How Do I Grow My Business? - The CREST Network

5 minute read

Some people advocate working smarter instead of harder! The truth is you can’t sustain business growth without working harder, and yet you still need to be smart about how you do that! To grow your business, requires working hard and smart.

ALWAYS MOVE FORWARD

Working with salespeople and marketers has taught us a lot about “what it takes” to grow in business. When salespeople start to get a little arrogant and cocky, I remind them that if they are standing still (enjoying success and relaxing), reality says you are really going backward.

I’m asked often “how do I grow my business? And I almost always say “build a full sales funnel.” This requires a never-ending effort, and the minute you “slack off’ the funnel starts to dry up. That sales funnel is one of the most important aspects of growing your restoration business. Whether you are a marketer – calling on insurance agents and plumbers, or a salesman selling a commercial end-user pre-disaster plan, it’s necessary to keep connecting with new people every day.

BE BOLD

One on the marketers I’ve coached for years has this great ability to approach gas station customers while he’s filling his tank, introducing himself, giving a card, asking for a card, and then he follows up with that person via email and text – just as a warm reminder of the connection. He searches them out on LinkedIn, tries to connect with them on Facebook, and then touches base with a newsletter every month. This has enabled him to collect thousands of emails – all (or most of them) potential clients! He also talks to people in the stands at the little league games, and just about everywhere he goes in the community. His success is incredible.

We also encourage using a customer relations management system (CRM). It’s impossible to keep track of every prospect, when to ‘touch’ them, what the next step or interaction should be, and lots of other details so valuable to building a prospect relationship. As you research your prospects, all that info also goes into a CRM. And, let me add here: if you don’t do your homework and research, and learn what you can about your prospects, you will never have good intel to bring value and solutions to them!

EMAILING DOES WORK

There is a serious misconception that emailing is a waste. The fact is, even though a large percentage of people never open emails, even as they delete them, the see your name. So, as non-opened emails are deleted – you still get a “touch” and some exposure. Since most of us use Constant Contact or Mail Chimp for our emailing platform, the recipient can easily unsubscribe if they just don’t want to get emails.

It’s a little trickier with text messaging since the federal fine for an unrequested text message is $1500 PER TEXT! If they give you their cell number, (such as on their business card) it’s usually accepted that they will permit texting. Just be sure they can opt out with a “stop” response.

SOCIAL MEDIA IS CRITICAL

Social media is also critical to your success today – please, use it appropriately! Too many (actually MOST) restoration companies do an awesome job of regular tweeting and Facebook posts – yet they continually ruin otherwise good connections by constantly – every post – making it about themselves, their company, “fire-water-smoke-mold,” and literally shove salesy posts and tweets down their connections’ throats. Little do most contractors (or the social media idiots that do it for them) understand that NO ONE likes to have a never-ending barrage of selling. Simply STOP being salesy, and start thinking and caring about what your client might need. Only one in ten thousand viewing your posts or tweets needs your services at that moment! Prospects and clients want to be educated AND entertained – Not Sold!

With the algorithms of Twitter and Facebook, when you constantly “sell” on your posts, they dramatically reduce your visibility and reach! Both AskDickWagner and TheCRESTnetwork consistently get nearly a fifteen percent reach. However, consistently salesy posts, according to Twitter and Facebook will only get about a 1% reach! Don’t forget to have your friends Share and Retweet – this raises your exposure considerably.

NETWORKING

Last, but certainly not a complete list of “how do I grow my business” is my strong recommendation for you and your sales team to spend quality time at networking events in your community. Attending networking events is essential as long as you don’t remain a wallflower and stay on the sidelines. You must engage with attendees. Ask them about themselves and their business. Remember, they DON’T care about you or your business, so make the entire conversation about them and for them.

If you want a full list – there are hundreds – of ways to grow your business, we need to talk. I could go on for many pages, so it’s better that you call me, and we can talk about how we can help you grow your business. Call me today! 419-202-6745 We are always happy to talk.

By Dick Wagner, Co-Founder The CREST Network, LLC

Nationally recognized coach, consultant, trainer, and speaker

Creator of the renowned PREP™ pre-disaster program

Owner of AskDickWagner.com BLOG