking
• Websites and the Internet
• White papers
• Newsletters Article marketing
• Advertising
• Sponsorships
• Corporate entertainment
• Mailshots
• Expert articles in the trade press
• Hospitality
• Workshops and free surgeries
3. Your Competitive Advantage. Brainstorm with the sales and marketing team and discover your competitive advantage. Why should someone change from their existing supplier to you? How are you different, what better results can you offer? If you are not 100% clear on this, you will speak to a lot of potential clients and be met with that wonderful phrase ‘I want to think about it’, which really means NO – You haven’t convinced me why I should change and buy your goods or services.
4. When will the campaign start, what are the responsibilities of everyone on the team and how often.
Frank Furness CSP is a specialist speaker and author in marketing, sales and technology. Frank can be contacted at mailto:frank@frankfurness.com or telephone+44 (0) 1923 248200
Download 39 Power Sales Closing Scripts at http://www.frankfurness.com/closingscripts.cfm
Download free EBooks and software and get all the latest tips at http://www.frankfurnessresources.com/
NOTE: You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to frank@frankfurness.com
1. Who is your target audience or ideal client? Really spend some time on this and analyse your client base. Find out who the clients are that are giving you the lowest profits and the biggest headaches....we all have them. Now either get rid of them or assign them to a call centre team or someone else in the office, so you can spend more time on the profitable clients. Now take a look at your most profitable clients, the ones you really enjoy working with and profile them. How did they come to be clients, were they part of a marketing campaign, a referral, generated from the internet or other means?
2. Develop five marketing tools or strategies to get more ‘ideal clients’. What were the strategies that worked best in the past is everyone in the team still applying those strategies. There are many methods to find new clients or leads, but you should spend your time on the strategies that work best and give you the most profitable results and ‘ideal clients’. Marketing or prospecting strategies include:
• Referrals
• Associations and Trade Bodies
• Exhibitions
• Speaking at targeted conferences
• Centres of Influence
• Networking
• Websites and the Internet
• White papers
• Newsletters Article marketing
• Advertising
• Sponsorships
• Corporate entertainment
• Mailshots
• Expert articles in the trade press
• Hospitality
• Workshops and free surgeries
3. Your Competitive Advantage. Brainstorm with the sales and marketing team and discover your competitive advantage. Why should someone change from their existing supplier to you? How are you different, what better results can you offer? If you are not 100% clear on this, you will speak to a lot of potential clients and be met with that wonderful phrase ‘I want to think about it’, which really means NO – You haven’t convinced me why I should change and buy your goods or services.
4. When will the campaign start, what are the responsibilities of everyone on the team and how often.
Frank Furness CSP is a specialist speaker and author in marketing, sales and technology. Frank can be contacted at mailto:frank@frankfurness.com or telephone+
Download 39 Power Sales Closing Scripts at http://www.frankfurness.com/closingscripts.cfm
Download free EBooks and software and get all the latest tips at http://www.frankfurnessresources.com/
NOTE: You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to frank@frankfurness.com
