by Ola Harris, Independent Sales Specialist
Do you ever wonder why some businesses and consultants are just never stressed about the flow of income? They seem to have everything figured out and hit their revenue goals and they just seem sort of superhuman.
I was in that exact boat, and the more I researched, the more I realized like most things….. there is a science behind getting a steady flow of clients if you are willing to get in the trenches and DO the WORK! Depending on the size of your business and where you are at, you can leverage a combination of the activities below or do everything. It does not matter which ones you choose to use but I advise doing all 4-in-1 activities to get the best results.
As a business, consultant or coach I am writing this with the assumption that you already have clarity on what revenue goals you are looking to hit and that is divided into the number of clients you are looking to secure on a monthly basis. And, that you are already DOING the activities that should take you to that goal. Which brings us to the question of how do you know which activities to be doing and when to do them? You see EXTREME CLARITY equals EXTREME RESULTS. In order to get a steady flow of clients, your monthly and yearly activities need to be divided into 4 main categories:
Money NOW
This is getting cash flow into your business NOW!!, get clients in to exchange your product and service for cash right now, so you are liquid and able to service your obligations as they rise. You can do this by increasing your conversion ratio, going back to those people who contacted you but ended up not working with you. Their pain level may have risen, they may still be experiencing the same problem, they may be doing better but you have something to catapult them exponentially not incrementally…….. doesn’t matter…… reopen the sales cycle. Here you are going to need a pro salesperson/ sales closer, except of course unless you are happy to wear that hat.
Money LATER
These are investments in time, free speaking gigs, free advice, networking and relationship building. Because contacts turn into contracts and people are only interested in doing business with people who they know.
Personal Media Presence
This is everything you do to raise your profile and get out of obscurity, for example giving free content in books, content and advice on your social media platforms to your followers and anyone else who might bump into it. It is a lot like money in the future, except it also builds social proof (trust). Please note, not everyone is going to be cheering you down this lane…… but I find that keeping the attitude of love me or hate me…..now you know me, because that accomplishes the goal of getting out of obscurity
Lead Generation
This is working with lead generation companies or doing it yourself (which I strongly oppose) to make sure you have cold, warm and hot leads that you can convert into money now or money in the future.
All four activities have to be at 25%, you have to do them simultaneously to run a smooth, well-oiled engine of a business. Focusing on one part might bring in temporary relief but along with that comes a cashflow that is unsteady and unpredictable.
I hope that helps when next you are setting monthly/yearly goals.
Ola Harris is a sales entrepreneur specialising in helping businesses and entrepreneurs increase their sales and profitability exponentially. Although she works all over the world, she’s extremely passionate about the woman entrepreneur and the breath taking possibilities of the African continent. Failing early on as a young entrepreneur who could not master the art of creating cash flow on demand, she dedicated herself to mastering sales and her mantra is ‘set your goals higher’.