Be A Business Resource. If you’re an entrepreneur the best thing you can be to a potential client is to be a business resource. Why? Because you will become the go-to expert.
Here are some strategies to be a business resource for your customers and potential customers:
Remember the customer. They are buying because they need what you’re selling — not because you have it to sell. Keep customers front of mind, always, in all transactions.
Talk to your customers. Uncover the real reasons behind why they turn to you when they’re seeking a solution. Weave their stories into your business narrative.
Ask questions. You won’t know what your clients truly want unless you ask. Use the answers to those questions to more finely tune your offerings.
Listen to what your customers say. Read the reviews written bout your business. Learn from them and make changes to better your offerings — if the feedback is viable and credible.
Analyze and learn from what’s worked… and from what hasn’t. If you keep doing the same thing and expecting different results, you will make no progress toward success.
When is the last time you talked with a client to see the real reasons for why they work with you? When is the last time you discussed the ways in which your products and services benefit a customer. When did you last ask for input on what wasn’t working when a client reached out? You can learn from praise as well as comments that may feel negative.
Business owners need to get out of the office and attend networking events. Going to a networking lunch is a great way to build new relationships, cement current relationships and perhaps walk away with an appointment to meet with a potential client. How can you make the most of networking lunches? There are several ways to do this, but make certain you aren’t walking into the event focused on handing out as many business cards as you can. The point of the event, any networking event for that matter, is to build relationships.
Meet new people. Don’t congregate with only those people that you already know. You’re out of the office to make new acquaintances. Make the most of that opportunity. Walk up and introduce yourself. Welcome people you don’t know to your circle of friends. Make them feel welcome! Have an ice breaker question ready to toss out when you walk up and shake someone’s hand. It could be about the weather or the latest blockbuster book or movie. Avoid politics and religion.
Put your best foot forward. You’ve met someone new. You’ve both said your names… now what? Do you try a sales pitch? NO! You are getting to know this person, right? If you want to know him or her better, invite him to sit next to you at lunch so you can continue the conversation. When you’re at the actual lunch part of the event, remember your table manners. You know.. don’t talk with your mouth full, don’t interrupt, don’t reach across other people to grab the butter. You know, the etiquette that your mom taught you!
What do you talk about? Well, if there is a lunch time speaker, don’t be rude and talk over him or her. IF there is no program, interact with your tablemates. Introduce yourself. Let them know who you are and what you do. Have an elevator pitch ready, but don’t toss it out unless you’re asked, “So, what do you do?”
Another point of making the most of networking lunches would be to turn off your cell phone and pay attention to the individuals that are in front of you.
The benefits of being a business owner are, in some ways, immeasurable. Off the top of my head, here are a few: you are responsible for your own success, you create your own schedule, you are your own boss and the sky is the limit when it comes to your income.
Here is some advice we’ve gleaned from the entrepreneurs with whom I’ve working in my coaching business as to why they love their self-employed life and some tips to make it viable:
Put your life experience to work.
Share your expertise
Embrace a niche and use it for your business start-up.
Having a business plan helps visualize whether your idea is viable, who your potential clients are, what you can charge for your goods and services and your potential income.
Understand what you want your corporate culture to be before that first employee comes on board.
Determine your company’s core values and its mission. This helps with decision-making. Making decisions based on your values and mission will help you make better decisions.
Follow these steps, especially if you’re in the start-up phase, as a way to give your business a head start. If you’ve been in business for a while now, it never hurts to go back and revisit any of these items above and get back on track, if necessary.
I may not be able to offer definitive proof, but I’ll bet that a business owner who has a business plan is thriving at a higher level than a business owner who is just “winging it.” You don’t have to look at a business plan as a document that will take you months and months to write. Look at your plan as a road map to your future success. Start it small, then build on it. The most important aspect is to “start it.”
Why do you need a business plan?
To make certain your idea is a good one. A business plan will help you put numbers to paper on whether your idea is feasible. Who will pay for what you’re selling. Who your competition is? What your profit margins should be, and even more. Getting this information down on paper is crucial to truly being able to determine if your idea can take flight – and earn you a living.
To give you a road map to follow. Developing a business means you need to have a plan in place to serve as your start up compass. Map out the first year before you take the leap. Know where to go for financing. If you need financing, you will need a business plan. Write down your particular skills and make note of those skills you will need to hire for.
A business plan will help you manage business growth. It would be a happy problem to have to have your business grow beyond your means to handle it on your own, right? If that growth happens and you’re not prepared you could make hiring mistakes or other mistakes that could kill the momentum.
The type of business plan you have will likely vary on the industry you’re in but at its most basic you need to have the items mentioned above written down to serve as your road map toward success!
When starting a business, naturally you need drive and a “great idea.” You also need other items such as resources and the ability to push through the negatives that pop up. You have to know how to make a sale but before that you need to know what you’re selling, to whom and why your ideal client wants what you’re offering and where to find them.
What can you do to help assure your success as an entrepreneur? Here are some things to consider:
You need to have focus.
You need to be willing to take the baby steps necessary toward the large steps.
You have to know how to set realistic goals and what tasks you need to complete to achieve those goals.
You need to have financial resources in place to support yourself during what could be lean start up times.
You should have access to a mentor or a support group of like-minded entrepreneurs who are as committed to your success as you are to theirs. Do not operate in a vacuum.
Look at your resources before you make the leap into being a business owner. Some of the resources are tangible and others are “idea driven” resources. We offer a membership to the Pool Genius Academy in which we host weekly Pool Genius Academy webinars aimed at growing your business. Check it out here.
When I was in a coaching call with a client today I was telling him that he should be asking for referral business and testimonials from current satisfied clients. Why? Because a referral from a current client and testimonials on your website amps up your credibility. It shows potential clients that you have a stable of clients who are happy to attach their name to the goods and services you provide.
What is the best time to ask for a testimonial? When you’re in a face-to-face meeting with a client or when you’re on the telephone. You can also request one via email, but consider the more personal approach.
How can you ask for a testimonial? Here are some ways:
Just ask. It may seem more complicated than that, but it’s not. If you don’t ask, chances are they will never have considered offering. “Bill, I have loved working with you and I wonder if you’d offer a testimonial for the services we’ve provided.” Boom. That easy. He may be flattered that you’ve asked. Also, link to his business on your site in the testimonial — win-win for both of your businesses.
If your client seems hesitant, it could be because they think they aren’t “good with words.” If they don’t know what to say, offer to write up something on their behalf and send it to them to see if they will agree to it or if they want to tweak it. This could make it much easier for them.
Return the favor. If you receive a testimonial and you can return the favor for a client, do so. In fact, if you offer to write one for a client, it may prompt them to say, “Hey, let me do that for you as well.”
If you’re not asking you won’t receive. When, and how, will you ask?
