How is your pipeline structured?
I assume most of you have heard about the sales pipeline. Your pipeline is what keeps your business going. It is a lot like a funnel: at the large end, you need to do lots of activities that will generate a slew of interested contacts; some of these move down the funnel and become coached; of these, a few get qualified, and even fewer go on to be selected and finally closed. Once you have a customer, the tendency is to spend your time at that end of the funnel fulfilling the work. When the job is done, you turn around and there is no more work waiting; you go back to the other end of the funnel and start all over.
The important lesson here is that you need to keep a balance within your pipeline so that you do not run out of clients at the end of the day. Have you ever been in a situation where you were working with one client that took up enormous amounts of your time and you had no time to do your marketing activities? And the client without warning cancelled the project and you were left without any work and nothing in the pipeline? This is the worst thing that can happen to a business. You should always have Plan B and Plan C and Plan D, etc., in the wings at all times.
There are several stages in the pipeline but you must remember to work on it to keep things flowing through. If you get a customer that tends to eat all your time, make sure the client understands that you must take one day or half a day every week to work on your own marketing efforts. You can suggest that they extend the project over a longer period of time so that your needs are also met. You will find that most clients want their project as a first priority and that you will need to schedule your time around your own marketing activities. The important thing to remember is that you must always fill the pipeline.
Your efforts to fill the pipeline while being tied up in other projects may seem difficult but you will find that a number of networking opportunities are either held early in the morning or in the evening. Some events are held at the lunch hour. Take advantage of this and set new client meetings around meal times. Don't let your business dry up; always work towards finding other relationships that can lead to future projects.
Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people's attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the "Networking Queen". Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://www.blueprintbooks.com
tidy up service Glenview ..Top 3 Ways to Maximize Your Small Business Server Consulting... Read More
One of the best marketing strategies a business or organization... Read More
Articles abound advising the business community how to properly screen... Read More
As you may already know, asphalt paved parking lots do... Read More
Sometimes the simple businesses are the ones, which make good... Read More
You're a small business owner with a hot new product... Read More
Most folks in the pressure washing business are happier to... Read More
A consultant must remember that the business belongs to the... Read More
Frankly, given the legal and regulatory requirements involved in attempting... Read More
Business consulting opportunities might be just what your are looking... Read More
When do you need to get more involved with the... Read More
Expanding your business requires you to take a good hard... Read More
When does your ego get in the way?Let's go back... Read More
Ask anyone trapped in a cubical about their entrepreneurial dream... Read More
This is the tale of two business plans with very... Read More
The current lack of industry leaders represents an exceptional opportunity... Read More
One of the most common issues that comes up for... Read More
Q: Is the online world the best place to sell... Read More
If you run a pressure washer business you need complete... Read More
In general, all of us know how to accomplish the... Read More
As you may know, there are many ways to incorporate... Read More
Support is critical for your small business survival. You may... Read More
Office support services can range from basic data entry to... Read More
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a... Read More
Small business owners can relieve a lot of their own... Read More
full-service cleaning Mundelein ..Tap these treasures of ideas. The best money you can... Read More
You bet it's worth it. Publicity via news releases, along... Read More
Some of the greatest words of wisdom for any man... Read More
Running a business, whether large, small or in your home,... Read More
There are many potential niches for pressure washing companies that... Read More
On June 8, 2004, the world witnessed what no one... Read More
Has this ever happened to you... 'John, you have a... Read More
Traditional advertising methods are still being used for almost 90%... Read More
When should you create a foundation in order to solidify... Read More
Outsourcing is the strategic use of outside resources to perform... Read More
Most small businesses simply go about their daily business and... Read More
This year, some 700,000 American businesses will be sold. Most... Read More
How far away is the person you need to meet?We... Read More
CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR INTERN: Specify the number of hours the... Read More
If small business had no important outside audiences, it wouldn't... Read More
SBIR Corner: FFP vs. CPFF contracts:In the SBIR/STTR world, the... Read More
While driving through Pennsylvania farmland, you have probably noticed an... Read More
I was floored! I couldn't believe what they were saying!... Read More
The choice of financing is an important determinant of whether... Read More
Small business success is very similar to learning to walk,... Read More
The book, "Become the Squeaky Wheel," by New Hampshire author... Read More
Everyone wants to succeed in life. Most people want to... Read More
Are you a home or small business owner and you're... Read More
Thinking of starting a business on line? If so there... Read More
Are you -- like 70 percent of small business owners... Read More
Small Business |