Pointing out Your Next Prospect

A good question for a consultant to ask a prospect or a client is where do your referrals come from? The most successful ones seem to respond my existing client or customer base.

If you do not care for cold calling, or literally knocking on doors, focus on your existing client base and asking them for referrals. Of course, this assumes you have a good working relationship with them and that, if asked, would give you a glowing recommendation. Think about your vendors, are there any you endorse or have referred friends or family to? Hopefully, the answer to that question is yes. Small businesses truly have to help one another out and making referrals is one of the easiest and most impactful actions you bc a take for a fellow business owner.

A simple approach to engage your clients in assisting your prospecting efforts is to be upfront and ask them if they would help. You can also take them out to lunch and ask them to review their Accounts Receivable or Accounts Payable lists with you. If there are companies whose profile you seek on either of those lists, ask them for their input on their openness to a conversation with you. This definitely worked in my previous industry. You will learn more about a company this way than any database can ever tell you.

Another approach is to bring your own prospect list with you to a luncheon. Treat your client to their favorite restaurant and bring out the list and ask about each one. You may be surprised how engaged certain people will be in this effort. It was always our experience that most, not all, business owners wish to help other business owners. Point them in the right direction relative to your prospect profile and you may be pleasantly surprised how effective this method can be. For us, anything is always better than an empty desk, a telephone and a telephone book, metaphorically speaking.

Without direction, your prospecting efforts will likely not be very productive. Point yourself in the right direction and seek guidance from clients along that journey.

Be well.