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Last week, as I was on my
morning walk, I encountered a runner (I
hate running and deeply admire those who
do it regularly.)
We exchanged nods. I
asked "How are you today?". He responded,
"I'll be better when I'm done running!"
How the truth of that rang
out! As I said, I hate running.
And it sounds like he doesn't really enjoy the
act of running but rather the benefits
of running once he's done. (I haven't gotten
past that first hurdle.)
I speak at a number of
professional networking and association meetings
about sales and marketing strategies and
tactics. In my conversations with these
professionals, I have come to realize that many
business owners and sales people hate the
act of the marketing and sales aspects of
growing their business. But then they expect (or
hope for) the benefits of the sales and
marketing activities that they aren't
actually doing.
So what do I mean by
'paying the piper'?
Now is the time to be
laying the foundation for the economic recovery
that will occur, hopefully sooner than later.
This is the time to create visibility, build
credibility with your target markets, position
yourself as an expert and deepen the connection
between your company and your prospects and
clients.
Marketing, like running,
may not be a lot of fun (hence the sense of
'paying'). Many people tell me they
hate picking up the phone and calling people
about their products and services about as much
as I hate running. But direct outreach is
one of the most effective ways to connect, build
relationships and ultimately make sales.
Here are some specific
things you can do that won't cost a lot of money
but will create a solid foundation for
the future and might even create sales in the
short term. They may require you to stretch a
bit, but who doesn't benefit from learning and
growing?
1. Write articles -
Writing articles about your area of expertise is
a great and often free way to get visibility
while generating credibility for yourself.
Association newsletters and online article
directories are always looking for content for
their publications.
2. Give referrals
- When you send business to a colleague, it
creates a 'credit' in your mental relationship
account that your colleague (if they're a good
human being), will feel compelled to balance out
with a referral back to you.
3. Start a
networking group - Many business
professionals are looking for new low-cost ways
to market their businesses just like you are.
When you start your own networking group, you
have the advantage of inviting people you
really want to network with. You become known as
a great person to know because you will appear
really well connected.
4. Update your
product and service offerings - Make sure
that what you're offering is relevant to the
challenges people and businesses are facing
these days. You don't have to reinvent the
wheel, just tweak your current offers to address
the problems people are dealing with today that
weren't issues 18 months ago. You'll seem
timely and relevant and your prospects will be
more hungry for what you have to offer.
5. Seek out big
opportunities - Don't abandon entirely the
lines of work that keep your lights and
utilities on and your employees paid, but strive
to position yourself do to more business with
Big Business. Be strategic about the firms
you seek out. Read The Whale Hunters
by Tom Searcy and barbara Weaver Smith for
specific ideas on how to land bigger deals and
transform your company in the process.
Paying the Piper speaks to
the 'dues' you have to pay to grow your
business. The good news though is that
while you may have to be more creative and put
out more effort in the process, the Piper who
will ultimately benefit is you!
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