Getting to your Perfect Client via your Networks
I am constantly amazed at the resources that are available for those of us who work in the area of Business Development. In the last few weeks I've used the following resources to narrow down potential clients and potential target markets given my 'Perfect Client Profile'. If you are taking or have taken one of our Business Development Intensives, you may find these resources invaluable.
ReferenceUSA - This database is available at your public library. If you are not a member, go to www.scottsdalelibrary.org and sign up for a card. It will allow you access to their databases.
Reference USA is an InfoUSA company. You can drill down on local businesses by multiple criteria (which we talk about in our classes) and pull up a list of companies and contact info for those companies. It's a great way to begin to narrow your search for your perfect client.
LinkedIn - Now that you know what companies to target, you can go to your LinkedIn network and see who you know or who knows someone who you need to meet. It is likely that there is a pathway into these companies that will get you introduced to the right person THROUGH someone you know. Can you cold call? Sure. If you have trouble cold calling, check out my friend Connie Kadansky from Exceptional Sales Performance. Her programs get you out of the headgame you play with yourself. I highly recommend her. However, if you prefer to be introduced, LinkedIn provides a fantastic resorce to do that.
Furthermore, you can begin to do some research when you find the right people. The old Axiom "Birds of a Feather Flock Together" applies here. What groups do they belong to? Where do they hang out? Where might you "bump into" them or other folks like them? This is where social media gets interesting. You not only learn about the people you know, but you can learn about their companies, their interests, and as you aggregate this info across prospects/potential clients, you get some pretty serious intelligence about your markets. This leads you to get ENGAGED with your markets.
Remember, from the Cluetrain Manifesto, "Markets are conversations". If you learn the conversations in the environment they are happening, you are positioned to deliver the the correct message into the correct context. It's like learning a foreing language - listen, repeat, learn, create.
These are a few of the concepts we cover in our Business Development Intensive. If you fit our 'Perfect Client Profile', please consider having a conversation with me about how it could dramatically improve your results!
Raymond Chip Lambert
Network 2 Networth
Deep Business Development
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Thank you for your reference to Exceptional Sales Performance. To clarify we provide services to people who experience the fear of self-promotion which manifests into Sales Call Reluctance, which is the emotional hesitation to prospect and self-promote. We work with salespeople to become exceptional at prospecting, which is taking proactive steps to identify, qualify and get in front of their perfect client. If someone can make a nice warm call it makes so much sense to tap into introductions. However, sometimes, it is more efficient to pick up the phone and make the call. Salespeople are doing this all across the globe day in and day out. I recommend to all my clients to get Linked In and get trained. I also recommend that they get moving and pick up the phone and call into their target market. I am a believer having all the bases covered with several different techniques in order to get in front of their ideal buyer consistently and in the numbers that keeps their pipeline very exciting.