We’re soon heading into the “Dog Days” of summer. For nearly all businesses in North America this generally means a reduction in the “intensity” levels of nearly everything we do, from factory production all the way up to “doing mega deals.”
While most people spend the next 60 days simply “punching in and punching out” (while day dreaming about the barbecue while they are “punched in) it’s my experience that the most successful Rainmakers take the slacker days of summer to lay the foundation for spectacular new client results in the fall.
Here are 7 simple things you can do this summer (and they won’t wreck your “beach time” with over work either.) Do these simple things right and you’ll hit the pavement traveling at 120 mph new business development wise come the first week of September:
1. Commit to developing an entrepreneurial mind set. Shift your thinking from “doing the work” to “finding new clients” so that other people can do the work. Learn to delegate everything you possibly can EXCEPT the task of marketing activities that will lead to new business.
2. Purchase and implement a contact management system like ACT by Sage or Maximizer. Input all past client contact data, current client contact data, prospect contact data, centers of influence contact data and networking contacts data. Commit to building this database to 1,000 names within 36 months. Get eMail addresses from everyone you meet. Watch your eMail list grow and feel the “rush” every time you pass another “100 names” landmark.
Understand that when you’ve got 1,000 quality names in your “electric rolodex” that you’ll never have to look for work again….it’ll always start looking for you instead.
That’s REAL career and business security.
3. Create a monthly print/electronic newsletter and get it out to every name you’ve set up in step 2 NO MATTER WHAT. Do this using your contact management software…all you do is push a button.
4. Write 8-10 Special Reports (5 pages each) that address hot button issues which are important to your target market.
5. Start giving short breakfast seminars once a week in your office to 7-10 of your “best” prospects/centers of influence individuals that you identified when constructing your contact management database. Your special reports serve as the seminar subject matter. Bring in some donuts…total cost per seminar….around twenty bucks.
Don’t try to sell anything at these seminars. The goal is to educate in a relaxed informal setting. That’s how long term relationships are built and new clients acquired.
6. Take 2 people per week to lunch that you have never met before. Goal: get to know them and their business. Do a good job of this and they’ll eventually start asking you about your business.
Don’t try to sell anything.
Learn about them, learn about them, learn about them!
You’ll find that you’ll actually have fun doing this. Once you get your own head out of your own ass and into solving the problems of others that life starts getting enjoyable again.
End result; in the next 8 weeks you’ll have met 16 new people that you didn’t know before…and…if you’ve done this right…you’ve met 16 fascinating potential new clients and friends.
Oh….get their eMail addresses and get them into your contact management system.
7. Educate yourself about marketing and sales.
Good marketing and sales systems are geared towards building long and lasting RELATIONSHIPS with potential clients and referral sources.
There are many tried and proven ways to accomplish these things quickly and professionally.
Understand learning is a lifelong process…marketing being no different than continuing professional education.
Get some good marketing seminar tapes, coaching tapes or motivational tapes and listen to these as you “lay on the beach.”
There it is…seven simple marketing “things” that you’ll actually find relaxing (if you do them right.)
And…if you do them right you’ll be amazed at the new business avalanche you’ll be facing in the last quarter of 2009.
I’ve watched super Rainmakers do these same things for 30 years each and every summer.
Relax, meet people, explore the other guy’s business and his problems along with his dreams.
Put some new knowledge in your head and barbecue whenever possible!
Think you can handle this?
Have a great July 4th weekend and a great summer.
Until next time.
