Periscope Down

Lately I have been working with a number of creative people. When I say creative they range from coaches to salespeople to web designers; from artists to store owners. They are all creative in their own way and they all struggle with the same challenges. Among those challenges is planning. Planning, or lack thereof, can dramatically impact a company or organization.

It isn't enough to be good at what you do; you must be able to clearly define details and plans in order to successfully communicate with, sell to, and maintain a client base. Remember it's that client base that equates to income.

So, we are going to take the periscope down and focus on four areas: defining scope of work, identifying the target market, developing the sales plan, and implementing a client retention program. These are the nuts and bolts of a successful business. They need to be established, monitored, and modified as needed. Without clear planning in these areas you will find yourself floundering instead of sailing.

Scope of Work

This is one of those key areas that many entrepreneurs fail to address effectively. Before you ever make a single sale, you must define what it is you will do for how much money. It may sound obvious but too many people fail to address this topic at the outset. Imagine wanting to contract someone who couldn't tell you exactly what they were going to do, roughly how long it would take, what the process was, and how much it was going to cost you. Would that instill confidence? I don't think so!

In addition, if there is gray space, it's open to interpretation by the client. They may believe that you are going to do more than you intended. Without a clearly defined scope you have no way of combating that belief. You will end up doing more work without receiving more money. Not a great idea.

So take the time to define the work. You can and should have different packages. You can even keep it a la carte if you wish. The point is to make sure you have a clear definition of work you offer along with the corresponding cost to the client. Once defined, put it in writing. You'll be amazed at how much easier it will be to sell your service or product. Moreover, now you and your prospect will know exactly what to expect. No surprises.

Target Market

Do you believe your product or service is good for everyone? Well maybe. I submit to you that this may not be true. And at the same time, it's terribly difficult to sell to everyone. Target marketing keeps things clean and clear. It helps you focus - and that focus will help you market your product or service more effectively.

Whether you sell something that everyone can and should buy is not the issue. The issue is to break down the possibilities into workable pieces. Select a section of the market that you can focus on. It's easier to set up a sales plan when you aren't all over the place.

Focus your time and energy on that one market and go deep. Try to penetrate it as far as you can. Once you've established yourself in that market you can always pick another segment and repeat the process. Now you have a focused, clear road to go down.

You may have noticed that we've been going in order through natural business growth steps. You can't pick a target market until you've clearly defined what it is you offer. Once you have your target market your next step is to structure and implement your sales plan.

Sales Process

You now know what you are offering and who you are offering it to. So, how are you going to sell it? Whatever you decide to do, you have to do it consistently. The worst thing to do in the sales process is to stop contacting people once you've started. Having a plan of action will help you avoid that problem.

There are many ways to develop a sales plan. The most successful will be the one that you'll feel comfortable doing. For example, if you don't like the idea of cold calling (and most people don't), then you have to find other ways of getting your information to your market. It may be an introductory letter; you may decide networking is the way to go; maybe you offer workshops or seminars to share information and become known to your market. Perhaps you hire a telemarketer or try direct mail marketing.

Whatever path you choose, remember that there are always more steps. You can't just send out a direct mail piece and wait for people to knock on your door. You can't send an introductory letter and expect people to call you. You have to craft a plan of action - several steps - that you are going to implement and maintain. Once you've sent out the introductory letter, follow up with a phone call. Create a process for follow up calls. How often, at what time of day, for how long.

Creating a sales plan will help you keep focused on the process. Without a plan, you'll struggle to realize sales and therefore your business will suffer. Keeping your focus on the process and tackling each step will keep the momentum going and the sales coming in.

Client Retention

Now you've acquired clients - congratulations! So, how do you keep them? Too often salespeople and business owners are so focused on the acquisition process that they fail to nurture the clients they already have. Keeping current clients is far less costly than gaining new ones so there is real value in retention.

Having said that, it can be hard to put your energy here when you think you should be working on gaining more clients. That's where planning comes in. Take some time to consider and establish a clear, workable system for nurturing your client relationships. Once that system is in place - stick to it!

When you are clear about where you want to go and how you are going to get there, it becomes much easier to proceed. Planning provides you with the road map and the directions. The most successful businesses are the ones where the people have taken the time to periscope down and think about, investigate, and create the processes necessary to move ahead. Take the time to work with the details at the beginning. It will free you up to be able to effectively head down your road toward success.