Category: business strategy

5 steps to getting more business from your existing contacts

Growing your business isn’t just about finding new leads—it’s about maximizing the potential of those you already know. Your existing clients and contacts can become first-time or repeat customers, refer new prospects or connect you with valuable referral sources. But they won’t think of you automatically—you need to stay on their radar. So, how can you turn your network into a steady stream of opportunities? (more…)

How to get more referrals

Referrals are the lifeblood of many businesses. They come with instant credibility and trust because someone else has already vouched for you. This makes it significantly easier to convert referred leads into clients. Beyond this, studies show that referred clients have a 25% higher profit margin and a 16% higher lifetime value compared to those acquired through other methods. (more…)

12 strategies to heat up your firm’s marketing this summer

Summer can present some unique opportunities to market your firm. Work and networking events may have slowed giving you and your staff more free time. Or, you may be able to get additional resources like interns or part-time employees. While it’s true many people go on vacation, there are also plenty of prospects, clients and referral sources around that you can market to during the summer. So, don’t neglect your marketing. Try these strategies instead: (more…)

9 tips for gathering intelligence on your clients to help your business

We all think we know what clients and prospects care about and want from us. The reality is that we often miss important details because we aren’t doing enough homework on them. Learning how to get more information from and about your clients and prospects can help you improve the effectiveness of your marketing, the quality of your services and the strength of your relationships. Before assuming you have all the answers, try these tactics to gather intelligence that will help your business: (more…)

6 ways to leverage LinkedIn to promote your niche

If you have a niche specialty, it’s important to flaunt it. You want people to know what you do and the benefits you offer so when an opportunity arises, you are the one they turn to for help. LinkedIn provides one of the best and most cost-effective tools to promote a niche. It helps you establish your expertise, build relationships with your network and reach new audiences. To make the most of LinkedIn, take these steps: (more…)

Can’t make time for marketing? 10 tips to get you started

Are you struggling to find the right balance between your responsibilities helping clients and running and marketing your business? There is no magic to finding time for marketing. You have to make the commitment and then prioritize and plan ruthlessly to make it happen. But, to help you get started, check out these tips: (more…)

What do you do? 9 mistakes you are making answering that question

“What do you do?” That’s the first question at every networking event. But it’s also the question implicitly asked when people look at your bio and social media pages. People are interested in what you do for a living but you can quickly lose them if you do a bad job explaining, give them a generic description, or make other mistakes in communicating your value. (more…)

How to get out of your marketing rut

Does this sound familiar? You haven’t significantly updated your website or social media profiles in years. You keep sponsoring the same events even though you don’t get any new leads from them. At networking events, you spend the bulk of your time with people you already know. You supposedly commit to writing more articles or doing more presentations but a year later nothing has changed. Your firm’s income is relatively stable but much of your new business is coming from existing referral sources, not fresh ones. (more…)

8 tips to help with your biggest networking challenges

Some people are naturally good networkers. They like to meet and get to know people and build strong relationships. Others find networking difficult and need help developing the right skills. One of the best ways to learn is by talking to others about how they address their biggest networking challenges. Recently, I led a discussion on Women and Networking for a local chamber of commerce. The group approached me about doing a program on how networking can be different and more challenging for women. We decided to do a group discussion so we could all share insights and tips with each other. (more…)