How to win business in challenging times

I'm not sure about you, but I surely haven't been sitting around... 

In fact, more than ever before have I been learning, trying and testing, refining and expanding my various marketing, business development and sales processes. 

Even though COVID represents a significant hit to my traditional business (being consulting and live events), I am so grateful that it has given us the time, the pain and the drive to make smart changes for the future.

Consider what we used to do to generate new business:

• Research companies and people that we could do business with
• Go to networking functions to expand our network
• Host our own events and invite prospects to it
• Invite people to coffee meetings
• Do a needs analysis for them
• Put a proposal together and then pitch it
• Deal with all the reasons under the sun why to delay or defer a decision
• Etc

You get the gist. A lot of valuable time goes into these activities. Possibly also a great deal of money. And only a percentage of all opportunities convert to real business. 

Real expenses are guaranteed. In contrast, there is no guaranteed return on your investment of time and money.

So what is still working nowadays, and what isn't?

As I was recording the NEW audiobook of "Selling Is Out. Create Buy-In", it stroke me how relevant my business development process still is right now.

The bottom line: 

• Knowing how to plan for success (aka how to optimise your return on time invested) helps;
• Having a laser clear definition of your ideal clients helps;
• Knowing how to spend more time with better people (face-to-face or in the cloud) helps;
• Reading people and relating to them in their preferred communication style helps;
• Uncovering needs and wants better than anyone else in our chosen field helps;
• Demonstrating the strength of our value proposition helps;
• Being prepared for 16 different scenarios to secure sign-off helps.

What doesn't work anymore?

• Trying to 'sell' people a product or service will most likely trigger buyer's resistance.
• Using a single elevator pitch and expecting that it will work for everyone is a recipe for disaster.
• Spending money on dated online advertising platforms leads to reduced returns (as in: spend more and get less).
• Hitting the pavement where the wrong people congregate won't produce positive outcomes.
• Treating everyone in the way that you personally want to be treated might be a popular notion, scientifically speaking, it is only a half truth and in most cases misleading.
• Doing all BD manually, in person, is highly ineffective knowing that technology is there to streamline processes and automate marketing and selling for us.

So that you can keep up-to-date, I have made available THE LAST 135 COPIES of my best-selling book "Selling Is Out. Create Buy-In" for FREE. 

As a valued subscriber, you receive first access to it before our stock runs out. I bought the book for you. Just take care of shipping and handling.

Should you in the process like to add the NEW audiobook to your collection, you can do so straight after you entered your postal address in the link below.

"Yes please! I want one of the last 135 FREE copies send to my address"

I suggest to enter your details now because I'm expecting to deplete our stock very soon.

Wishing you prosperous business development action!

Bram

BTW... look out for my next few posts, because I will reveal an exciting new development that is happening right now. I'll reveal the secret soon :)