Tag Archives: client acquisition

TNF #110: At your best

Welcome Professionals…

…Do you do checkup calls with target clients sometimes? Calling clients you haven’t worked with for some time to see whether they have a current need that could be turned into your next assignment? I do.

Doing a call is always much more personal than sending an email. We will also be able to gather much more information in a two-way conversation instead of an interchange of emails. In a personal phone call, we are able to submit much more meaning behind the words and bring across our personality.

at your best

On the contrary, the spoken word may reveal our current state of mind much easier than a written text. This can be a disadvantage sometimes. I used to do these kind of checkup calls one after another when I was desparately looking for the next project. Not a good idea! Too much pressure and anxiety will be transported in that client conversation. It is an unconscious setup for failure.

Instead, we want to do business development calls when we are at our best. Maybe when we have just won another contract or when we have had another success. This is actually the best time to make such a call. It seems counterintuitive to ask for more work when you have just received an assignment, but psychologically it makes sense. We want to feel confident and relaxed.

If a current success story is not in reach and you still want to make this calls, at least get yourself into a good mood. For example, I go for a walk in the sun while doing the phone call instead of sitting in the office starring at my computer screen. Try it, it makes a huge difference!

Wishing you lots of new client

Malte

Thursday Night Flight is brought to you by Malte Müller Professionals. Sharing best practices for top management consultants on topics like communication, client handling, problem solving, appearance, and fitness. Check out www.mm-professionals.com for more material and free resources!

TNF #068: Client visit

Welcome Professionals…

…Sometimes we want to visit prospective clients in order to establish or deepen a relationship. We do not have ongoing project work and we have not been invited to a specific subject discussion or proposal. Yet, we want to engage into a conversation on current or future challenges, getting to understand our client better as a person and as a company.

When the time is ready to arrange such a client visit, I have made good experience with a rather casual approach. I tell the client that I will be close to his/her office on a specific day or week and that it would be nice to drop-by if he/she can make up for some time in the agenda. Placing the request this way highly increases the likelihood for the client to say yes. Moreover, if the answer is no, it is much easier to ask for another meeting when the opportunity comes again.

client visit

The casual offering takes a lot of pressure out of the request. If we tell our clients, that we are willing to make a long journey for a fully dedicated meeting with them it does not really flatter them. They immediately think that they will have to offer something in return. If the supplier is going to invest time and energy into a client visit, the client feels obligated to offer some proposal opportunity or similar in return. While this reciprocity rule works for us once we can engage in actual proposal work, it is risky to overwhelm the client in the very early stage.

This approach has another great advantage. It allows to combine various client appointments on one trip. It can dramatically increase efficiency. When arranged well in advance, it is usually possible to to find some other prospects on the way. I have made it a habit for scheduling. For every client meeting that I arrange, I ask myself who else at this client site could I visit? Who else in the the same area or along the way could I visit? Sometimes it makes sense to plan the route first and then fill it with appointments.

Wishing you a productive client visit!

Malte

Thursday Night Flight is brought to you by Malte Müller Professionals. Sharing best practices for top management consultants on topics like communication, client handling, problem solving, appearance, and fitness. Check out www.mm-professionals.com for more material and free resources!