You’ve planned how you’re going to make 2016 a great year, right? Here are some ideas for actions to take now to make that wish come true.
- Flush out all the tail chasing ”prospects” in your system.
We all have ”prospects” in our pipeline who take up time and energy. And, we know in our hearts they will never buy. Get them out of your system now. Don’t spend any more of your precious time on them. Not because you are insensitive or mean, but because your time and energy are needed to focus on real prospects. Vow not to spend any more time chasing your tail ~ or anyone else’s. - Get organized.
Most of us spend as much time ”organizing” every day as we do working. This ”organizing” takes the form of searching for papers, sorting through accumulated piles, or attempting to put things in their place. Take a day or two and get yourself organized. Just do it! If the task seems formidable, ask for help. Once you are organized, you can create the habit of spending 30 minutes at the end of your workday to prepare for the next day. Don’t waste half the year ”getting ready”. - Know who is a real prospect.
If you haven’t already defined your ideal prospect(s) in detail, do so now. Many business owners waste a great deal of time chasing unqualified prospects because they haven’t taken the time to define for themselves exactly who their real prospects are. - Focus only on real prospects.
Many who have defined in-detail who their real prospects are continue to find themselves chasing after those who don’t qualify. Commit yourself to staying on track. Defining your prospect doesn’t do any good if you allow yourself to wander and chase every ”squirrel” that happens to cross your path. Learn to be very discriminating about who you do business with. - Eliminate the success-killing busy work.
If what you do isn’t directly involved with finding and connecting with qualified prospects, making sales presentations and closing sales, or getting a sale completed, it’s busy work. Busy work may make you feel like you’re accomplishing something, but it isn’t making you a dime. If it doesn’t make money, don’t do it. - Learn to generate referrals.
Referrals are the best, most cost effective prospecting and marketing method there is. Nothing can beat referrals in terms of ROI, close ratio, and promoting client loyalty. Yet few business owners generate many quality referrals. Less than 15% of all referrals will impact your business if you don’t learn how to generate real referrals. Learn the process that really generates a large number of high quality referrals and turn your clients into your marketing platform. - Create a consistent client communication campaign.
If you don’t already have a consistent communication campaign for your clients and prospects, create one now. You should be touching each of your clients and long-term prospects 12 to 16 times a year – or more. Use a combination of media–calls, emails, newsletters, letters, postcards. Make sure each of your communications brings value to your client. The key question to ask yourself before making any contact is “how does this benefit my client ?” If it doesn’t benefit the client, don’t send it or don’t call. Never waste your clients’ time.
Implementing these 7 “musts” will get 2016 on track to be one of the best years you’ve ever had.
Have a Safe and Happy New Year!