The old adage
"work on your business rather than in your business" is true. However, if
you're an interior designer, small business owner or even a freelance consultant looking for
additional clients, it's rare that you have the time to get away from the day-to-day
'doing' to work on client-building activities.
Nevertheless,
answering the following ten questions will help you get some
clarity.
1. What does
your ideal client look like?
If you can't describe them, how do you determine who you should be targeting and accepting requests for proposals from? e.g. size, reach, business model, industry sector, business practices, location, life cycle etc?
2. Does your
ideal client know who you are and what you do?
If not what are you doing to rectify that?
3. Is what
you're offering something that's going to ensure potential clients want to work with you?
How do you know? How often do you ask this to prospective clients?
4. Are you
being interested or interesting?
Are you asking your existing clients enough relevant questions to ensure you gather the right information to be able to present answers to their real problems? Or are you too busy trying to sell your services to them?
Are you asking your existing clients enough relevant questions to ensure you gather the right information to be able to present answers to their real problems? Or are you too busy trying to sell your services to them?
5. Are you
helping your clients think about their projects differently?
Are you helping them uncover and solve their biggest problems and continually ensuring you understand the real issues affecting their business and them personally? If not, how are you differentiating yourself from other agencies?
Are you helping them uncover and solve their biggest problems and continually ensuring you understand the real issues affecting their business and them personally? If not, how are you differentiating yourself from other agencies?
6. How closely
are you paying attention to the state of the relationship with your current
clients?
Or are you just focusing on delivering what you need to in order to keep the business?
Or are you just focusing on delivering what you need to in order to keep the business?
7. Are you
asking your committed clients for referrals regularly?
If not, do you ask them for testimonials? How could you start doing this or training your staff to do it?
If not, do you ask them for testimonials? How could you start doing this or training your staff to do it?
8. Are you
holding strategic review meetings with your clients and your team?
How else do you ensure you know what's coming down the pipeline in their business and thinking about how you could help?
How else do you ensure you know what's coming down the pipeline in their business and thinking about how you could help?
9. Are you
paying attention to clients, the competition, the market, trends?
Do you think you're one step in front or two steps behind?
Do you think you're one step in front or two steps behind?
10. Are you
looking for new business often and effectively?
How could you spend your time more efficiently?
How could you spend your time more efficiently?
Have these
questions prompted you to think about something new or did you have everything
covered?
By Jenny E. Plant
Image by Photo Rack
Jenny Plant has
worked in account management for various advertising agencies for most of her
22 year career. She was General Manager for a major global healthcare agency
and now trains customer service skills to account managers. http://accountmanagementskills.com
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