Have you felt it? That collective sigh of relief that 2009 is behind us and a brand spanking new decade awaits.
Now the trick is transforming survival activity into long-term prosperity in a “reset” economy. Clients (like consumers) are buying value, simplicity and results. Is your practice ready for 2010? Ask yourself some key questions:
How deep are my relationships? How likely are your clients, prospects and referral sources to turn to you for help? Need a deeper bench? Start now—relationships are organic and take time to nurture. And don’t restrict yourself to those in your town, area or industry. That’s short-term thinking.
How easy is it to find and know me? Are you leveraging social media effectively for your client/referral base? Are you using the right web tools for your business model? Beware of poo-pooing new technology—you’ll come across as a dinosaur.
What are key clients and prospects saying about us? Do they see you as a key leader navigating a new decade or mired in old paradigms? Ask questions. Find out what’s important and create new ways to work that align your talents with what they need.
Now is the time to act…while your competitors are busy congratulating themselves on survival.
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Great questions, Rochelle. Short and punchy, just how I like them.
ReplyDeleteI especially like your question: "How easy is it to find and know me?". It's really got me thinking about how I could take my 'findability' to the next level. I would be very interested to learn more about this.
Best, Robin
Hi Robin,
ReplyDeleteYou always ask the best questions!I think "findability" relates to the niche we've chosen--how visible are we to our sweet spot clients?
So many of us are afraid to "niche" in the fear of turning off potential clients, but it actually enhances the attraction to the right poeple (and turns off the ones who would waste our time).
One of my favorite places for consultants to be visible is in LinkedIn groups. Join--or create--groups that include your targets and then engage by answering/asking questions that relate to your brand of doing business. It does take effort to do it well, but it can yield quick and steady results when done thoughtfully.....
Robin,
ReplyDeleteThese are excellent questions not just for those of us who have external clients, but for those of us who run in-house marketing efforts. These also fit nicely with the Baldrige criteria.