Business Building Tips for 2021

Not that I’m expecting any miracles but all I can say is thank goodness we’re about to turn the page on 2020! It was a heck of a year and even though I know that a return to normal (or the new normal whatever that might be) is not necessarily imminent, I know that all of us have to put on our business development hats and get to work.

It’s most certainly not too soon either. It’s time to go back to fundamentals and deploy them with passion and energy. Nothing else will suffice.

Networking

Networking should play an important role in your business development endeavors and it can be very impactful IF you do it correctly. That means going all in and:

• Being proactive in your outreach and introductions
• Engaging with your fellow members and groups regularly
• Being a “giver” well before you “expect” to see returns
• Showing appreciation for the introductions you receive

Thanks to Zoom, you can now network with people around the globe and if your business can be executed virtually, this might be the best time to expand your global contacts and exposure.

Social Media

Being credible, recognizable, and visible is the name of the game in effective business development and social media has leveled the playing field for even the smallest of businesses. Armed with the knowledge that can be gained through webinars and educational videos and a commitment to spend the requisite time working the various platforms you can generate awareness, increase your contacts and connections, and grow your clients and referral partners too.

Of course, if you don’t have the time to spend engaging on social media, there are many resources that you can hire to do the work on your behalf.

Video

Love it or hate it, it’s time to jump into the world of video in which you can more easily create your personal brand than using any other medium. Video marketing helps you to create trust and showcase your subject matter expertise and it doesn’t require full-blown video production either. Using your smartphone and a tripod you can record short videos that you can post on social media or use as a “touchpoint” to send to your clients and prospects.

Email Marketing

The pandemic has thrown all of us a curveball in that sending any sort of snail mail may not get to our clients or prospects. Offices are closed and some may never reopen, the mail is sluggish, and companies have become accustomed to their employees working from home. With that being said, your marketing communications are more easily received through email than any other medium and despite the clutter, a good message and attractive graphics will get you recognized. Once again, if you cannot execute this work in-house, there are many resources that can help you with your email marketing efforts.

Mine the Gold in Your Client Base

Now is the time to get and stay connected with your existing clients as well as dormant accounts, and even prospects that didn’t turn into clients but with whom you have stayed in contact.

Your fastest return will come from reaching out to your existing clients and others in your database to probe for additional needs and attempt to cross- or upsell your products or services.

These last weeks in December and the first weeks in January are the perfect time to put these things into motion. Here’s to a good year ahead.