There’s a lot you can do to leave the current year on a good note and set up the next year to produce better results. There are just over 70 days to the end of the year. That means a little over 420 working hours before year’s end. How much of that time will you put to good use conducting deliberate and purposeful marketing for your business?
Here are a few ideas:
1. Chase up cold leads or past customers who have dropped out of the loop. Maybe they went elsewhere or weren’t ready to buy – how are they situated now? Do what you can to maintain a dialogue and keep warming the prospect.
2. Cut the ‘dead wood’ from your order book. Be ruthless with those customers that you know are chronically costing you money to keep. Are they difficult to please? Too demanding? Raise you prices or establish a minimum order policy – if they stay, then at least the balance has moved favourably in your direction.
3. Close any deals or sales that have been lingering – try to understand what the sticking points are. It may be more cost-effective to resolve these issues than to generate more new business. Demonstrate the investment you are making for your customers and how you offer real value – they will be more inclined to buy from you.
4. Simplify your sales process (the steps to move a prospect from potential to satisfied customer) and concentrate on bringing opportunities forward – to influence your end of year sales. Can you be more proactive without negatively affecting the selling process?
5. Identify and qualify genuine leads and select those you most want to target. How much new business could you bring in before the end of the year by being more proactive and deliberate?
6. Review your performance thus far. What have you spent on your marketing and advertising? What has been your return? Keep what works and stop what isn’t producing reliable results. What can you do differently? It won’t fix itself.
7. Look closely at your more successful competitors and learn from them. What are they doing well? What are they doing poorly? What can you take and improve upon? Don’t re-invent the wheel, just make it better.
8. Are your people maximising their potential and developing new skills? Do you have the requisite skills and training to perform at optimum levels? Get your house in order before you start the next year.
9. Create meaningful opportunities to speak with your customers and give them useful, relevant and valuable content. Remember the old adage, ’the squeaky wheel gets more grease’ – it’s very similar. If you are engaging with your prospects and customers frequently, and giving them something worthwhile, they’ll likely come to you when they want something more.
10. Stay vigilant. Review your market, be the first to notice and exploit opportunities and the first to avoid threats. Know who your competitors are and how you stack up against them. Be sure you understand your advantage and communicate it effectively.
If we can help you to develop a plan or put the one you have into action, please contact us.