 The
Challenge …
In today’s hectic business world the pressure for producing
sales is higher than ever before, yet at the same time we have
less time than ever before. To make matters worse, we spend less
and less time with the people that count in our business …
our customers. And when we do spend time with our customers they
often tend to be the “high maintenance” ones that
don’t spend a lot with us.
So, how do you grow your sales organically? One way is by taking
the time you have available to tap into the sales and referral
power of your existing customer base. I see so many businesses
that have so much potential but can’t capitalise on it because
they are too busy being busy.
The Concept …
Regardless of your business, there are 3 key groups to focus
your energy and efforts on for real bottom-line business growth.
They are …
1. Your “A”
Customers. – Top Existing Customers.
2. Your “B”
or “C” Customers who have the potential to become
“A” Customers.
3. Your most qualified
Prospects who have the potential to be future “A”
Customers in the next 6 or 12 months.
Within each of these 3 groups select 10 people. If you work with
these 10 and focus your attention solely on them, you will be
amazed at the sales results achieved.
If you are time poor when it comes to building your business,
put your energy into working on the customers that count. You
see, you may not have time to work with hundreds of customers
but you do have time to work 30 customers or prospects.
Let’s look at why these 3 groups are critical
to your success
So often I see businesses take their “A” customers
for granted and neglect them as they go about their day to day
business. Your top existing customers are hard to replace, so
it is critically important that you treat them like gold.
Now for the second group. Do you have some customers who only
buy 1 product or service from you, rather than a number of products?
With just a little more TLC would it be possible to get them to
do business with you much more often?
The final group can be addressed by thinking strategically about
your business. Take the time to list down the profile of the perfect
customer for your business. Once you have done that, identify
businesses or customers who fit that profile. Most likely they
are very similar to your current “A” Customers.
10 Key Actions to Capitalisation
Once you have identified these 30 customers, the way ahead is
clear:
1. Over the next
30 days contact each one of these people to evaluate what opportunities
exist to do more business with you over the next 30 – 60
– 90 days.
2. Evaluate the
reasons why your existing customers don’t do business with
you more often. Often it is as simple as giving them an update
of your products and services. Remember your customers forget
about what you do or pigeon hole into just 1 product or service
that you may provide.
3. Take the time
to review their future plans and goals for the year ahead. This
way you can identify how you can best add value to them with your
expertise.
4. Think outside
the box and look for an article, a relevant book or a fact sheet
to send to your customer or prospect as a way of staying in touch
with them.
5. Invite these
key people to a new product launch or a customer function. Let
your best customers sing your praises.
6. Load your customers’
and prospects’ telephone numbers into your mobile phone
and from time to time make a “How’s things call?”
to them.
7. Every week
think about and plan your approach to your 30 best prospects.
Ask yourself … “Why would this person want to do more
business with me and my company?”
8. Identify a
list of 10 key prospects and then ask your existing customers
if they would be happy to refer you onto them or set up a personal
introduction.
9. At your next
team meeting have each sales person discuss what action steps
they are taking to cement stronger relationships with your “A”
Customers as well as what they are doing to convert your best
prospects to “A” customers in the future.
10. Once a quarter
have your whole team of people review these 3 groups again to
identify new opportunities and to talk about unique ways to connect
with these people.
When you apply the 10 x 10 x 10 Formula to your business it can’t
help but continue to grow. Concentrating your efforts on the things
that count for you is the key to business growth success.
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Keith Abraham
Keith Abraham is the Australian best selling author of the highly
practical business book “Creating Loyal Profitable Customers”.
He is also one of Australia’s most in-demand professional
conference speakers, speaking at over 100 conferences each year.
Phone: (07) 3367 3455
Email: keith@keithabraham.com.au
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