Fishing in the Wrong Pond?
on Thursday, April 8, 2010
Have you heard the ancient story about a small group of fisherman who spent ALL night fishing? Casting their nets over and over again, they repeatedly came up empty handed. Frustrated and tired, these hardworking guys finally quit and stop to clean their equipment. Wait a minute! What does this have to do with business?
It’s not too far a reach to compare fishing to prospecting. You’ve probably had those kinds of days; you’ve been out all day, attended a trade show, networking group or the like, and expended lots of energy only to come up empty or with just a few small fish. It’s disappointing to say the least. But you, not about to admit defeat, rationalize, give yourself the pep-talk, and go at it again the next day only to get similar results. Kind of like the guys I mentioned above!
A wise man meets the weary fishermen on the shore and tells them to get back out there. He says, “Try again in a new place.” This time they hit the jackpot. They catch so much their boat starts to sink. Lucky day!
Wondering if you need a new fishing hole?
- Do Prospects give you the run around?
- Do you have as much fun as you used to (or want to) delivering your service?
- Do your prospects say you are too expensive?
- Are you getting referrals from your network that are not quite right for you?
- Are you investing a lot of time in business development with little return?
Many of my conversations in the past few months revolve around advice on where to “fish”. When I hear clients say, “I have to drop my rate. The people I am talking to could never afford me!” or “No matter how I position myself my prospects are shopping price.” or “I am working so hard right now doing tasks I can do, but don’t want to. I am not having fun anymore.” All these paths indicate someone fishing in the wrong pond.
What to do? Try fishing in a new spot! Shake things up a bit. I’ve watched many a networker get stuck in a groove hanging on too long in organizations or groups that are not quite the right fit or existing on business that is less than desired. Fishing in the wrong pond too long erodes your self confidence not to mention your profitability.
How to find a new fishing ground…
- Sharpen your focus on your target market. This will direct you to the pond. Who do you really want to work with? Don’t stop at “I want to work with anyone who’ll pay my fee.” That is lazy thinking and will actually drive prospects away. Who are you working with currently that you’d like to duplicate in your customer base? What are their characteristics?
- Get crystal clear on the value you bring to your clients. This is the bait. Develop ways to talk about what you do and ask good questions that help you discover if you are talking to the right “fish”.
- Leverage your current clients (if you have those you’d like to duplicate) and your professional network. This saves time and increases your impact. They are the “wise men” on the shore. They have fresh perspective.
- Seek out people who are performing at a level to which you aspire and ask them how they do it. This builds your power team. Note: When you ask for their time, be prepared to exchange something of value in return.
What happens when you are in fishing in the right pond? You guessed it! More prospects, more easily, and the work becomes more fun!
As you wrap up the first quarter of 2010, take a look at your business development efforts. Ask yourself: What’s working for you? What’s not working? What needs to change? A simple shift in where you fish can make a tremendous impact on your results this year. You can’t afford to market in areas that get marginal results
If you are in the Portland Metropolitan area I invite you to join us for the Strategic Planning for Busy Entrepreneurs. This unique one-day workshop focuses on issues just like this to increase your productivity, messaging, and packaging so you are on target for your revenue goals this year! With the price tag of “pay what you think it’s worth” you can’t afford to miss it.
Recent attendees share…
“Kathie, thank you for stressing the need to focus on who can get me closer to my target market. I’m going to re-evaluate the organizations I belong to. Your last topic about a standard calendar is something I always wanted to do and now I have the tools.”. ~Interior Designer
If you are out of the area or unable to participate in the upcoming Strategic Planning events Connectworks now offers complimentary 27 minute laser session designed to help you tackle what is getting in your way right now. Email us to set up a session with one of our team.
Your partners in connecting to profit, people, and fun!
------------------To your success!
Kathie Nelson
http://www.KathieNelson.com