Boost your bottom line by creating buzz for your business
By Jacqui Sakowski
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In an advisory board meeting recently, my associates and I were discussing how to stay on track with our business goals in this challenging economic cycle. So, I shared that I have won several new clients lately, and that I know (because I track these things) that I won them because I have been getting out into the community more.
Several months ago, as pundits' warnings about the underlying weakness of our economy grew stronger, I reviewed my sales strategy and action plans and set some new goals regarding activities I would undertake to drive more business to my company.
One of the new goals was to increase my profile in the community by adding three extra networking meetings per week to my schedule. I figured that if times are going to get harder, I should start working a little harder to reduce the risk of a business slow down. I began at the start of July and by the Thanksgiving holiday, I had received a 24 percent increase in referrals and inquiries about services compared to the previous five months. The referrals and inquiries were not necessarily directly from the 63 extra meetings that I participated in over those 21 weeks, but I am quite confident that the fact that I was out meeting people helped to generate the new business.
When I shared that I have breakfast meetings four days out of five most weeks, one of the advisory board members commented that it sounded like hard work. And I suppose it may seem that way to others, but not to me. My meetings are with smart, dedicated, hard-working professionals who enjoy sharing their ideas and their stories. Our conversations ranged from the general election to the state of the economy. Foreign policy to local government. And of course we give updates about our businesses; what we're currently working on; what would make a perfect referral right now; recent successes; and how to work hard and still have fun at work.
I deliberately arrange all of the extra meetings to take place in restaurants and coffee shops, where I invariably bump into other people who I know but have not spoken with in a while. With each of those people, a three- to five-minute connection occurs that reminds us both that the other person is out there, and what the other person does. Generally, I am able to introduce the person I bump into to the person I am scheduled to meet — introductions that the other parties value.
In challenging economic cycles, it can be hard to motivate yourself to get out and see your clients and customers. When you do, all people want to do is to tell you how terrible things are. Everyone shares their tale of increased stress, tighter margins and smaller revenues. It can be both exhausting and very de-motivating.
When you get out and meet your clients, vendors, associates and friends in informal settings where conversation can be more relaxed and wide ranging, you will create extra buzz in the community.
Your breakfast date may relay to a friend or associate the conversation they had with you, and that friend or associate will pass it on. They will overhear you being discussed at a networking event, and endorse your credentials as a positive, sharing professional. If they are your client, they may choose to place an order sooner than they otherwise may have done. They may finally get around to writing that long overdue testimonial that you can use to help you win new business elsewhere.
In tough times, it is more important than ever to get out in the community where people can be reminded of all the great reasons they choose to do business with you. The economy will only improve when each of us commits to an increase in activity, which drives more positive energy and that encourages people and businesses to engage in revenue generating activities. So, set yourself a goal to increase the number of meetings that you have in public places, generate some extra buzz in the community about your business and track the impact that it has on your sales outcomes. I am confident that you will be very pleasantly surprised. This action plan is working for me and I'm sticking with it! Want to have breakfast? n
