If you’re a business owner, you already know it takes more than luck to meet your goals and make healthy profits. But sometimes, it’s easy to enter autopilot mode and hope for the best. We think that because we do good work, new customers will flock to us — even if we don’t have any business growth strategies in place.
Here’s the hard truth: Simply doing good work won’t lead to business growth. Like anything in life, you can’t sit and wait for things to happen to you. You have to take charge, put a business growth plan together and make it happen.
In short, growing your business requires hard work, planning and lots of effort — and those are three things even the luckiest of leprechauns can’t do on your behalf (we had to throw in a St. Patrick’s Day pun in here!).
Instead of chasing imaginary pots of gold at the end of the rainbow, try these business growth strategies to attract new clients, close more deals and achieve your end-of-year sales goals.
Market yourself and your business
If no one knows about your business, chances are you’re facing challenges in the business development department. Relying on current clients, family and friends to refer prospects to you won’t keep the lights on in the long run.
Instead, you should be actively marketing yourself and your business on platforms your target audience frequents. For example, if you run a cookie delivery business near a college campus, you may consider launching a fun social media campaign that resonates with Gen Z. If you run a firm specializing in Georgia real estate, you may want to think about optimizing your website with geographic keywords.
At the very least, you should have a solid website and an active presence on key social media platforms. Showcasing your expertise on these platforms makes it that much easier for prospects to find you and reach out for more information.
Establish a sales process
Now that you have a marketing strategy in place, you should also establish a sales process for your business.
Without a healthy sales pipeline, you probably won’t meet your sales goals for the year — especially if any of your current clients stop working with you for whatever reason.
Start by selecting a customer relationship management (CRM) platform for your business, such as Hubspot or Salesforce. Many options are available, so it’s important to choose one that supports your goals and budget.
Then, build a list of prospects you want to connect with as part of your sales outreach strategy. You can reach out to them on LinkedIn, or by phone or email if they list their contact information on their websites.
You may get the silent treatment and some rejection, but chances are you’ll hear back from some of the prospects you contacted. Timing is everything, and if you have an engaging pitch and sales presentation in place, you’re more likely to make a positive impression.
Updating your CRM with notes from your interactions with prospects will help you nurture relationships with them, and ultimately, close a deal. Maintaining your CRM is critical, so make sure you identify a team member who can own that process.
Be consistent and intentional
Growing a business isn’t easy, and as you can see, it requires more tenacity than luck. That’s why it’s so important to be consistent and intentional in everything you do for your business.
If you find yourself missing deadlines and lacking critical resources, it’s probably time to hire a new team member or consultant to support you. Let’s say you’re having trouble reaching out to and following up with prospects, for example. You should consider bringing on a business development expert or sales consultant so you can close those deals.
With the right team in place, you can be both consistent and intentional in running your business while implementing your business growth strategies.
And when it comes to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, remember one thing: that pot of gold is you. Recognizing your own inherent value can take your business to unexpected heights. You just have to tap into it.
If you need help with planning and executing your business growth strategies, contact us to learn how we can help you level up with confidence.
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