Our guest post today comes from our Certified Partner in Southern Florida, Barbara Hauser. Thanks, Barbara!
Once upon a time, businesses everywhere searched high and low for the right big account. They marched through the forest and didn’t see the trees. They scoured the earth and met with saber-toothed tigers and vicious lions that sent them scurrying back to their caves. They set out day after day with great optimism only to return home with little or no luck. Until one day, they looked out across the wide ocean and asked, “How do the ancient traditions of sea-faring nations feed and clothe their families during the long and arduous winters?” And they discovered the key of Whale Hunting!
Here at The Whale Hunters we’ve spent the best part of the last twenty years understanding how to take that knowledge and distill it into a practical and sensible way for businesses of all sizes to approach the new challenges in the marketplace – and most of all, thrive during difficult times.
So how do you find your Prince Charming? For starters:
- Know yourself. What are your company’s unique advantages? Before posting your profile, be sure you know what you do better than anyone else in the industry. Why would your Prince Charming pick you? Too often, we want to be everything to everyone – and end up not being anyone’s first choice. If you’re superb at customer service (and superb doesn’t mean just good enough), that’s the feature you’ll want to highlight and the capability you’ll want to focus on and develop. And equally as important, what do you really want for your business? Is it growth? Is it cash flow? Is it equity? You may be tempted to answer – I want it all! (Now that’s a concept!) And maybe you do. But you also want to feed the village this winter!
- Know the whale. Prince Charming can be pretty slippery at times – but he can be predictable, if you understand him. Study the profile and patterns of behavior of the big accounts you’re trying to capture. Learn to know them better than they do. Take off your blinders and think like they think – put yourself in their shoes. Why would they want to create a relationship with you? (Powerful and humbling.) Then do what it takes to lure in the catch.
There are “plenty o’ fish” out there! The trick is in finding the right one for you.
Contact The Whale Hunters for more information on finding your Prince Charming!
