The Covid-19 situation is exposing sales challenges and creating new opportunities for white-collar professionals ready to proactively grow their practices.
Before the shutdowns, many white-collar professionals managed their practices in order-taking mode. Order-taking mode is defined as adding new clients as prospects took the initiative to call practices.
In order-taking mode, there is no urgency to grow practices although the majority of white-collar professionals need more clients.
I have many stories to tell from professional observations where white-collar pros all but 'swore on the cross' they needed more clients with the caveat that only if people called them. These white-collar pros were not motivated to proactively find new clients.
Order-taking mode is like the cashier at McDonald's Restaurant waiting on customers to walk-in to order a Quarter-Pounder Combo meal. Since the cashier is an hourly employee, he or she does not care if one customer or no customers come through the door. The cashier is getting paid, regardless.
Unlike the McDonald's cashier, the white-collar professional cannot wait for potential clients to find their practices. And, even if a small number of potentials do call, the majority of white-collar professionals are not trained to convert potentials to clients.
The proactive mode is vastly different than the order-taking mode.
The proactive mode starts with white-collar professionals writing down their monthly and annual goals. Then, working toward the goals daily, weekly and monthly.
If the monthly goal for a CPA is $500 in additional revenue each month, and the the CPA has the capacity to handle new business, then the CPA needs to figure out the number of clients it will take to generate $500 in additional monthly revenue.
On the surface, the math looks simple and the $500 in additional revenue is highly desirable. However, the process to increase revenue by $500 per month requires a sales system.
What if the CPA meets with eight prospects and closes none for the month? Something is not right with the CPA's sales system. Yes, the CPA should be applauded in meeting with eight prospects, but something in the sales system is stopping the CPA from converting prospects into clients.
The above scenario about CPAs meeting with eight prospects is unfortunately rare. Most CPAs are not meeting with eight prospects in a month. This is why many white-collar professionals are working in order-taking mode.
321 Biz Dev LLC trains white-collar professionals how to implement the sales-pipeline concept. The sales-pipeline concept is very proactive. The concept requires white-collar professionals to elevate activities in the contacting and prospecting sales activities and add or polish skills in the closing activity.
I will be totally frank. The majority of white-collar professionals literally run from learning the sales-pipeline concept because participating in contacting and prospecting is terrifying. Again, to be very straightforward, many white-collar professionals feel that contacting and prospecting for new clients is beneath their pay grades.
The good news is, six years ago, 321 Biz Dev LLC was exactly where white-collar professionals are today. I was an order-taking salesperson, feeling my skill and expertise were so great that people should be seeking out my services instead of me pitching services.
321 Biz Dev LLC is a white-collar business, too. The same years skill and experience attorneys, CPAs, dentists, plastic surgeons, insurance brokers or real estate brokers have, 321 Biz Dev LLC has equal skill and experience in sales systems and business development.
I know how most white-collar professionals feel about contacting and prospecting because my mind was in order-taking mode, too, up to the year 2013 when I had to fix my sales productivity. My closing skills were also poor. I was doing the work but not making it to the finish line with converting prospects to clients.
Moving forward as the year 2020 closes and 2021 begins, I want white-collar professionals to take deep breaths and look themselves in the mirror. Then, ask yourselves the following question: "Am I working my business the best I can?"
If the answer to the above question is "No". Then, white-collar professionals have already made the toughest decision. The next step is to get help.
Interested parties can contact me, Rick Nappier, CEO, at (833) 321-3212, or Yeilyn Rodriguez, VP, Business Development Specialist (bilingual) for English or Spanish contacts, at (786) 697-3400.
Business owners can also complete a 5-minute Questionnaire by clicking the Services tab on our website. Also, click the About and Podcast tabs to see and hear more about 321 Biz Dev LLC.
I hope readers enjoyed this article.
Rick, CEO
Yeilyn, VP