Now Is the Time to Reconnect With Old Customers and Strategic Partners
Building your sales revenue pipeline for end-of-year success? Don't forget the obvious connections....
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PrintRemember that great sales deal you did a couple of years ago? You worked with a company leader that you worked well with, they paid you on time, and they even gave you a referral or LinkedIn recommendation.
Then some time went by and you lost touch. You didn't have anything to sell them. Now it may even feel awkward.
This is a common story in small (and large) businesses everywhere. People are stretched thin - they are doing the work of multiple people, and most admit they don't follow up as they should.
This time of year - Fall - especially the month of September - is such a great time to re-assess your valued past customers and reconnect now before you have that next thing to sell them.
No one likes to be contacted only when it is time to buy. I have some friends who regularly send me an e-vite to some home-based sales event..... but they never contact me just to say hello and ask me how things are going. It is a big turn off.
The same is true with corporate and small company business. Talk to people and add value when you are not looking for something other than their connection and to know how they are doing and how their business is going.
Find ways to add value - and then actually do something for them. Ideas to help you get started:
Spend half a day going through your LinkedIn contacts - I am assuming you have hundreds of referral partners, business friends, plus past and current customers in your LinkedIn account. No, you don't? Then the first step is to get everyone into LinkedIn that you do business with and who has a business profile.
The next time you get someone's card, or talk to them by phone or email, ask them if they are on LinkedIn and then connect to them. We'll talk more about all the many things you can do once this happens - for now just get them in there.
Now that you have hundreds of good contacts in LinkedIn, scroll through and come up with a way to contact five of these folks a day. You can go alphabetically or by region. Find something of value to say, and offer a next action - a phone call or just a request for them to update you since you want to know how things are going and how you may be of value.
That is exactly what I often say to people I know: "How are you doing, and be sure to let me know if there is anything I can do to be of value."
You'd be surprised at the responses - sometimes someone needs an endorsement or quick advice.
Make sure you have mailing addresses (physical business addresses) for your LinkedIn contacts so that you can do a holiday mailing or two (yes, two - one is early holidays or US Thanksgiving - as appropriate - and the other is for New Years wishes.) Postal mail still rules.
Get updated also on their Twitter handles and Facebook Business Page info. Once you have these, assuming you are on Twitter and Facebook, you can further endorse them, re-tweet them, and generally support them.
Create a list of your "top 100" strategic business contacts and even your "top 10" - these are people who know you and trust your business approach - and can send you multiple new business opportunities. Are you following up with them regularly?
Also, know that it is nearly never too late to follow up with that past client or referral partner that you have not connected to for so long. Just let them know you were thinking about them (assuming that you WERE). In other words, be genuine - don't make up a reason to contact them but as you do wonder how a company is doing, or a person you knew several years ago - just ask them. Drop an email and ask that, at their convenience, they get back to you since they have been on your mind.
Start there - it takes time to be very organized at this - and then we'll discuss a drip marketing / nurturing campaign so that important contacts do not forget you when it matters.
Then some time went by and you lost touch. You didn't have anything to sell them. Now it may even feel awkward.
This is a common story in small (and large) businesses everywhere. People are stretched thin - they are doing the work of multiple people, and most admit they don't follow up as they should.
This time of year - Fall - especially the month of September - is such a great time to re-assess your valued past customers and reconnect now before you have that next thing to sell them.
No one likes to be contacted only when it is time to buy. I have some friends who regularly send me an e-vite to some home-based sales event..... but they never contact me just to say hello and ask me how things are going. It is a big turn off.
The same is true with corporate and small company business. Talk to people and add value when you are not looking for something other than their connection and to know how they are doing and how their business is going.
Find ways to add value - and then actually do something for them. Ideas to help you get started:
Spend half a day going through your LinkedIn contacts - I am assuming you have hundreds of referral partners, business friends, plus past and current customers in your LinkedIn account. No, you don't? Then the first step is to get everyone into LinkedIn that you do business with and who has a business profile.
The next time you get someone's card, or talk to them by phone or email, ask them if they are on LinkedIn and then connect to them. We'll talk more about all the many things you can do once this happens - for now just get them in there.
Now that you have hundreds of good contacts in LinkedIn, scroll through and come up with a way to contact five of these folks a day. You can go alphabetically or by region. Find something of value to say, and offer a next action - a phone call or just a request for them to update you since you want to know how things are going and how you may be of value.
That is exactly what I often say to people I know: "How are you doing, and be sure to let me know if there is anything I can do to be of value."
You'd be surprised at the responses - sometimes someone needs an endorsement or quick advice.
Make sure you have mailing addresses (physical business addresses) for your LinkedIn contacts so that you can do a holiday mailing or two (yes, two - one is early holidays or US Thanksgiving - as appropriate - and the other is for New Years wishes.) Postal mail still rules.
Get updated also on their Twitter handles and Facebook Business Page info. Once you have these, assuming you are on Twitter and Facebook, you can further endorse them, re-tweet them, and generally support them.
Create a list of your "top 100" strategic business contacts and even your "top 10" - these are people who know you and trust your business approach - and can send you multiple new business opportunities. Are you following up with them regularly?
Also, know that it is nearly never too late to follow up with that past client or referral partner that you have not connected to for so long. Just let them know you were thinking about them (assuming that you WERE). In other words, be genuine - don't make up a reason to contact them but as you do wonder how a company is doing, or a person you knew several years ago - just ask them. Drop an email and ask that, at their convenience, they get back to you since they have been on your mind.
Start there - it takes time to be very organized at this - and then we'll discuss a drip marketing / nurturing campaign so that important contacts do not forget you when it matters.
