Abraham Lincoln’s words inspired Americans throughout one of the most difficult internal struggles in American history.  Corporations and nonprofit organizations today are experiencing the fiercest competition for sales and funding.  Lincoln’s words remind us that being proactive and innovative are essential to success.  This edition of The Hill Group’s newsletter focuses on two key business development strategies:    

1.      Initiate contacts with prospective buyers to generate sales.  

Marketing professionals often utilize the “seven times factor.”[1]  The “seven times factor” states potential customers must see or hear a brand name or product seven times before they even consider purchasing it.  This indicates that salespeople must be willing to persistently initiate contact with prospective customers.  

Even the best salespeople become overwhelmed by the pressure to initiate sales calls with certain clientele.  This newsletter explains Sales Call Reluctance® and its affect on a salesperson’s ability to initiate contacts with potential buyers and clients.  It also will help your salesforce initiate contacts with current customers to improve customer retention.  In addition, it introduces an evidence-based tool that that determines what types of Sales Call Reluctance® an individual has acquired and to what degree those types may influence their careers.  

2.      Recruit, retain, and reward employees committed to providing excellent customer service to retain customers.  

Initiating contact with prospective first-time buyers is only a portion of business development.  The ability to retain customers is essential to success, particularly because it costs far more to land a new customer than it does to retain an existing customer.[2]   

In this newsletter, we explore the competitive advantage organizations create from hiring and retaining passionate employees.  These employees provide superior customer service to both internal and external stakeholders.  Their actions build trust, strengthen relationships, and ultimately enhance the organization’s image.  Service-related talent strategies help organizations to convince first-time customers that their patronage is appreciated and increase the likelihood of repeat business.  

Successful organizations communicate their offerings frequently, and they strive to offer superior attention to each customer’s needs.  We hope that this newsletter provides you with new insights on business development.  Please e-mail me at cbrussalis@hillgroupinc.com if you have any questions or comments.  I look forward to hearing from you!