Targeting Big Clients and Choosing the Right Match
In order for your business to maximize its potential, you have to shoot for the stars. In most cases, these metaphorical stars refer your dream clients: the big fish that could provide a significant boost to your profitability and visibility on their own. However, dreaming big is one thing, and actually realizing these dreams takes a deep understanding of the client needs, a commitment to do whatever is necessary to secure such business and a willingness to implement certain important steps.
All three of these elements will be needed in order for you to lock down the big boys in your industry, and even then, you are still likely to face some level of resistance. But do not be discouraged; even if it takes 10 no’s, the one big yes will make it all well worth the effort. There will likely be many of your competitors also vying for the business of these same clients, and some of them may just be better fits. And that brings us to the first important step in locking down the big fish: choosing your targets wisely.
Targeting the Right Clients
Chances are, you can already name at least 10 major players in your industry whose business you would hope to secure. They are the dream clients which could individually take your company to the next level, and they are the kind of customers you should be targeting. However, your business may not always be the best fit for all of these clients, no matter how great your products/services are or how effective your sales strategy may be.
It is easy to immediately target the companies with the biggest budgets and the most meaningful imprint in the industry, but you do not want to spend unnecessary time and effort while ignoring more realistic choices. Although you want to shoot for the stars, you should not be shooting blindly at the biggest target. You can make an effort at all of the big boys, but the majority of your efforts should be focused on the most likely candidates among them.
The first step is to compile a list of all of the big clients with whom you would like to work. Start with any clients you are already considering and continue to add to the list as you come across other big fish. Then you want to order them in terms of which would be most beneficial for your company and which are most likely to buy from you. Think of the needs of the clients and try to match them with the services your company provides. When choosing the right target, consider the following questions:
- Which have the most money to spend with your business?
- Which have the biggest need for your products/services?
- Which would be most likely to lead to more growth in the future?
- Which companies have a vision and set of values and that most closely match your own?
Once you have identified the best targets, you should immediately begin to implement the steps to secure their business. This may mean further research into the clients and their needs, but you always want to move quickly if you hope to hook the big fish. Assuming this will be your first official contact, the first impression you make upon the client could literally make or break the deal.