12/09/2014

Year-End Revenue Growth

By Alex Goldfayn

It's December. Here is a powerful, fast, easy technique for strong revenue growth this month;

1. Make a quick list of all the customers and prospects who discussed a deal with you this year, but did not buy. (Go back through quotes, proposals, and emails to make this list). Total time for this activity: one hour, and that's a maximum. 

2. Organize your list in order of customers / prospects / products / sales you'd like to close most. That is, put the most attractive ones at the top, least attractive at bottom. Total time: 15 minutes. 

3. Next to each person on your list, write down an incentive for them to buy what you were discussing before the end of the year. Think scarcity ("I only have one space remaining"); recognition ("Of all the people I'm talking with, I would love the opportunity to work with you especially"); bonus ("I'd be happy to add x, y, or z if you buy this month"); and, as a last resort, discount ("we can reduce the cost slightly if you order this month"). Write down a different incentive next to each person, applying them strategically, based on what you know may move each to buy. 

4. Depending on the length of your list, contact one or two of the people per day, on the phone. These are not emails. Pick up the phone and talk to them. Total time: 15 minutes per outreach, max.

This is a smart, effective way to make a year-end push for revenue growth with your best prospects of the year. If we've talked about business this year and did not end up working together, you will probably hear from me in the coming weeks, and now you know exactly what I'll be doing! :)

Reprinted courtesy of the Evangelist Marketing Minute prepared by Alex Goldfayn.The Evangelist Marketing Minute is a weekly thinking launch point written specifically for executives, and always takes less than 60 seconds to read.