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Maybe you’re not sure about where to start with new business, sales and marketing, and are worried about getting it wrong. Maybe you’ve tried a few things, but you don’t know if they’re working or not, so you’re not feeling very confident about the next steps. Maybe you’ve jumped in and invested in activities that you know a bit about,…
Read moreThis post is in response to a cry for help from a friend who hated the sales events and conferences he had to go to as part of his business development role. He was told to attend by his MD… ‘in order to network, meet people and drum up some new business’. Here’s what he had to say about sales events: You wander around with a fixed smile…
Read moreThis is the second of two posts helping business owners and those with responsibility for new business by providing them with a template for a topline business development plan. It is particularly relevant for small and medium firms selling B2B (business to business). If you want to start at the beginning, here’s Part One. If you’ve just read that, and you’ve been waiting with bated breath for points…
Read moreDo you ever feel like you just want a look at someone else’s business development plan to get you started? Some inspiration and ideas to get you going? A sort of template umbrella plan that helps you think about the options, one that you could change to suit your own firm? Fag-packet new business planning More and more I’ve been sketching out…
Read moreIf you’re marketing your business in order to acquire more new customers you will probably – at some stage – come across these two terms: inbound marketing and outbound marketing. You might feel confused by the difference, irritated by the glib terminology, or excited by the many possible ways in which you can get your message out in front of your…
Read moreThere are lots of different ways to attract new clients, and some of those routes-to-market can be more challenging than others. But one of the simplest methods – and in my opinion, the most satisfying – is to give away something of value to you. Something that you know your lovely prospects will also really appreciate, need or want. It might be timely…
Read moreAccording to this recent article from the BBC; the Federation of Small Businesses has seen a “robust” improvement in small business confidence, suggesting the sector overall is in for a period of growth. The FSB statistics are telling us that nearly two thirds (65.3%) of small businesses are aspiring to grow moderately or rapidly in the next three months – the highest figure ever seen by…
Read moreWhen you go canoeing, you take a paddle. And so it is, that when you’re off out to get new business, you should make a plan. Without a new business plan in place (or business development, or sales, or marketing plan), you’re going to be unable to answer a few basic questions that everyone – from your boss and your prospects to investors and colleagues – will need…
Read moreMaybe you’re an account director, targeted with a new business revenue and wondering how you can possibly achieve that at the same time as servicing the accounts you’ve got. Or perhaps you’re the business owner of a professional services company wondering why your account managers or client service directors rarely seem to bring in any new clients themselves. Both of…
Read moreDone well, thought leadership is a very powerful tool for improving your positioning, raising awareness in your industry and target market, acquiring new business, increasing both revenue and profit and recruiting great talent. Having said that, it is still an irritating and dramatic expression that should perhaps be permanently excised from the English language. More on that later. I began the post with this title: Your…
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