Earlier in June, PRSA-LA Independent Practitioners Alliance (IPA) hosted a luncheon for independent professionals looking to improve their current business. The conversation was led by Owner of Kohn Communications Larry Kohn and focused on ways to succeed in new business development and how to create opportunities for new business leads.
Pulling from a thought provoking discussion, here are the top seven ways to improve your business development skills:
- Don’t use a “brag and bother” strategy, but rather stress your value. Focus not on how prospects can further your goals, but on how you can help them meet theirs.
- Create promotional offers that could be included in a series of expert articles, such as a “10 Best Practices” piece, that invite readers to sample your services.
- Build a system for strategically creating introduction opportunities to meet high-quality potential clients. That can include asking the three best-connected people you know to share your promotional materials with their own contacts.
- Become active in trade industry organizations. The membership committee – not the public relations or marketing committee – offers the best opportunity to meet prospective clients. Use organization events as opportunities to host prospects you don’t know.
- Use public speaking opportunities to promote your expertise – and always include a promotional offer.
- Document the benefits of what you do. And then do what most practitioners don’t do: describe the process you use to deliver those benefits.
- Never walk away without a next step. Always negotiate the next interaction before the current one ends.
IPA is all about offering opportunities for independent professionals to grow their businesses through networking and professional development. That includes everything from learning about the management strategies, tools and resources they need to run their practice, as well as advice on forming partnerships, virtual agencies and subcontracting with larger firms. IPA is also a great resource for anyone considering becoming an entrepreneur or younger professional focusing on business marketing and new business development.
For more information about upcoming IPA events, please make sure to check out their section on PRSA-LA’s website and their social media platforms for updates.
