When you should worry

But are you a “don’t worry, baby” kind of businessperson? Do you think that everything is going to be all right?

I don’t want to be typecast as some sort of business “downer” but things aren’t going to be all right unless you make them so. Here’s how:

• Don’t be a vendor. Repeat after me…don’t be a vendor. Vendors are marginalized out of existence, they can be bought and sold with little impact and there is little, if any loyalty. What do you want to be instead? Well, a business resource, of course. Someone that your client cannot do without, someone that helps them in ways that would never be expected and is the go-to person when there is a question or problem.
• Stay on the grid. You better worry if you’ve allowed yourself to be invisible and out of contact. Staying on the radar screen is as easy as the three I’s: invitations, introductions and information. Deploy these three faithfully and you’ll see how easy it is to be visible.
• Make sure that your customer service is exceptional. Good customer service is not good enough; it should be exceptional. Conduct customer surveys to make certain that you are getting honest and important feedback from the very people that you are looking to maintain and grow.
• Sales funnel got you down? What are you doing to keep it filled? Are you actively going after new prospects at the same time as you are moving existing prospects further through the funnel and, hopefully, out the end as new business. No matter how busy you are you can’t stop prospecting. That’s a rule.

The good news is that by doing all of the above you don’t have to worry, baby.

For more on business development, see:

• Referrals: How to bypass the gatekeeper
• SMART goals keep you focused
• Three easy ways to jump-start your advisor business

Adrian Miller is the founder of Adrian Miller Sales Training. To find out more or to visit her blog go to: http://adrianmiller.wordpress.com.