Marketing + Sales 3: Categorising Customers

I am talking about how to tie the roles of sales and marketing closer together so they will be more effective for your business. We have talked about the importance of both knowing whom you are targeting, but now we turn our attention to how we will reach those people. First let’s clarify how I […]
Basics of Sales 12: Buying Signals

You can sometimes spend months and even years keeping prospects warm but how can you tell when they actually will buy from you? They Get Excited! One of the most rewarding things in any sales effort is when you talk to someone who is positively enthused by your product or service. So it might be […]
Basics of Sales 11: Warming Prospects

For any multitude of reasons a prospect may not be in a position to buy from you just yet. As such it is your job to stay in front of them and keep them warm. People Buy From People. I’m always a firm believer that it’s better to let your personality shine through and not […]
Basics of Sales 7: Feedback

One of the most powerful and under-rated tools is feedback from prospects and in particular the questions that they ask you. One is Many For every customer that asks you a question, there will doubtless be tens more that didn’t ask the question and then didn’t use your service. No matter how seemingly stupid the […]
Post Project Steps 8: Implementation

Now that you’ve evaluated your feedback it’s important you take stock and think about ways you can improve your business and service. Now obviously there’s no catch all lesson I can write that will apply to everyone, but here are a few things I’d expect to see as your business grows. More Procedures Not what […]
Post Project Steps 6: Review

We have been talking about what happens post project and how to make the most out of your last job in order to get the next one. Next I want to talk about reviewing a past project so it can help you improve future projects. You Won’t Review The truth of the matter is 80% […]
Post Projects Steps 5: Communication

With some clients, you want to run to the hills as fast as you can and never see them again, but with most its worth keeping in touch. Here’s a few ways you should go about it. CRM I’ve talked a few times about the importance of having a Customer Relationship Manager. This can be […]
Post Project Steps 4: Portfolio

In this series of lessons we are covering all those things you need to do once a project is over. We have talked about getting paid, getting testimonials and getting referrals. Now let’s talk about portfolio management. We’re Working With Them! I think all clients appreciate a little enthusiasm. The second you get a […]
Post Project Steps 2: Testimonials

There is an old saying that you are only as good as your last project and I think there’s some truth in that. It’s important that after a project has ended you get the most out of it in getting you more work. One way of doing that is getting a testimonial. Show Your Support […]
Post Project Steps 1: Payment

Last year I covered 5 major subjects which were; How To Pitch, Converting that pitch into actual work, Good Client Relationships, Tricky Clients and When Projects Go Bad. All of these subjects were aimed at helping you to troubleshoot some of the trickier situations and people you will come across when self-employed. Now that we’ve […]