1. A self-assessment
2. The SCAN technique
3. Features vs. Benefits
4. The sanity check - SW, SW, SW, MO
5. The ideal client

1. Prospecting for leads
2. Networking
3. Asking for referrals
4. Follow-up planning


We'll end this installment here, and go on to the 5 items below in about 10 days.


5. Setting agendas and generating customer qualification
6. Objection management.
7. Closing the sale.
8. Managing your pipeline
9. Call resistance - fear of rejection.

Should you do everything I propose here? You might, or might not. But I talk with a lot of small businesses - and the ones who have sales problems haven't taken these on. If you want there to be a lot of money around your business, sales is the key.

What's a lead?
Imagine you're a shark, cruising the depths, and beginning to feel a little hungry. A school of tasty fish swim by, but you perceive the school, not the individual fish. It's not until one of them separates himself from the school that you smile, accelerate, and wham! Lunch is served!

And today, the people who might be customers are schooling too. Whether they travel in packs or not, the problem is not lack of leads. It's making a connection with individual customers on a personal level.

So, a lead is not all the people who might use your product or service, any more than the phone book is a useful tool for finding customers. A lead is the identification of an individual or a group of specific individuals as potential customers. It's a decision which takes place in your mind - just as it did for the shark!

Where do you go to make these decisions?

1. Identify some Networking groups - they'll be advertised. Create a short description of what kind of solution or outcome your product or service provides, and be prepared to share it. Whether your outside interests are political, social, or just business, be on the lookout for an affinity group where you believe that members can benefit from the product/service you provide, and separate a few fish from the school. Again, ask friends or customers where they have identified useful groups which might interest you. Could you create a group on your own?



2. Networking groups contain leads. An enterprising shark will cruise the group, tasting gently, one-by-one, exploring possibility. Simple questions: Tell me about your business; what made you decide to attend this function. Set yourself a target of having a good, probing conversation with just two or three people, one of whom might turn out to be a customer. Find people you think you might be able to help. And don't worry about giving out your business card. Just get theirs! Put a note on their card when you get it to help you identify the prospect later. Give them your business card if they ask for it!



3. Referrals from clients produce leads. Since your clients have already experienced the benefits of your product/service, most will be comfortable to make referrals. Make it easy for them to do this by being specific about the type of person/industry/income level and so forth that you want to meet. To the response - I'd love to refer you, but don't know where - ask them if there's a place they go daily - Starbucks, for example. "Do you see anyone there you might speak with for me?" Ask if they work with any small business or social groups. "Who do you know in that group that might benefit from my services the way you have?" Invite your clients to do as much of the work as possible. Ask them to call the prospect, and suggest the prospect take the initiative and call you. You may have to ask more than once. But most clients will be happy to do it, (they just need reminding and encouraging.)



4. Cold calling. Any direct-mail house will sell you a list of 1000 potential customers, with phone numbers, sorted by zip code, income, or any of a dozen criteria. Then you plan an inquiry or create a script, call, collect your no's, and keep at it until you connect. If you don't want to do the work yourself, professional cold-callers get a fee for setting up appointments for you. Check with Norma Siciliano at (212) 472-2650 - she's one of the best.



5. Centers of influence. Someone or some group of people in a related field. If you sell insurance, a stockbroker could be a C of I. Your approach - how can you bring value to the stockbroker - e.g.. refer him to some of your customers. If he's any good, he'll quickly find a way to reciprocate.



6. Newsletters - like this one. Publish regularly, and topically. First, create a list of names of people you'd like to communicate with. If you don't already have one, see Direct Mail, below.



7. Direct mail. Create a letter or postcard. Try it on a small group first. You can buy names for about 10¢ a piece, mail a postcard for about 25¢, etc. etc. You can create a paper mailing, or a digital mailing. You'll also need to create a record-keeping process so that you can follow up the maybes a week later



8. Public speaking. When you speak in public, you present yourself as an expert to a group of people, and some of them will want to know more about your service or product. At the very least, have a clipboard at the back of the room, or generate a raffle to collect the business cards of the interested.



9. Public Relations. Write articles for publication for media talking to client groups, or send press releases to these publications.



10. Advertising - Consider all the "bad" commercials you see on TV. Could you do better? Even if you're not going to have a great Superbowl commercial, get professional help around Radio, Newspaper, Billboards, TV, even give-aways and leaflets.

There's more. This should come as no surprise to you. I'll have the third and final installment out to you the first week of January, and each one of these installments will be available on my website at www.craigjennings.com, in the section named: Newsletter Archives.