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Eight Simple Strategies for Building Your Business

by Kim Peek

Not long ago, I had the opportunity to speak with a fresh-out-of-college AE who only recently had become comfortable with the idea of selling advertising. She struggled with building a list, setting appointments, closing business…all those potentially intimidating tasks that scream “sales” to an outsider.

Just as she contemplated quitting, she discovered a stress-free way to excel at ad sales: She considered her sales calls to be marketing consultations. This young woman knew marketing and was at ease listening to her clients’ needs and offering solutions. Setting appointments became simple when she realized she was scheduling time to share marketing ideas and advice. Once she changed her mindset and began thinking in terms of her clients’ needs, her sales soared.

For veterans and newcomers willing to try on a new mindset, test these eight simple strategies for building your business.

Host a seminar. Select a hot marketing topic, and invite a manageable number of prospects to hear you speak on this topic. Your seminar doesn’t have to be a big office-wide event; it can be just you and 8-10 prospects discussing marketing over lunch.
Send monthly marketing munchies to key accounts. Develop a system for sending a marketing message with a snack to the decision makers and their staffs at your key accounts. Send or deliver the package on the same day each month so they begin to anticipate the surprise.
Focus on marketing and results. If you think in terms of the client's expectations, you'll never lose out on a buy because you failed to deliver results. How will the success of the campaign be measured? What should happen as a result? While it's popular to talk about "traffic" or “image” or "attracting" a certain kind of customer, only one thing matters—knowing what the client REALLY wants the target customer to do as a result of the ad. Usually, that means he wants to sell something.
Think ideas, not schedules. A big idea is much more interesting to the client than a schedule plastered with a bunch of network logos and research. After he’s met with a few media sellers, all the “schedule” proposals begin to look alike. Why not try a customized solution (a promotion, event, contest or other attention-getting idea) with an impressive-sounding name? A “fancy" name is often the difference between an idea that "sounds" good and one that "sounds" ordinary. Both can have the same details, but one will still sound more appealing and will set you apart from the competition!
Create a personal resume. What do you bring to the table that your competitors do not? Position yourself as the client’s personal marketing assistant with a brochure that lists the benefits of doing business with you.
Remember the people who make you look good. Take pride in your creative, research and marketing resources and let your clients know you work with a dedicated team of professionals.
Act like an independent business owner. Run your sales business as if you were the owner. Make customer service a priority. Be accessible and accountable. Take your job seriously, but don’t forget to have fun. Talk about what you do, and don’t be afraid to promote yourself and your company.
Refuse to guess what the client really wants or needs. Always conduct a needs analysis and prepare a proposal based on your findings. Help the client take ownership of the ultimate idea by keeping the client involved in the process. Invite him to brainstorm or flesh out a partially developed idea. Don’t send your hard work via mail, email or fax. Meet in person, or set an appointment to discuss the ideas on the phone. Remember: It will be harder for a client to turn down an idea he took part in developing.

Think like an entrepreneur, and look at sales from a fresh perspective. You’ll develop a reputation as a caring professional, and you’ll probably find a customer-focused marketing approach is a low-stress way to build your business.