Girard’s Toolbox – Tools for Success
If I had to name the tools for success that worked best to build my business, the list would probably not surprise you. It would obviously include the telephone, my customer files, the mail, my business cards and my birddogs.
The phone can be used for staying in contact with customers and prospects you already have. It also can be used profitably by making cold calls. If you never did anything else but that, you could build yourself a good business. I use a diary to remind me when to call back long-term prospects, whether I get them from cold calls or from any other method.
Satisfied customers are the best bet for future sales. When making up a customer file, put down everything you notice about a customer or prospect. I mean everything: kids, hobbies, travels, whatever you learn about the person. It gives you ways to talk to them about things in which they are interested in. There is nothing more effective in selling anything than getting the customer to believe that you really like and care about them and their interests.
I’ll mention mailings briefly here. Obviously, if you happen to know the birthday of a customer, you will have that information in your prospect file. Can you imagine the impact if you send them a birthday card. When you have somebody who remembers you and likes you because of what they get in the mail from you, you have made the best possible investment of your time and money. Personalized mail is still the best thing that anybody can receive.
If I had to pick one thing to get business, I would have a very hard time doing it. But if I really had to make that almost impossible choice, I would probably pick my business card. It is certainly money well spent. I hand them out wherever I am. The point is that wherever there are people, there are prospects. If you let them know who you are and what you do, you are building your business. Effective use of business cards and giving them out everywhere—is one of the cheapest business building tools you can have.
Now suppose that everyone who has your card also has an incentive to get other people to buy from you—incentives like money or a free dinner or free service. That is basically what I mean when I talk about birddogs. A satisfied customer is obviously an easy source of other business. But when I find that my customer is somebody who is a leader, somebody that other people listen to, I make an extra effort to make him a good deal and recruit him as a birddog. So when I run into anybody like that, I recognize that he is worth a lot of effort because, if I treat him well, he will work very hard for me.
Other tools for success you can utilize of course are social media & networking. Whatever tools you pick to let people know who you are, what you do and how you can help them will build your business. Start building your own personalized toolbox now for success.
Image Credit: Jimmy Hilario via Compfight
