In a business sense, trying to open a deal or a new relationship without a key, can be equally as difficult.
In our experience, there are a few things to keep in mind when trying to open doors in business.
Are you coming empty handed?
Did your mum ever tell you not to drop in on someone empty handed? How many times that advice has served me well over the years!
What can you bring to a new relationship? Begin to understand the need are you answering and the problems you solve and you will never feel like you are walking into a party empty handed again.
Know My Business’ value isn’t in making a business introduction, even though that’s what we do as a business. The true value of working with us is the time and effort invested in identifying and qualifying potential partners, therefore leveraging and improving the sales effort of our clients.
What do you do? What is the true value of the product or service you offer? Understand that and you will walk into any room with confidence and self-assuredness.
Have you got the right door?
Knowing which door to walk through is the key to increasing conversion.
Once you know the true value you as a person, or that your products or your organization offers, you are in a much better place to understand your position in the marketplace and identify who wants what you’ve got.
Startup businesses are most guilty of this. Desperate for work and cash flow, they tend to jump at any potential client and are willing to work with anyone.
Over the length of days that follow the frantic startup season, most businesses establish which clients they like working with and which products or services are most lucrative.
These are key indicators as to the types of clients you want to be targeting and therefore, which doors you need to be knocking on.
Once you understand the value you bring to any deal, there is no need to knock on every door in town, hoping someone opens. You will know exactly which doors to start knocking on. There is customer that is a perfect match for you and your business. Find them and know where they hang out and which doors they are hiding behind.
Have you got the right key?
The key needed to open a palace door looks very different to the one that will open a garden shed.
Once you know which doors you need to open to start the relationship build or sales process, you will be much clearer about what is needed to get in the door of your targets.
There are many ways to entice someone to start to deal with you. Making a cold call probably isn’t one of them.
Rather than going directly to their door, maybe there is an indirect way to gain entry to their world.
Here are seven ideas for indirectly reach a prospect that don’t involve cold calling them:
• Join and/or attend networking groups that your prospects are members of.
• Find events that you can invite people along to.
• Find someone you know that knows your prospect and ask for an introduction.
• Find them on social media and connect there first, taking interest in any content they post and share.
• Assist a charity that your prospect is involved with.
• Share something of value with them. What or who do you know that could help your prospect.
• Write an article that highlights a particular issue or mentions your prospect, share it with them.
Who are you bringing with you?
Who would you open your door to? If the Prime Minister or your favorite sports star showed up at your door, would you let them in? What if they had other people with them?
Would they be welcome too?
Who do you know and associate with? Ask yourself if your associations are helping or hindering the relationships you want to build and foster. Association is powerful. Keep that in mind.
Know My Business introduces businesses to targeted business prospects, referral partners and suppliers, by helping define their value proposition and leveraging our network. Call 13000 INTRO (1300 046 876) to arrange a time to chat about your value proposition and how we might help you open doors for your business. Or visit
