The fall is here, and Labor Day is behind us.

Like many of my Orange County business owner clients, chances are good that you might have taken things slower on Monday … but the business never sleeps.

You can’t really take a vacation in the same way when you are where the buck stops. Because, well, you don’t want those bucks to stop for your family.

I have some thoughts that might help those bucks keep flowing for you today, but before that, a couple reminders:

1) Estimated taxes for the third quarter are due on Monday, September 17th (normally the 15th, but that’s on the weekend). If this applies to you, you know who you are. We’d love to help you, though, if you need a quick word of advice. Shoot me an email.

2) Corporate filings for returns on extension are also due on Monday the 17th. Again, you know who you are, if this is for you … but let these simple reminders not be wasted!

Moving on, I wrote last week about how we can peel away from the “old” style of adversarial selling, and got some great feedback. THANK YOU for that — I put a lot of heart and thought into these notes, so your feedback is always appreciated. I have some additional, different thoughts this week.

I think it’s high time that we all realized that our customers and prospective customers have become “wise to the game” when it comes to certain, antiquated marketing tactics.

There’s a better way, now being adopted all over the place, but not merely because it is effective … in my opinion, it’s a much more ethical and principled way to sell.

How To Prospect For Sales Effectively And Ethically In Four Steps By Raymond Sawyer

“We might think we are nurturing our garden, but of course it’s our garden that is really nurturing us.” – Jenny Uglow

“They” say that we’re all being slammed by over 3,000 marketing messages a day, and I believe it. Some, more than others, of course — but you have to know that your prospective customers are seeing something like that amount. Daily.

That’s a lot of messages.

And, in order to avoid information overload, many of us have trained our minds to completely ignore those messages.

That’s why you must properly implement a series of steps to *lead* your prospect to becoming a client — effectively AND ethically. Effective, because it actually works. Ethical, because it’s about delivering ALL of the information needed for a purchasing decision … and it’s not reliant on “sneaky” sales tactics.

Because we commonly hear our Orange County clients wondering aloud how to prospect for sales in a way that works, we’ve put together these four steps.

And once you *implement* these steps to leading your customer to a sale … you can easily overcome those marketing filters your prospects have.

Here are the steps:

1) Get to know them.

When you know everything there is to know about your prospects, your messages become much more targeted. Which gets your prospect’s attention. And, your prospects will feel as though you truly care about them.

2) Follow up consistently.

When you consistently and effectively follow up with your prospects, your message will eventually sink in.

3) Offer your prospect actual value.

Every marketing message out there is an attempt to get your prospects’ money from their wallet. Imagine how you’ll stand out when your message does more than make a pitch. It educates, engages, entertains and/or helps your prospect in some way.

4) Value your customers.

Once your prospect becomes your customer, don’t abandon them. They need the same attention you offered them as a prospect. Offer that same personal attention, and they will become a raving fan!

These are things which I’m consistently emphasizing to my Orange County business owner clients and friends. It’s because they work. And it’s a much more satisfying way to build sales.

Feel very free to forward this article to a Orange County business associate or client you know who could benefit from our assistance — or simply send them our way? While these particular articles usually relate to business strategy, as you know, we specialize in tax preparation and planning for families and business owners.

Warmly,

Raymond Sawyer

562-524-2036

Sawyer Accounting & Tax