This is your reminder that whatever is happening in your practice right now … well, it won’t be this way forever. Take that to the bank… (and start thinking about improving your business strategy).
That goes for if clients are STREAMING through your doors, or if it’s crickets out there.
But if clients are streaming in, allow me to be a little fly in your ointment.
Now is the time to build on your success, systemize, optimize, start taking a look at your ROI. In short: business OWNER activities, not employee activities.
And if things haven’t been picking up for you, the days are still early … and let us know if we can help.
But forget about all that right now. What do you do now?
Business Strategy #1) Focus on your business, not the client work.
An employee can do the taxes (it’s true), but nobody else is watching the bottom line of your business like YOU are.
So what does that mean if your leadflow is struggling? It means (for now): What can you do NOW to bring in more business?
I suggest you focus on the following places in your business:
1. Your (phone/email/chat) intake process and your lead follow-up.
This may actually be the reason it’s crickets out there.
And here’s a hint: It’s probably worse than what you think.
Especially if you’re not checking. So check (i.e. have somebody call in and “play prospect” for whoever answers your phone–do they get them to come in?)
2. Additional ways to bring in clients NOW.
You can use a cheap coupon that can be left at local merchants, but this is really the tip of the iceberg.
There are JV’s you can do with businesses with similar clientele (and they don’t have to be complicated–try an “endorsed” mailing to each other’s list), procrastinator mailings, existing and lost client mailings (you are doing those, right?), etc.
3. “Sticking” and nurturing your existing clients
As you’ve probably discovered, this does NOT just “happen” — you have to MAKE it happen. This is actually one of the areas that our agency clients find that we help them the most. But if doing it all on your own, concentrate on follow-up and relationship, and you won’t go wrong.
Business Strategy #2) Concentrate on what’s urgent and important.
Hopefully, you’ve heard of Stephen Covey’s Four Quadrant Theory. Here’s a refresher…
Now is the time to concentrate on what’s urgent, and what’s important in business strategy… but I would make a particular focus on what’s important.
Urgency can often be manufactured; importance — not so much.
Remember what business you’re really in.
Serve the world unselfishly, and profit…
