C is for Conferences & Cold Calling

Conferences are a good way of promoting your business to your potential consumers and a way of you showing off your knowledge to them. It does not have to be a big, swanky affair as a short 2 hour session with networking before/after will be just as effective and could convey more information than an event that has been ‘padded out’ to fill a time slot.
Being a guest speaker at a Conference is a great profile builder that you can link to for future reference & to show to your potential consumer/client.

Cold Calling is like marmite, you either love it or you hate it, but sometimes it has to be done to increase your sales/awareness potential.
To do this effectively always make sure you are in the right frame of mind and do short, regular sessions. One good trick is to end on a high. So a sale or an invitation to send info is always a good place to stop (not the first one though!)
Know what you want to achieve before you pick up the phone, there is nothing worse than being bombarded with information and being expected to make a commitment. You can always return with alternative information at a later date.
You might just want to use the phone call to find out who is the right person to post information to or whom to e-mail and then build up to selling by phone at a later date when you have built your confidence. If you get the chance to sell though, do it, don’t waste the opportunity or your competitor might be the next caller and they will reap the benefits of being pro-active and on the ball.
If you commit to sending information/samples, do it or the only memory your potential client will have of your company is one that does not deliver, so make notes and refer back to them.

Do you have a USP?

What gives potential customers/clients the desire to buy from you rather than your competitors? What is so good about your Company/ Business that I should buy from you? Is it your Products, Your Customer Service or something entirely different?
In the current Economic Climate you need to stand out from your competitors and by putting the emphasis on your Unique Selling Point you will be giving a clear message to your customers/clients. 'Buy from Joe Bloggs Joinery because we will call in after 6 weeks to make sure that your bookcase is as strong as we told you it would be.' A very clear message that you take pride in your work and will call back on them 6 weeks later to make sure it took the weight of the books as requested.
Think about your Unique Selling Proposition and make sure that all of your staff are also aware of what makes you stand out from the rest and that they also promote this fact.