It is short-sighted to make assumptions that everyone--including your previous and current clients, colleagues and family members--knows all what you do or sell, who your ideal customers/clients are, and how you are different or better than your competition. And, most importantly, do they know to refer you?If your circles of influence are not aware of all you do, than your sales funnel and your ability to increase business and grow revenues will be finite. For example, if you have done a brilliant job representing your client in one particular area of service or in providing one type of product...then referrals from those satisfied clients will mostly be pigeonholed to that service or product alone.
As a result, you will lose the power of garnering exponential revenue-generating opportunities (from those who already have a need for your service or product) to a colleague or competitor...And the unsettling part is that you had no idea you were so close to these new business opportunities.
For example, if you are a financial or legal professional who provided only residential mortgage counsel to a client, and they did not know that you or your firm also provides other areas of counsel and services they are not using, then you have definitely “left that business on the table.” Here is why...Since they do not know that you or a member of your firm also provides bankruptcy and corporate turnaround counsel or healthcare benefits and workers’ comp planning (that their boss may be now seeking), review and/or preparation of corporate contracts (that their sister-in-law’s company may soon need), or nonprofit governance counsel (for which their church, synagogue, or other charity of choice is pursuing)...you have lost any opportunity to capture those revenue-generating prospects. They did not know you exist to support their needs.
This type of business development faux paux is not prevalent in just one single business industry, category or management level, but rather it is a rampant business-zapper across the board from retail, entertainment, healthcare, legal, and nonprofits to C-Suite level executives, and entrepreneurs. We at Kaye Communications, Inc. coach clients on how to effectively “look inside” and integrate communications channels to maximize opportunity to grow and dominate their marketplace.
To learn more about how you can bring more business to the table, contact Jon A. Kaye, Chief Marketing Officer for Kaye Communications, Inc. at (561) 392-5166 or via email at jkaye@kcompr.com. Jon has a 20-year career in hospitality marketing and sales, plus 13 years co-partnering Kaye Communications, developing strategic plans for a variety of clients in the resort, private club, healthcare, retail, entertainment, professional services (legal, financial, medical, Realtor™), commercial and residential development, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, etc.
