Summertime often brings slower sales and less hectic activity so what better time than right now to explore fresh marketing ideas for growing your business? Rather than slide into the busy fourth quarter with the same old marketing bag of tricks, you can get a jump on your competitors by embracing new tactics for increasing leads and sales.
20 FRESH IDEAS FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
- Get Editorial Exposure - press releases about what's going on with your company, your industry, etc. Be seen as the expert.
- Referral groups: BNI, industry groups.
- Ask for referrals from clients
- Gather emails for private newsletters that give VALUE
- Website with call to action and a questionnaires that create "pain"
- Free talks/speaking to target audience associations
- Free/trial offers of service
- Customer appreciation events: Give value to your client’s client - offer their clients special services and you get exposure.
- Charity and silent auction give-a ways
- Sponsor a local event
- Network to build relationships, not to make immediate sales
- Sponsor a Chamber/charity event at your office
- Referral trips/rewards/contests for your clients who refer to you in
- Strategic Alliances: Network with someone who sells different services to the same prospect profile and/or industry
- Call behinds for direct mail campaigns you do
Don’t just mail, you have to call also
- Call your past clients and see what's going on with their business this year. Remember, you can help them, not just sell them
- Always execute the “3 foot rule”: neighbors, church, friends in other cities.
- Share your prospect lists with network contacts and clients consistently. It’s a small world. Someone will always know someone
- Send out client success stories and case studies via email
- Social Media/Linkedin/Twitter/Facebook/etc.
Blog - find blogs in your industry and add content to them
Print Linkedin contact lists and contacts of your connections
Ask for introductions. The online world is free networking!
Need more ideas or help with your specific situation?
Come to "OPEN GYM" and talk with a coach!
OPEN GYM HOURS: Thursdays, 10am-4pmTake the opportunity to finish sales calls, set vision/goals, work on business development plans, make cold calls, set up Linkedin and other social media profiles, ask questions, build prospect lists,... whatever you need to do to keep your business or your career on track. A coach is accessible at all times during Open Gym hours and no appointment is necessary.
