Posts tagged clients
![OPEN Forum: There was a moment as you [Michael Port] started your own business when you realized that clients wouldn’t just come to you—and that you had to be more proactive. What’s your top advice for anyone facing that same challenge?
Michael Port: “It’s never as simple as flicking a switch, or identifying a single thing you need to do to get more clients. I believe very strongly that no matter how proactive you are in your marketing activity, marketing alone will not get you clients.
I know it sounds like sacrilege, but it’s true. Marketing just builds awareness about your products and services. When your prospects have been made aware of what you have to offer, you’ll have an opportunity to showcase your credibility and earn their trust. Once trust is established, it’s appropriate to make sales offers that are proportionate to the amount of trust that’s been earned. You don’t do this by hard pitching, but by striking up relevant sales conversations with the right people.
That said, the simplest way you can be more proactive in creating awareness about your business is to cultivate your relationships thoughtfully and thoroughly. If you’re not a great user of social media, or if you don’t like speaking, writing or buying ads, then there’s little point in trying to be proactive in those areas. You need to choose strategies that you’ll actually enjoy doing.”
Read OPEN Forum’s full interview with Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid, on how to to build a business that’s booked solid.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/40ff4dd698462d6435cfa2cc294819f6/tumblr_mm8cjx67D21qln7vao1_400.jpg)
OPEN Forum: There was a moment as you [Michael Port] started your own business when you realized that clients wouldn’t just come to you—and that you had to be more proactive. What’s your top advice for anyone facing that same challenge?
Michael Port: “It’s never as simple as flicking a switch, or identifying a single thing you need to do to get more clients. I believe very strongly that no matter how proactive you are in your marketing activity, marketing alone will not get you clients.
I know it sounds like sacrilege, but it’s true. Marketing just builds awareness about your products and services. When your prospects have been made aware of what you have to offer, you’ll have an opportunity to showcase your credibility and earn their trust. Once trust is established, it’s appropriate to make sales offers that are proportionate to the amount of trust that’s been earned. You don’t do this by hard pitching, but by striking up relevant sales conversations with the right people.
That said, the simplest way you can be more proactive in creating awareness about your business is to cultivate your relationships thoughtfully and thoroughly. If you’re not a great user of social media, or if you don’t like speaking, writing or buying ads, then there’s little point in trying to be proactive in those areas. You need to choose strategies that you’ll actually enjoy doing.”
Read OPEN Forum’s full interview with Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid, on how to to build a business that’s booked solid.
8 Tricks of the World’s Best Salespeople by OPEN Forum
1. Dump wishy-washy prospects
2. Understand that you don’t have to make everyone happy
3. Always stay one step ahead of your client
4. Under promise and over deliver
5. Let the customers sell themselves
6. Mimic your customers - in a nice way
7. Adjust your seat heights
8. Get your clients to say no
(via 8 Tricks of the World’s Best Salespeople - OPEN Forum :: American Express OPEN Forum)
Why You Should Never “Fire” a Client
When you are having difficulties managing your clients,
you need to look inside and see what you can do to adapt to them. After
all, if you can’t work with them, they’ll pay someone who can. Here are some tips for preventing “contempt for client” syndrome:
1. Respect your client’s expertise
2. Explain yourself in the client’s own language
3. Build an understanding of the client’s business
4. Be authentic
5. Provide a point of view when you provide options
Read More
According to a study by the Small Business Administration, nearly 70% of U.S. sole proprietorship companies earned just $25,000 in 2010. If you’re among that group, you are likely missing out on one of the most lucrative opportunities available to small businesses: selling to corporate America. Here are five surprising tips to make selling to corporate clients a little easier:
1. Take the road less traveled
2. Timing is everything
3. Don’t try to sell them anything
4. Approach sales conversations like a toddler would
5. Don’t try to be a mind reader
Read More
(via 5 Surprising Secrets for Selling to Large Corporate Clients | Inc.com)
5 Tips - How to Turn Customers Into Facebook Fans
1. Assign someone to social media.
2. Keep your different “languages” consistent.
3. Be transparent online.
4. Keep your content open-ended.
5. Use interactivity to bring your FB fans into your business.
How to Improve Your Facebook Cover Photo
Your Facebook cover photo is the very first thing customers—and potential customers—see. A study released earlier this year by EyeTrackShop found that the images are the main attraction, with 100 percent of those surveyed looking at them. (Somewhere between 65 percent and 92 percent viewed the profile photos on the old brand pages.) Read More
(via How to Improve Your Facebook Cover Photo : Marketing :: American Express OPEN Forum : Image via Mashable)
Things You Should Never Say to a Client
We’ve all had verbal slip-ups, both in life and in business. But if your livelihood depends on building relationships with customers or clients, such gaffes can be costly and damaging. Not to mention the trouble you can get into promising a customer something you can’t deliver. Here our sales and marketing guru Mike Michalowicz shows you what you should always keep to yourself.
B2B Online Marketing & Networking: 3 Activities That Get You Clients
#1 - Master LinkedIn
#2 - Content Marketing
#3 - Use Business Interviews
Read More
(via B2B Online Marketing & Networking: 3 Activities That Get You Clients - Tweak Your Biz)
5 Ways to Generate More Email Sign Ups
1) Feature with content
2) Content partner share
3) Thank you suggest
4) Advertise
5) Endorsement swaps
