First make a list in an excel sheet of your former and current clients and their sectors.  Next make a separate list of your prospects and their sectors. Are the sectors in the two sheets aligned? If not, you need to evaluate this first. Marketing to sectors you have no direct experience in requires a more in-depth, strategic plan.

If they are aligned:

1. What approaches are you using to talk to your clients and prospects?

A: email 0
B: e-newsletter 10
C: telephone 0
D: face to face meetings 30
E: networking 20

Email

2. Do your email communications inform your clients or prospects of something useful which will help their business?

A: Yes 10
B: No 0

E-Newsletter

2. Does your newsletter inform your clients or prospects of something useful which will help their business?

A: Yes 10
B: No 0

Telephone

3. Do you call your prospects with something specific to tell them about THEIR business?

A: Yes 10
B: No -20

Face to face

4. Do you meet your prospects with something specific to tell them about THEIR business?

A: Yes 10
B: No -30

Networking

5. When you meet people at events do you know something interesting about THEIR business which you can discuss?

A: Yes 10
B: No 0

If they are not aligned:

6: Do you know the sectors you are targeting well?

A: Yes 10
B: No -20

7: Do you know the individual firms you are targeting well?

A: Yes 10
B: No -10

8: Are your communications individually aimed at the sectors you are targeting?

A: Yes 10
B: No -10

9: When you attend a new business meeting, have you researched the firm’s recent activities?

A: Yes 10
B: No -30

Thinking about e-newsletters

10. Do you use an analytics programme which captures audience behaviour?

A: Yes 20
B: No 0

11. Do you design the newsletters yourself?

A: Yes 0
B: No 20

12. Do you write the content yourself?

A: Yes 0
B: No 20

Thinking about presentations

13. Do you design the presentations yourself?

A: Yes 0
B: No 20

14. Do you write the content yourself?

A: Yes 0
B: No 20

15. Do your presentations ever have more than 50 words on a slide?

A: Yes -30
B: No 20

And what if you win?

16: Do you have the capacity to handle the work load if you win the business?

A: Yes 10
B: No -10

How did you score?

Minus 100 – 0
You are a cave man and have no business taking this test. Get back to the stone age!

With today’s technology and the affordable services available to us, there is no reason why you should not be analysing your audience activity or not be prepared with snazzy communications tools. You should certainly have done your homework on your prospects! I’d recommend contacting a marketing communications agency for advice and support straight away.

10 -110
You’re missing a trick

Imagine walking into a room and knowing everyone’s name, being able to stun them with your knowledge of their company, wowing them with clever stats and useful facts. A marketing communications agency can help arm you with the tools you need to present this information, the internet can give you the rest. Give your assistant a list of what you need in preparation for each meeting and ask him or her to be creative, providing you with any additional fascinating facts they find.

110 – 210
Bravo!

You’re well on your way to the next new business win! Perhaps you just need a bit of help in presenting your information or ideas. Speak to a marketing communications agency if you would like your communications tools to appear sleeker and more professional. This, along with knowing your markets, will help to instill trust in your brand. Keep up the good work and always be prepared!