SALES TIPS

Time management

Managing your time effectively between finding new prospects and enhancing your relationships with existing clients can make a huge difference to your profitability. When you nurture your existing clients, and build on that relationship with them, you gain more trust and this ultimately means they can in turn spend more money with you.

The other way to win new business by picking up the phone and calling potential prospects that may spend with you. If you don’t balance your time effectively between these two you run the risk of potentially robbing Peter to pay Paul. If you compromise your existing clients then you could lose them. If you put all your eggs in one basket and something goes wrong, you again stand the risk of losing out on a solid revenue stream. By harnessing the power of your relationships with clients, and building your core database of potential new clients, you will find yourself on sturdy ground and able to cope with all possibilities and eventualities that come your way.

Show you care by providing customer service

Nearly 90% of customer experience decision makers say that a good experience is critical to their success. – Forrester research.

68% of customers say they’ve switched service providers because of poor customer service. – Accenture

By providing excellent customer service you show your clients that you truly value them and their business and this can have a positive impact on both your profitability, and your existing customer database. If a customer or prospect calls you, and leaves a message or emails you, respond in a timely fashion and be polite and courteous. Book meetings every a quarter and take the time to meet your existing clients face-to-face. Respond to any unforeseen problems quickly and provide feedback and updates to your clients quickly and efficiently. Showing you are there for your clients and going that little extra distance is the difference between keeping a client and losing a client.

Be social savvy

Social media is everywhere. Make the most of all the major social media networks and be proactive so you are seen and heard online. You never know who is looking at your site and who might be willing to spend money with you and who is interested in investing with you. Make social media count for you. Share vital information about your products or services online, respond to any comments or questions people ask and return the favour. If someone connects with you, connect back. Your posts can go viral as people share, post and update all the latest news, insight and headlines that are relevant to them. Make use of social media and grow your business.

Build meaningful partnerships

If you know that cold calling is not your favourite part of the day, or takes up too much valuable time, then why not play to your strengths by focusing on running your business, and delegate this aspect of your day to a business that understands your market and industry. Make sure they are reputable, knowledgeable and have the contacts, database and resources available to be able to open doors for you effortlessly. Building meaningful partnerships with a company that shares your passion and understands your business can go a long way to expanding your existing client list. It’s about being business savvy and making good business decisions. You know you don’t have the time to make cold calls, but equally you know that the economy is highly unpredictable, and by putting all your eggs in one basket, you could jeopardise your bottom-line significantly if you were to lose just one major project or client. Instead by outsourcing cold calling to a business that can impact your profitability, you continue to maintain and build on the current foundation of success, transforming your business from strength to strength.