Rosemary DiDo Brehm
Today’s Guest Blogger is Rosemary DiDio Brehm, a Certified Partner with The Whale Hunters. Learn more about Rosemary at the end of this post. Thanks Rosemary!
This winter has been dreadful. Snow and ice interrupted everything from routine business trips to the Super Bowl where falling ice caused injury and delay. But, thermometers are starting to rise little by little. Of course as you read this, you may be in the midst of unexpected winter storms, but really, Spring is on the way.
The winter hardship is comparable to what small businesses have faced over the last few years — frustration, slow-going, treacherous roads.
And now for many of us, the “snow is melting” and business is picking up. My clients are telling me they are finally getting the deals that have been eluding them. We seem to be moving toward economic renewal. Here are five tips to help you “Spring” forward.
1. Review Your Business Development Process
- Measure It– Getting bigger deals? Getting results you want?
- Change One Thing – Figure out one thing to improve. Make that change.
- Practice your Process – Teach your team to excel.
- Measure again – Inspect what you expect. Celebrate success, develop under-performance.
- Repeat these four steps until your process is getting you the results you want.
Don’t have a process ? Go to www.thewhalehunters.com
2. Add value to your clients – If your clients succeed, you will succeed. Try something new to develop your relationships.
- Going to a workshop? Pay for an extra seat and invite a key client.
- Host a networking dinner with your key clients. Introduce them to each other. Look for synergy.
- Ask your local Whale Hunting Partner to make a preview presentation to you and your clients.
- Bring clients in for lunch and listen to our Whale Hunting Expert Series together. Stay afterwards and discuss what you heard.
3. Drop a networking group – Overwhelmed with unproductive networking events? Are you sure you are networking in the right places? Read the book, Make Your Contacts Count by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon, and create your networking strategy.
4. Solve a problem through collaboration
Use the collective genius of staff, peers, and clients to help your business grow. As a solopreneur, I was frustrated figuring out the best infrastructure for my business. Solution: four colleagues and I created a monthly peer group meeting to share strategy, resources, and accountability. This solved a long-term issue for each of us and we didn’t spend a dime.
5. Invest in the RIGHT people when you must
The way we do business is constantly changing and it is hard to keep up. Small businesses often feel they can’t afford to bring expertise in. But often it is the only way you can keep up. Shift your perspective- invest in the best person (not the most expensive person) to help you move forward. Do your research, get the RIGHT help.
Happy Spring!
Rosemary DiDio Brehm, CPF is Chief Results Officer at turningpoints2results and a Founding Certified Partner with The Whale Hunters. turningpoints2results is a business development consulting firm based in Clearwater, FL that helps business succeed and grow by helping companies target the right clients, shift their process and skills, and grow revenue and profits. Contact Rosemary at rosemary (at) turningpoints2results.com or 727-443-0319
