While headlines talk about professional service firms getting hammered due to the government shutdown, we each sill have the ability to expand our reach and win new work. Beyond that we are in a world where we are all tasked with trying to do “more” while typically being given “less,” there are still great ways that often go overlooked that can add BIG numbers to your top and bottom line. Here are 6 often overlooked actions that each of us can do starting TODAY to finish the year STRONG and set ourselves up for a great 2014!
1) Don’t suck! – It might seem overly obvious but delivering on your promises and following through is a MUST! Not just that, they want to hear from you. Check this out to see what consumers are looking for today in this recent piece!
2) Don’t “throw up” on your clients – While you may have a lot to offer your clients, telling them the 1,000 things you can do for them doesn’t help. Finding out what they need (whether you can directly help or not) is where people see and find value.
3) Go deeper – Be inquisitive, ask questions and find more opportunities to ADD value to your clients. You may be working beyond your current “scope” at times but if you can help your clients get to where they need to be, it will be noticed and rewarded!
4) Go wider – See #3 but also do you know the other departments you’re working near? Do you know their challenges? Their struggles? Great quick read on how we’re often missing the ball from this week!
5) Make a connection – You want to show client you care about their business and you are there to help. Nothing says this more than helping them find new business (or at least a new connection)
6) Ask for the referral – If you’ve done 1 through 5 here this should be the slam dunk! If not, go back to step #1 and we’ll see you in 2014!
With these simple 6 actions, entreQuest lead a team of inside sales people to work with veterinarians from all over the country and within 90 days we saw revenue increase nearly threefold, nearly 300%! The revenue was over 6 figures and NONE of it was from net new sales... Not just that we had empowered a cohort of clients to become our evangelists to help spread our word! Now that’s how you grow a professional services firm!
My question to you is are you planning on finishing 2013 strong?
Jeremy Steinberg is a partner and VP of Outsourced Sales for entreQuest. He designs sales systems and processes that help businesses improve production, profitability, and time management. By emphasizing technology, Jeremy ensures that clients can leverage technologies they have already invested in, as well as, aiding them in finding new tools that can expand current business and grow new sales and revenue.
