Year End Sales & Marketing Strategies
	November 21st, 2005
	Excerpted from Small Business Power Tools, © 2005 Paul W. Helmick Three Productive & Profitable Year End Sales & Marketing Strategies You Can Use Today. by Paul W. Helmick With less than 20 business days left in the year, what can you really do to drive any final sales in 2005 and position yourself as a strong partner to clients in 2006? What can you really accomplish with the short amount of time left in the year?  If you own a business there is so much to do already.  If you're involved in sales or marketing - or work with your company's clients - there are numerous details to wrap up as well.  And all of that, combined with merging your personal and professional life with the holidays, can make for a stressful time.  What can you do to help both your clients and your company focus on profitability and productivity with the few days that are left in the year?  I offer three simple strategies that you can use right now.  Use these strategies over the remaining days of the year to increase the value you have to your clients, and to your company, in finishing the fourth quarter of 2005. First, Get Connected Pick up the phone. Call. Grab your car keys. Visit.  Over the next 20 business days make one, two or three calls or visits a day. You could touch up to 60 of your best customers or clients!  Statistically most clients only hear from their vendors/partners while the are involved in a project or being sold to. Here is your chance to stand out from the crowd and make a personal connection.  It takes just a few minutes to make a call and see what is going on in their personal and professional life.  Chances are - they are busy with wrapping up the year, getting ready for the holidays, juggling business, friends, family... The same things you are dealing with! Wow! What perfect chance personally connect with your client outside of your regular sales/service cycle. Second, Get Personal When you touch base - get real.  Get personal.  Do you know if your client travels home for the holidays or stays in town?  Do kids come in to visit or are they away?  What are they into?  What is your client juggling as they work to wrap up the year? Get personal. Do you see how this takes your client relationship to a new level?  I love Geoffrey Gitomer's quote teaching, "You don't need more prospects - you need more friends."  The holiday season and end of the year end is in front of everyone. What a natural connecting point to have in common with a client! Third, Get Productive Chances are, as your client talks about all that is going on with them, the pace and pressures of their business or work will come up.  Of course you can relate. You are no stranger to that topic. You should find some common ground here. And as a matter of fact, as the topic develops - you can ask the question of your client "What are some of the key business tasks you are working to tie down before the end of the year?"  What a great question.  By listening to the answer you gain perspective and an increased understanding of your client's situation. And guess what? By asking such a question, many times it is asked back of you. Your response? "Touching base with some of our best clients - understanding what we need to be doing for them before the year comes to a close.  What should I be doing for you as we wrap up the year?"  See, it's natural, it's easy, it's conversational - and it's genuine.  It's also productive. As the conversation comes to a close, you want to keep the momentum going for the next year.  Set an appointment with the client to meet early next year to sit down and look forward at 2006.  Perhaps by saying "This has been a great talk.  Let's make time now, before January fills up, to pick a time to talk/meet again.  I'd like to understand more about your goals for 2006 and look for some new ways to continue helping you." Pick a date and time.  Your client will appreciate having something scheduled with you.  You will look competent to the client and feel productive, having set the appointment now versus showing up in the flurry of activity in the new year. These three simple steps that will lead to a better relationship with your clients, an opportunity to serve them and meet any year-end needs they might have, and a commitment to meet them again and understand their needs for the coming year.  This is an inexpensive, but highly productive and profitable, use of your time. The short amount of time left this year can still be used in a productive way to help serve your clients and grow your business. Accountability Exercise:  List the 10 best clients that you will call or visit in the next 10 business days.  Get connected, personal and productive. 1. 6. 2. 7. 3. 8. 4. 9. 5. 10. Thank you for allowing us to share this article with you.  We appreciate your relationship and interest in growing your business.  Thanks again. Sincerely, Paul W. Helmick, CEO Premier Strategies, LLC   web:    email:   phone: http://www.premierstrategies.com paul@premierstrategies.com 800.300.2725