Stand Out with Your Customers and Prospects! Come up with unique ways to stand out with clients and different ways to reach out to prospects. 1. Strive for excellence and beyond. How can you add further value to your products and particularly your service? Adding consistent and unexpected extra value to your services will become part of your brand. 2. Show you give a damn about presentation. Make sure that every aspect of how you present yourself, from your business cards, to your website, to your social media profile, shows care and effort. Show that you care about your brand, your service and the people you deal with. This manifests itself in the smallest details, more than anything else. 3. Go Where the Prospects Are. How about a trade show where your prospects might be? You may be the only one from your particular industry in attendance so you can gain access to these prospects. . .or at least pick up lots of leads! One of my clients attended a huge trade show where there were 1,500 exhibitors! 4. Make a Special Delivery. Many clients don't have time for lunch these days. . .so how about bringing in lunch that will result in a low key way to have an effective meeting? You will discover that folks will come out of their offices to enjoy the food you bring. One of my clients has a favorite gourmet sandwich shop that he told a client all about in advance of his scheduled group presentation. He ordered their sandwiches and then picked them up prior to the meeting. It was a big hit for them and the sales rep! 5. Dress like a pro. This can be elaborated on in two ways. First, dressing like someone who is a professional in your industry in a way that you are comfortable, will make you begin to actually feel the part, and improve and strengthen your own brand in the process. Second, perhaps you want to present your brand in the way you dress and present yourself. Got a favorite color that you might want to wear consistently? 6. Define your core strength, and work it. Ask yourself, what do I do that I am most proud of, and revolve what you do and the way you sell yourself around that. 7. Send a handwritten note. Sending a handwritten note after your first sales call or presentation will dramatically increase your chances of getting a return call. Why? Because a handwritten note increases your likeability, helps make the prospect feel good about you and encourages them to take your calls. It never ceases to amaze me at the number of emails I receive from clients and prospects thanking me for my handwritten notes. Obviously, they have an effect on people that yet another voice or email doesn't. 8. Call early or late in the day. One of the ways I follow up with senior-level decision makers is to call either quite early in the morning (say around 7:30am) or late in the day (after 5pm), without leaving a message if I don't get a person. I've found that, by calling at these times, the decision makers are often alone in the office without a gatekeeper, and therefore more likely to pick up calls themselves. Focus Point 34. Show respect for your clients and practice proper social ettiquette! In today's current climate of reality television and incredibly tasteless behavior in the most public and unexpected places, we can be temptedto let our guard down in our business lives. Be careful! Your clients are still the people who are responsible for your salaries and commissions.If you do something to cause offense, you're on shaky ground. And sometimes, it's what you don't do that can offend. If you have not done this before, consider buying a recommended social ettiquette book and read it cover to cover. I guarantee you that you will immediately spot some things that you are doing incorrectly in given situations. Pay special attention to the section on introductions and make sure that you are courteous and gracious in your dealings with all other individuals (especially your clients and bosses) at all times. Obviously, you know your clients. If you have established a certain give and take that is working, don't change it. However, if some of your behavior is borderline, start adjusting that attitude. For example, do you stand up when your client joins you for lunch or dinner? This is a no-brainer. Just do it! Now you can follow me on Twitter @leslielgroene:  Find Leslie on LinkedIn:  |
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