Your Next Great Client
Posted by Sitkins Advisor on Thu, Aug 25, 2011 @ 07:40 AM
Your next new great client is one that matches up against your Future Ideal Client Profile. This profile is something you’ve shared with your Clients and Centers of Influence - correct? You ask them “Who do you know that matches this profile?” You do all the right “stuff”. However, we don’t often think about how the client wants to meet you.
Do you think they want to be cold-called (God’s Punishment for not asking for Referrals)?
Do you think they want to receive a ton of emails from you?
Do you think they want you to kill a ton of trees sending them direct snail mail letters?
Do you think they want to meet you at an exhibit booth at some convention?
I sure don’t think so!
They want to meet you as a result of a referral or an introduction from someone they trust! Think of yourself, when you look for a professional service (or almost anything else) don’t you seek the advice of others? If you’re looking for a CPA firm, would you go to the Yellow Pages or “Google” Accountants? You need a Medical Specialist, would you get on the phone and start calling all of them looking for a “quote”? When you think about this, isn’t this how the Angie’s List website became so successful?
Now, what do you have to do to earn those referrals and introductions?
First of all, as in all relationships, you’ve got to do what you said you were going to do. You’ve got to know your clients expectations and exceed them. You’ve got to under-promise and over-deliver. And finally you’ve got to ask for the referral and the introductions.
Now, I’m guessing you may have heard that before! But have you asked 100% of your clients and 100% of your Center of Influence Network for referrals and introductions? Have you made “Deposits” with them? This means you’ve brought them new business, or dramatically improved their sales and profits. If so, you’ve made Deposits. Every relationship has a component of Deposits and Withdrawals. It’s tough to take a withdrawal from an account that has no deposits in it!
So if your Next New Great Client wants to meet you through a Referral or Introduction, let them!
The Author, Roger Sitkins, is Founder & Chairman of Sitkins International.