Readers tell me they enjoy my website, and keep coming back, because of the free advice they find. This is presented in my blog, my free articles on public speaking, sales presentations, customer service and leadership. If you have not downloaded my 12 Mistakes Salespeople Make in Their Presentations...click now!
Prospecting Tips for a Slow Economy
Frequently I am asked, “How can I prospect for more business?”
My favorite Frippicisim: It is not your clients' and prospects' job to remember you. It is your obligation and responsibility to make sure they don’t forget you.
Here is some practical advice that works for any industry.
1. Don’t overlook the obvious. Go through your address book, data base,
Christmas card list and confirm everybody you know is familiar with your profession,
what your specialty is, and who is the perfect prospect for you to best serve.
2. If you used to work in another industry, update your satisfied clients that you can
still serve them in this different capacity.
3. Keep in touch with your present clients more frequently. Not just asking
for referrals. The better your relationship with them the more they will want to send
you new prospects.
4. One of my friends in the advertising specialty business had a very creative office
décor. Anyone who had seen it raved about it. Going up in the elevator of his building
of 22 floors I had a conversation with a fellow passenger. I asked, “Do you work in this
building or are you visiting?” He mentioned he had worked there for 2 years. I inquired
if he had ever heard of my friend Jonathan and his unique and memorable office. He
said “No.” My recommendation to my friend and everyone else who works in a large
building is to every few months go from floor to floor, office to office, and introduce yourself to your neighbors. You could well quadruple your business close to home.
5. Don’t forget to work on your sales presentation skills! That is something I can help you with!
Why come come to my June 29-30 Speaking School in Las Vegas?
How many more sales could you or your salespeople make if they stopped
making stupid mistakes and started giving totally awesome sales
presentations? Suppose there were a way to get your prospects to
remember and repeat what you say to others in their organization.
Remember, every sales presentation is a captured or a missed
opportunity.
Attend this session and you are guaranteed to learn how to:
You benefit from Patricia Fripp's 25 years of being a paid professional
speaker, her studies in marketing, sales, comedy, screen writing, copywriting and coaching celebrities and
executives.
Click here for more information & registration to Superstar Sales Presentations March 11th, 2009 11:30am PST!
This is a Business Expert Webinar: 
Learn About a New Referral Metric: What’s Your Net Promoter Score?
By Tom Redmond of Fripp Associates
Patricia Fripp is excited to have Tom Redmond to join the Fripp Associates team as its Sales Process Expert. The collaboration is helping all our clients.
“Every process is either a competitive advantage or an economic drain,” I like to say. Patricia Fripp responds to this statement by adding: “Every sales conversation is a missed or captured opportunity. Which will your next one be?”
In our constant search for the easy way to sell (there is no easy way but we continue to look), one consistent factor is that the most successful sales organizations are aware of their numbers and make course corrections by them. Organizational and individual patterns of success can be duplicated and challenges recognized and overcome.
Do you know your firm’s referral ratio?
When it comes to referrals, we advise our clients to think of themselves as a sales manager. That’s right: Your clients now work for you. How are you managing and leading your clients, prospects, network, etc. in delivering referrals to you?
A June 2008 article in Forbes Small Business highlighted an important metric – Net Promoter Score: “. . . those so delighted that they praise a product or service to all within earshot.” Without going into all the mathematics, this concept measures what proportion of your customers are promoters (for you and your company). Which customers are referral sources?
Here’s one fast way of calculating your Net Promoter Score: Of your current prospects, how many are as a result of a referral? If your referral ratio is below 60 percent, what can be done to improve it?
Here’s what we know: Referrals are the best way to generate new business and expand your prospecting network. We estimate that hit ratios from referred prospects start at 50 percent and go up from there.
Set referral goals: How many referrals can be generated for the balance of this year? All right, did you set goals as far out as September or December? Your assignment is to pick a number and write it down.
Target your referral sources. You know that your products and services are terrific. Where is the greatest level of personal trust between you and your client? Which customers are the safest to ask? Think of those clients who have actually experienced and recognized your outstanding service. Who comes to mind? This is where to begin. Start from the possible and move gradually towards the impossible.
Ask. Yes, that’s all there is to it, just ask. We recommend that you even set goals with your referral sources. Here’s a dialogue example: “I’m building my business and would value your assistance. Is it possible to obtain five referrals or introductions from you over the next 90 days?” Your assignment is to develop and practice your own dialogue.
Be specific as to the types of referrals you are seeking. Targeting specific accounts, individuals, or industry niches will be helpful to your referral source. Ask for and discuss specific strategies for reaching each referral.
Explain the process: How you will communicate, offer outstanding value, and gracefully walk away if you are not the right fit or the best solution.
Upon conclusion of the activity with the referred account, thank your referral source again -- and ask for another!
Insurance Industry studies have shown that over 90 percent of those asked are happy to refer business. That’s the good news. The bad news is that less than 3 percent are asked for referrals. Sometimes, we simply expect that a satisfied client will naturally offer business contacts. Stop that kind of thinking immediately! You need to ask.
We always feel good about ourselves when we refer business contacts to others. Let your clients and referral sources feel good about themselves.
Why not ask for a referral today? How about one by 5 p.m.?
Check Tom’s bio at http://www.frippassociates.com/tomredmond.html
Fripp Associate Tom Redmond helps our clients improve their sales process. Patricia Fripp and her expert Fripp Sales Presentation coaches help them perfect their sales conversations and presentations.
Successful Sales Call CDs http://www.fripp.com/publicspeakingresources/valuepack_successfulsales.html
Next Fripp event:
Lady and The Champs Speaking Conference, February 21-22, Las Vegas
How many more sales could you or your salespeople make if they stopped making stupid mistakes and started giving totally awesome sales presentations? Suppose there were a way to get your prospects to remember and repeat what you say to others in their organization. Remember, every sales presentation is a captured or a missed opportunity.
Attend this session and you are guaranteed to learn how to:
You benefit from Patricia Fripp's 25 years of being a paid professional
speaker, her studies in marketing, sales, comedy, screen writing, copywriting and coaching celebrities and
executives.
Click here to sign up now!
Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE
Sales Presentation Trainer, Keynote Speaker, Executive Speech Coach
Kiplinger's Personal Finance "The sixth best investment in yourself is Patricia Fripp's speaking skills school."
527 Hugo Street, San Francisco, CA 94122
(800)634-3035, (415)753-6556, Fax (415)753-0914
PFripp@fripp.com, www.fripp.com
