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Ten Powerful Ways to Grow More Business
Excerpted from "Helping People
Grow"
by Jim Cathcart
This checklist for growth contains ten powerful ideas, any one of which
could revolutionize your business results. As you explore each one, take
time to answer the questions in writing and to discuss your ideas with
others. In fact, you may wish to make this a special group discussion
exercise.
1. Notice More
The first requirement for growth is to pay attention to everything.
Grow your awareness of what is working and what is not. Notice where
your revenue comes from best. Notice what needs keep coming up month
after month. Notice which people come to you for help and what kind of
help they are seeking. Notice the changes in what people are doing well
and not doing well. Know where you stand in as many areas as possible.
2. Give More Than You Have To
Tipping is not just a good idea for a restaurant. Tip everywhere through
your behavior, rather than your money. Practice Up-Serving not just "up-
selling," (exceed your customer's expectations.) Grow your impact on
customers by doing things for them which exceed the requirements of the
contract or agreement. The quickest way to get a raise or an extra sale
is to give your customers and your company a raise through your
performance.
3. Grow Your Profit per Sale/Account
Thoroughly analyze each account and each sale for awhile to find ways to
improve the margins. See how you can reduce costs without sacrificing
quality. Get creative. Provide more value to the customer at an even
lower cost to your company. Get into the habit of suggesting additional
products and services every time. Customers are assets, invest in them
constantly.
4. Grow Your Ability to Deliver Value
Increase your possibilities (more available credit, experts on tap,
investors you can turn to, colleagues to collaborate with, partners who
increase your capabilities, advisors who stretch your thinking, more
connections and better ways to connect with them.) The better you
prepare for bigger things, the more likely they will be to occur. Grow
your technology. The better your tools, the better your results. Seek
resources which can speed or refine your ability to deliver value.
5. Grow Your Freedom and Flexibility
(keep a low inventory of materials, high availability to deliver value,
and a high inventory of sales to come.) Reduce your debt. Stay
financially light on your feet. Grow your savings and investments. Do
things before they have to be done. Free up your time and energy to
allow you to focus on growth.
6. Grow Your Existing Markets
Determine where most of your business is coming from. Explore other
dimensions of the market with which you don't do as much business. Do
more business with current customers and further penetrate each market.
Read the industry magazines for each of your markets. Interview the
influential people in that field.
7. Grow Your Image and Market Presence
Gain more share of mind. Take an active role in leading the industry.
Write articles, serve on committees. Become known as a subject expert in
your field. Offer tips and suggestions to help others advance toward
their own goals. Improve and enhance your reputation as a true
professional.
8. Grow Your Pipeline
Build a larger and better reservoir of future customers. Do next year's
prospecting now. Think as if you were preparing for a major sales
contest. Build up your inventory of qualified prospects so that you can
"hit the ground running" when the contest starts. Have more people to
call on than you have time to reach them. Send some direct mail or email
promotions. Generate interest. Include response cards with qualifying
questions on them.
9. Grow New Markets
Get outside your usual channels. Ask, "who else could benefit from what
we do?" or "what other industries and professions have needs similar to
this?" Take a look at your best accounts and see who they do business
with.
Some of the world's greatest breakthroughs were simply the application
of an existing product to a new use. For example: selling baking
soda as a refrigerator freshener, or applying the concept of skateboards
to skiing to create "snowboarding". Expand your thinking.
10. Let Others Sell for You
Teach others to represent you. Tell them what you do, show them the
value you provide. Tell them what questions to ask and how to reach you
easily. Offer incentives and thank you rewards for new business. Tell
stories of how others have helped you find a new client or make a new
sale. Grow your referrals. Seek new testimonials and endorsements.
Capture examples of how others have benefited from what you do. Set
specific goals of, say, 100 new endorsements or 50 referrals by the end
of the quarter. Multiply your capabilities through other.
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