I hope you are enjoying all of the colors of autumn. This week in PA the temps have dropped and it got COLD, fast! Brrr! Seems like we went straight from summer to winter in one week. I resisted turning the heat on… just seems too early, but finally had to give in (the hubs insisted!) Thoughts of the chilly temps and COLD weather, started a little word association game in my head and is the perfect segue to today’s topic… COLD calling! (See what I did right there??)

I don’t know about you, but the idea of cold calling quite frankly makes me want to hurl!! I know some people have been born with a “sales” gene. It gives them pleasure picking up the phone and breaking the ice to get their foot in the door…

To be honest – I’m one of those people that sees that “no solicitation” sign – and I run the other way. LOL!! Perhaps it’s my innate fear of rejection that makes me highly unlikely to barge into a place that I have no relationship with…

Now, I do realize that not everyone has the same fears that I do – and if cold calling is your thang… Go for it! (I am curious though what your prospecting ROI is??)

So if you’re in the concierge industry, and cold calling isn’t your cup of tea – today I want to hone in on 3 alternatives that may be in better alignment with who you are.

You see – in The Concierge Academy, I teach what I refer to as “Relationship Marketing” – it’s all about building relationships and having others become your sales force! The truth is people LOVE to be able to give a referral, but they can’t if they don’t know how to …

Plus everything we do as concierge is based on building a solid relationship with our clients. We become their best friends, the person they vent to after a hard day or bad break up. We become family …

So THIS is why I personally take an alternate route to cold calling. Let me share how. ?

1. Be of service to your current clients in a BIGGER way

In the marketing world, this is what people would call an “upsell”. But since we really aren’t in the market for “upselling,” I like to refer to this as being of MORE service.

Get to know your clients and their needs on an even deeper level. Listen for those verbal cues that are really saying “I’m sooooooo overwhelmed, I need more!!!”

Become that integral part of your clients’ lives – thinking for them.

Wouldn’t it be so much easier to spend more time working with clients you already truly love?

2. Check in with OLD clients and customers

Just because a client may have left or only used your services once or twice, does not mean they won’t come back.

Do you have a new service you’re offering? Do you have time available this month? Have things changed at all since you last worked with this client?

Staying in touch with old clients has a HIGH ROI. You figure, these are people that already know, like and trust you. You just need to be on their radar.

Just because they left, doesn’t mean they won’t also refer you to people or businesses they know who are qualified and interested.

Keeping good relationships with past clients can be a significant source of new business.

3. Build strong referral relationships

As I mentioned above, most people LOVE to be able to pass on a referral. It makes us feel almost like a hero! But people can’t refer you if you’re not always top of mind!

Nurturing your referral partnerships and exchanging business when appropriate is one of the GREATEST ways to be introduced to NEW clients and is yet overlooked by so many people.

If you haven’t done so already, consider how you can implement a strong referral campaign next year as one of your BIG goals.

So  – If you’re like me and the idea of cold calling freaks you the hell out, perhaps one of these strategies is more natural for you?

But please remember that even a more “natural” sales approach STILL requires you to take action and put time and focus into making these things work FOR you!

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Welcome readers! If this is your first time reading my blog, thank you for stopping by! As a concierge who has built a successful business, I have decided to help other budding entrepreneurs do the same! As the Founder of The Concierge Academy, I write about specific topics and marketing strategies that Work for our industry!

It’s not always easy to build a service-based business. Many see it as an intangible, but you can build a profitable and flourishing concierge business!

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