In a recent post about the importance of blogging for new business and how helpful content creates trust, one of my favourite and useful blogs, Social Media Examiner sums up the essence of new business success; building trust.
Trust = Leads. Leads = Sales
Here are a few new business generation pointers to aid the all important trust building process
1. We’ve found that a good understanding of your target company and contact is a well spent exercise before making any attempt to reach out to them. This is an obvious statement, yet it continually surprises us that corners are cut here with a view to reaching the end goal faster.
2. Earn respect by asking if it’s a good time to intercept their day unannounced. Discuss the reasoning behind how you’ve come to get in touch. Also, why you particularly felt it was relevant to seek them out.
3. Enquire about their approach, including any challenges they are faced with and what their future activity plans are. A directness and genuine interest will help to break down these initial sales barriers and will leave the door open for future conversations.
4. Offer advice where relevant, and also examples of how you’ve solved a similar issue.
5. Ask permission to keep in touch, and rather than assume a frequency for your contact, ask when they will be making new plans and when it will interest them to hear from you again.
It’s likely that you’ll have a few conversations before you become truly trusted, yet once you’ve hit that bar, you’re no longer warming a ‘cold target.’ Instead you are first in line to be chosen when the opportunity presents itself.