Our egos are our biggest enemies; once you start believing that you’re as good as everyone says that you are, you’re going to get into trouble. So don’t assume that you’re good at everything. Instead, know your niche, cultivate it, be the best at what you’re good at, and don’t pretend that you can do things outside your area of expertise.
Ask the potential client directly what it will take to do business together. Every business development opportunity is a test, and people forget that the buyer has the answer, not the seller. When a salesperson asks someone on his own team about how to convince a client to do business together, he’s talking to the wrong guy. Be direct with your potential client, discover if it’s possible, see if the roadblocks can be overcome, and move forward from there.
Before concluding a meeting, do three things: Review what the meeting was about, remind each other about what was agreed upon, and recap how you’re going to move forward. This allows you to leave a meeting knowing what it will take to do business together, knowing when it’s going to happen, and knowing why it’s important that it happens then.
You’re more likely to close with a client you meet through a referral than with clients you meet via cold calling. So consider making a request for a referral part of your client’s payment. Tell them that you’re going to do everything you can to help them out; and since you’re doing that instead of selling, you’re asking for them to refer you to another potential client. When the first relationship is based upon trust, they’ll be happy to help you out - and you can continue to grow your business efficiently and effectively.
