Professional Services Sales: Reaching Out and Assessing Prospective Client Needs
Busy work schedules, COVID-19, hurricanes, fires, politics, unrest, senior care, and education from home—all interruptions to our daily already-busy lives. How does a busy services professional stay on top of potential revenue opportunities amidst the challenges that we currently face? Here are some tips for staying connected and for moving the revenue opportunities forward. Be direct and clear and demonstrate confidence at all times—the rewards will be yours.
Identify three to five people each week to whom you will reach out. Email, phone, schedule a virtual call—all of these ways to connect work. Keep a running record of who you reached out to and what are the next steps. You’ll want to be in touch with these individuals at least four times per year. To help you, we have a Contact Activity Tracker—email us at info@bizdevgals.com for a copy. Here is a sample script for emails/calls: I’m reaching out to schedule a time to connect. I’d welcome the opportunity to check in and hear more about ABC Corp’s goals for the upcoming year. Here are some dates/times on my end that work—please let me know when works for you. (Make it easy for people to connect with you—send dates/times that they can review and revert back to you to schedule.) I look forward to hearing from you. Then, follow up a week or two later if you have not heard back. That’s important!
Asking good questions keeps you in control of the sales process. Here are some direct, open-ended, and results-oriented questions to ask. Remember to ask questions that do not solicit a “yes” or “no” answer, but rather an informative answer:
“With how many outside firms do you currently work and for which services?” Wait for answer, then: “For which of these areas would you considering working with our firm?”
“What strategic objectives have changed as a result of this year’s challenges?”
“What projects are you looking at for the upcoming year?”
Look through your contacts and identify individuals who you may introduce to others in your network. This is a great way to keep in touch and add value.
A simple way to connect to many when you are busy: find an interesting article online. It could be a general business article about an interesting company or industry. Post the article to LinkedIn and add a comment, like: “Here’s a great article about the latest events at Space-X. Enjoy?” Business people like reading interesting business articles.
Relationships build business. If you are a running virtually for a charity; participating in a fundraising event; going for a long weekend hike, post it on LinkedIn. These types of posts help to connect you to others who share the same interests or who can connect with you in a different way. One of my clients shares a family recipe every December holiday season. Try posting something that shows you are interesting and helps you to connect and build relationship in a different way. Another client, a triathlete, now posts her events on LinkedIn and literally dozens of business contacts began making comments and cheering her on.
Try these few tips and remember to agree on a next step before ending the call or meeting so that you will keep the process moving!
Silvia Coulter is a sales and marketing expert. She helps law firms with driving revenue, leadership and team development, sales training and coaching.