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Strategic Guidance to Build Your Business
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Volume 2, Issue 5, May 2008
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"The Business Builder" is brought
to you by VSA, Inc. in collaboration with Rink
Consulting. VSA, Inc., founded by Valerie Schlitt,
builds and implements B2B prospecting programs for
businesses and professional service firms. VSA has
a
team of professional telephone callers who open
doors to new business opportunities for VSA clients.
Linda Rink, president of Rink Consulting, specializes
in
B2B and consumer marketing and research. Both
Wharton MBA graduates, Valerie and Linda often
team together to help clients identify and reach new
customers. In this newsletter, they share some of
their business development insights.
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Cold Calling's Unique Ability to be Tested
by Valerie Schlitt, President of VSA, Inc.
Unlike virtually any other marketing tool, cold calling
lets companies change courses at almost any
time.
In today's ever-changing business environment, this
flexibility is critical.
Companies new to cold calling must watch
early results closely.
Testing, assessing, and refining the program from the
onset are critical first steps. These actions can result
in a long term program that produces a predictable
stream of sales opportunities.
Veteran cold callers also must work.
Constant attention is needed to keep the program
sharp. Here's a recommendation: continue with the
program that works, but apply a portion of your
tele-prospecting investment towards testing new
approaches that may surpass your existing model.
When you find one that is more effective, replace your
existing program, but continue to test new
approaches.
It's easy to test and change cold calling
campaigns.
Unlike print ads, radio spots, billboards, or most other
marketing vehicles, cold calling programs make
testing and applying those results to the program
easy.
Here are some of the items that every program should
assess:
1) The offer. Do you want to set a sales
appointment? Do you want to invite people to a
webinar? Do you simply want to collect email
addresses for a campaign? Are you offering a free
assessment, or a free trial? Do you need an incentive
to enhance your "call to action?"
2) The list. Are the decision makers and the
companies on your list the best prospects?
3) Talking points. Do your callers have the
conversation points to highlight the key aspects of
your program? Is there something compelling that
needs to be added? Are the talking points too
complicated or long?
4) Your calling team. How well do they
represent you? How effective are they in talking to
decision makers? Can they ask for the appointment?
5) Your ability to close the leads. This is the
part that comes after a cold calling lead is identified.
Can you cost effectively convert that lead into a sale?
Do you have the people and processes in place? Are
you getting qualified leads?
Case Studies
Here are short examples of savvy VSA clients who
tested, assessed and refined their programs.
1) A software company implemented a
program which successfully produced leads.
However, the company was unprepared to convert the
leads to sales. Now, this company plans a
product-specific website, marketing materials and the
right expertise to make sales calls. A second cold
calling initiative is scheduled.
2) An online marketing company completed
a program that produced poor results. The company
has changed its offer to simplify steps prospective
companies must take to enroll. A second
campaign has been launched.
3) A commercial roofing company
implemented a program and generated desired
results. Later, the company realized the prospective
clients were not a good fit. The company has
implemented a second campaign targeting a different
prospect list.
If you are planning a cold calling program, please call
us to talk about the factors that can make or break
your campaign. We'd like to know what marketing
tools have worked for you in the past and show you
how we can add to that success. We are happy to
help.
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VSA, Inc.
441 Station Avenue
Haddonfield, NJ 08033
856-429-5078
[email protected]
www.vsaprospecting.com
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How to Write a Winning Proposal!
by Linda Rink, President of RINK Consulting
For many of us, writing proposals is a necessary part
of doing business. But do you regard it as a time-
consuming chore? Do you worry about how much
time and effort to put into the proposal in order to win
the contract?
Keep in mind that the proposal serves two
purposes:
1) To convince the client that you can do the
job better than anyone else, and
2) To minimize the potential for
misunderstandings between you and the client
once you are awarded the work.
So a well-thought-out proposal not only may land you
the contract - it may also save you grief, aggravation,
and even money. Think of it as a "win-win" proposal -
both you and your client benefit!
Here are 9 tips for writing winning -- and
"win-win" --
proposals:
1) Be clear about why the client needs to
have this work done and what will be done with your
deliverables. Then restate your understanding
of this at the beginning of your proposal.
Everything that follows should explain how you will
achieve this.
- If the client has not defined the project to your
satisfaction, ask them to clarify before
you submit your proposal! (Hint: Re-read my
March "Business
Builder" article on how to write a Request for
Proposals. It's posted on my website
www.LindaRink.com
.)
2) Be concise. Remember, the client is
probably pressed for time, and does not want to wade
through many pages to find out the answers to: "Can
you do the job?" and "How much will it cost?"
3) Use clear, simple language. Don't try to
impress with the amount of verbiage, or with language
that is overly technical, contains industry jargon, or
smacks of consulting clich�s.
4) State any assumptions you are making -
especially ones that impact price, schedule or quality
of results.
5) Don't give away too much information.
Giving a detailed methodology in the proposal may be
premature - isn't that what your client will be paying
for? Besides, you run the risk of the client taking the
information and having someone else do the
work.
6) On the other hand, be as explicit as you
can about the deliverables, so that your work is
readily usable. You also do not want to be surprised
by a last-minute client request for a PowerPoint
presentation in addition to a Word document.
7) In the same vein, make sure you spell out
what is covered in your fee and what is not.
Clients don't like surprises -- especially those
involving extra costs.
8) If you need data, resources or approvals
from the client in order to complete the project, list
these in as much detail as possible, including when
you need them. State clearly that if you do not receive
the information when needed, the project may not be
completed on time.
9) Say upfront what makes you the best
choice for this project. Keep it short in the
proposal; include documentation (bio's, client lists,
etc.) in an Appendix. Even if you are the only vendor
submitting the proposal, you never know who will be
reading it. Don't leave doubts in anyone's mind!
While there is no magic formula for writing proposals
that are guaranteed to be accepted by clients,
following these tips will help ensure a win-win
situation for you and your client.
(Have any comments about this or previous articles?
I'd love to hear from you at [email protected]!)
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RINK Consulting
1420 Locust Street, Suite 31N
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-546-5863
[email protected]
www.lindarink.com
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