Your Most Likely Source Of Quality New Business

Every business person spends quite a bit of time looking for the next source of quality leads and new business, the life blood of growth and development. Many businesses spend a huge amount of money prospecting, advertising, communicating and marketing in many ways searching for the best and most cost-efficient new business development strategy to identify, reach and harness new business relationships.

Just possibly, it’s looking you right in the eyes, begging for recognition and attention, pleading for you to identify the potential and waiting to be successfully serviced and exploited. What is it you wonder? New business is waiting in your existing account list. That’s your best prospect list and you already own it, it is already in your database and you have already (hopefully) established a successful relationship with these accounts. If you are doing a good job delivering a quality product or service, pricing it for value and delivering value irrespective of the price point, you should have less resistance and far more acceptance selling a second or third item or service back into an existing account.

Of course, this naturally depends upon what it is that you’re marketing, and if there is an opportunity for second and third sales, but assuming there is, these are your best leads. They are already satisfied customers and if there is any potential for a second sale, all that is necessary is for you to ask for it. Maybe a slight adjustment, better design, perhaps even a special established client appreciation program… whatever it takes to create renewed interest in additional sales opportunities.

Remember that successful selling is a direct function of creating a positive relationships. If this is accomplished, a second sale should be forthcoming as soon as appropriate, as soon as you ask for it. If you failed to create the positive relationship and merely sold the item or service, then the strategy may require you to take a step backward and redevelop  your relationship with soft communications, soft selling, special events, special private sales and rebuilding the relationship based on the original successful sales experience. This may seem a little backwards, a little delayed, but it’s a matter of recognizing the value and importance in fostering positive relationships. The relationship can be renewed if you provided a quality product or service. As an example, an electrician client of mine created a Public Safety Notice program promoting products and services he could install that had a public safety concept. He created goodwill and delivered a very soft sell, yet re-established the basis for his relationships while advancing the plan. If you have the contact information, you have an opportunity for a marketing plan and there is greater likelihood for rich repeat business.

Unfortunately, I frequently run into businesses that have failed to retain this precious previous client contact info. It is the most valuable list imaginable and cannot be purchased, thus I send them back to UPS shipping records, old invoices, copies of old checks, whatever it takes to recreate the customer list. I also take this opportunity to urge you to make the change today–collect valuable client contact data and recreate your history at any cost. There is no more valuable list. Once the list is established and evaluated, devise your marketing strategy and implement your relationship building communications. Implement the plan and reap the sales benefits.

No matter what, there are waiting sales in your past client list, they’re just waiting to be asked. Ask them.