How You’re Dropping the Ball

Each and every week I meet with several CEOs, Presidents and Executives either through meetings, networking or after talks that I deliver. It seems that when it comes to business growth the common thread across all industries, sectors and countries is “lack of predictability.”

Markets seem to be soft when they’ve previously been strong. Customers disappear with little loyalty. Pressure on pricing is a continuous threat.

Here’s the thing. Business growth, and in turn revenue, are both predictable. That’s right, you can actually predict how strong or weak sales will be. The problem is not the market, it’s not the time of year, and it definitely isn’t your competitors.

The problem is you and your team.

When it comes to sales, volume trumps everything and in a day in age where customers are seeking new products, services and solutions in different ways (gone are the days of creating a sales campaign that is focused solely on dropping in to see customers!), our volume of interactions must increase. Put another way,

[Tweet “We have to meet customers where they are, whether it be in person, online or otherwise.”]

If you are stuck doing things how you’ve done them, you’ll continue to get what you’ve always gotten (and likely less of it!).

So when it comes to meeting your customers and creating the sheer volume of interactions necessary to build strong relationships, to educate your prospective customers on your products and services, and to ultimately make sales, consider the following questions as your road map to success:

1. Where are your customers hanging out at work and in their spare time (events, social media, email, trade shows, at their desk, at the local restaurant)?

2. How can you meet them at these locations? Put another way, how can you position yourself to be in front of your customers on a regular (but not annoying) frequency?

3. What aren’t you doing that you should start doing – or at least try doing?

4. What are you doing that isn’t working that you should do less of or drop completely?

If you’re like many of my clients you’ll find that when you assess your responses to above, the sheer volume of transactions you and your team are currently using to meet with and connect with customers is insufficient.

Volume trumps everything.

© Shawn Casemore 2016. All rights reserved.