4 Ways to Systematize Business Development

Owning a service-based business is hard.

Not only are you expected to be a master of your product, you’ve also got to be a professional at marketing and getting your service out there in front of people.

And if you’re not careful, you can take the habits that you’ve had to establish in your beginning years as a scrappy start up and never grow past them.

Always and forever stuck in survival mode. Killing yourself to make it work when what you really need is some good quality help to allow you to free yourself to do what you do best.

Run the business.

On a recent episode of The B2B Revenue Executive Experience podcast, we sat down with Steve Gordon, Founder of The Unstoppable CEO, for a discussion around his recent love of philosophy, the biggest challenges companies face when trying to attract new clients, and the four levers that have to be engaged if you want to systematize business development.

So what are these four levers? What do you need to get right in order to get your business development locked in?

1. The Ideal Client

This may seem like an obvious piece of advice, but so many businesses are spending way too much time and money and manpower trying to be all things to all people.

Your service is not for everyone.

While it’s tempting to think that you need to get yourself in front of EVERYONE in the universe, you may actually be hurting yourself by trying to be all things to all people.

“The more focused and specific you can get, the easier all of the other marketing is going to be.”

STEVE GORDON from The Unstoppable CEO

The bottom line is that your business is great for a lot of people. But it’s not for everyone. Contrary to what a lot of people may say, your business doesn’t need to be in front of everybody. It needs to be in front of everybody who is your ideal client.

The sooner you can identify who your ideal client is, the sooner you can start to directly craft messaging and marketing to that ideal client.

2. Simplify Referrals

Of all of the different ways you can develop relationships with your prospects, referrals are the best way to get in front of those prospects you don’t yet know.

“There are only two types of prospects in the world. Ones you know and ones you don’t know.”

STEVE GORDON from The Unstoppable CEO

Odds are, you know SOMEBODY who knows the prospects you want to be in front of.

So what do you do? You package a message your EXISTING clients can pass to your prospects. You give your clients a way to give a HUGE amount of value to their own networks, so you can begin to add those same prospects to your network.

It can be as simple as a 20-30 page book filled with information about what your business is an expert on, and how your business can help people solve a very specific, very pointed problem.

Then you give it to your existing clients and ask a simple question of them:

“I need your help in identifying people who would benefit from what we have to offer as a company. Would you help me by just giving them this book?”

That’s it.

You’re getting prospects to pay attention to you while your clients are getting to add HUGE value to their networks.

3. Hone Your Offer

This one is easy.

Tailor your offer to what they really want so that it delivers a tremendous amount of value to the client, which makes it so much easier for them to buy in when the moment comes. Because now you’re speaking THEIR language, not yours.

When you’re able to put your offer in terms that are clear, concise, and make sense, it changes the game in a big way both for you and for the client.

Finally,

4. Analyze your Follow-Up

Follow-up might as well be a 4-letter word, because nobody wants to do it. Nobody wants to put the effort into maintaining it.

But if you can nail follow-up, you can get to the point where you almost can’t fail.

It’s about attracting people into your world and staying with them consistently for the long term. Someone from your organization is consistent and reliable with following up. You’re always ready and there for them when they’re ready to buy.

Until next time!

This post is based on a podcast interview with Steve Gordon, Founder of The Unstoppable CEO. To hear this episode, and many more like it, subscribe to the B2B Revenue Executive Experience.

If you don’t use iTunes, we suggest this link.

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