Selling to Small Business Part II - The Power Of Your Network

Guest Contributor: Jordan Arron
Jordan's Posts - (416) 973-2510


In my first article posted on EvanCarmichael.com I briefly touched on connecting people in a network together. I want to expand on this idea in my second installment. I think that anybody in business understands the importance of networking, and its necessity in order to grow your own business.

One thing I've learned of late is that there are two types of networkers. Those that attend events, meet people, hand out business cards, and those that do all that but actually go back to their office the next day and give a real hard look at how they can connect one person to another.

The thing about the latter is that this extra step does take work, with not necessarily any reward. But the key about having people that really do bounce high volumes of referrals back and forth in a circle is that it is contagious for the reason that it creates obligation, even if nothing materializes out of it.

Once you've received two or three referrals from one person, you can can't help but feel guilty if you don't immediately dig in there and find at least one person you can introduce to them! The point is that I've met many people that we have mutually agreed to do business with, but have yet to send anything between each other months later. I believe that if nothing goes between two people within the first month of the meeting then chances of anything happening there after become almost nothing.

Now as a business owner you're probably thinking that a person like a Banker, Accountant, Lawyer, or Insurance Agent must depend so much more on referrals than yourself. I disagree. There are so many potential new suppliers, partners or even people in other industries that have similar challenges that you have that, without ever getting into this powerful world of networking and referrals you will never know exist.

In the world of small business warming up any sort of lead through a referral makes life so much easier for all parties involved, and I believe if something materializes that it speeds up the sales cycle as well. So give it a try, and the next time you meet with somebody, commit yourself to providing that first referral within one month and see what happens. You certainly have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Getting to Know Your Customers

Guest Contributor: Lewis Green
Lewis' Posts - Lewis' Blog


It's always about them not us. They don't care what we think about ourselves; they care about what we can do for them. So we first have to figure that out.

To a great extent this should have been discovered when you wrote your business plan, assuming you wrote one. And then it is adjusted based on your annual strategic plans, assuming you write them. The results of that work define your target markets as narrowly as possible. Think of it as painting a picture of your customers that shows you what they look like, how they think and why they might be interested in buying from you. What motivates and inspires them?

We're talking about research that, unless we have deep pockets, we will need to conduct ourselves. If you sell to other businesses, much of the work today can be done online using data bases such as Dun & Bradstreet or Hoovers. They provide the raw data that tells us the shape and direction of business. We should also research our market's advertising, which tells us something about the business culture and may tell us who that business is targeting. If we don't know that, why would that business hire us? An innovative approach is to find and talk with folks who know the people and the product side of the business we want to sell to. We find them in professional and trade organizations and in Chambers.

But if you sell to consumers, you need to get to know them face-to-face, or use surveys, or use focus groups or watch their behavior when they shop at your competitor's place of business. The bottom line is talk to them.

Once we have narrowly defined our target markets and know as much about what they look like as we know ourselves we then can create messages that stick with our potential clients because they discuss our potentials clients' wants, needs and desires and they resonate with them.

We try to reach out to these clients by sharing stories or narratives. We may do so by sharing our own stories of struggle and success, stories of other businesses, or stories about how our clients were helped by our efforts. The tools we use are:

. Websites
. Blogs
. Podcasts
. Sales Letters
. Sell Sheets
. White Papers
. Post Cards
. Networking
. Advertising
. Signage
. Public Relations

All the time that we are creating these messages, we remember that small and large businesses have the same objective: to grow customers and their bottom lines. Your bottom line: Know who your customers are, what they look like, and what they want and need from you, then sell a solution to meet that want or need, not a product or service.

Leverage Someone Else's Brand

If you are starting a brand new company or work at a very large company with a 'big company' image, it can be difficult to take your message to small business owners. One key way to do it is to leverage the brand equity that someone else has already built up to break into the entrepreneur's radar screen. Find someone who has earned the respect of your target market and use their credibility to promote your company.

Find the influencers

There are a number of ways to find who the leaders in your customers' community are. Look for who the most popular bloggers are, who are the ones being invited to do keynote speeches at the important conferences, and who are the authors of the most recent best selling books?

Approach them with sincerity
Once you have identified the appropriate thought leaders, approach them with the sincere desire to help them and the small business community. Too many people are contacting them trying to sell them on a particular product or service. Build a relationship with them first and show that you are genuine about helping entrepreneurs to stand our from your competition.

How to get involved
There are a number of ways to get involved and leverage your new partner's brand. Some of them include:

• Advertising on their website
• Sponsoring a prize for a contest
• Having them review your product / service
• Profiling your company and offering
• Having you as a guest expert contributor to their website to discuss a particular hot topic

By partnering up with people who have accomplished the recognition you are looking for you can shortcut your way to the top and gain the small business credibility you need to sell your offering effectively.

Evan Carmichael

Keeping In Touch With Your Small Business Clients

Guest Contributor: Albert Luk
Albert's Posts - Albert's Site


Given that small business accounts are generally smaller than their institutional counterparts, most people who sell to small business need to maintain a large client basis at any particular time. This may possibly raise the structural issue of working on new sales rather than maintaining existing relationship, creating perceived indifference among your clients. Perceived indifference, in turn, is one of the leading causes of client loss. How then do you balance pursuing new accounts while maintaining your existing ones?

I wanted to share a few client retention strategies I have been subject to which I found quite effective in a service provider maintaining a relationship with me. None of them involved anything extraordinary or costly but were all effective since they put the human touch back to the relationship:

1. "Let's do lunch" Simple yet effective, I am often invited to lunch by a particular service provider who also invites his other clients as well. It is done very informally and the purpose of the lunch is to take about business challenges rather than the service the organizer is selling. The lunch is effective for three results: (i) it's a good informal networking opportunity; (ii) it keeps the service provider top of mind; and (iii) everyone has to eat- you may as well network and have fun at the same time. Given that this service provider is the organizer, he becomes a focal point and his name is top of mind without being the need for continuous contact.

2. "Come to a seminar" Many salespeople conduct seminars as a means to educate and sell a product or service. But have you have been invited to a seminar that has nothing to do with the salespeople's good or service? I have been invited several times to educational seminars to improve my business by a consultant who is not selling anything remotely to do with the seminar topic. However, I always think of him fondly because the invitation represents to me recognition that he wants to help me as an owner-manager and not just make a quick buck. Guess who I am going to buy from next time I need something the consultant sells?

3. "This email made me think of you" How many times have you received an email from a service provider trying to help your business? Again, the email had nothing to do with selling a good or service but a general interest topic or some competitive intelligence that you may not have enough time to find. These emails represent the fact that you are being an integral part of your client’s team and not just another account on your list. There are enough internet tools now that searching for topical emails doesn't have to consume so much of your time.

I hope these three simple and effective tips help you continue to nurture your relationship with existing clients.