It’s very easy to overlook marketing and business development when you’re busy running a growing company. But, if you don’t spend time on marketing, you could find revenue sources drying up further down the line. So, it’s important to set aside a specific period each week for marketing. If you have employees or partners in the business, allocate responsibility for business development. That way, it won’t fall through the gap.
Assign responsibility for business development – Having a nominated person responsible for the role ensures business development is not neglected. If the person has existing sales or marketing skills, that is a distinct advantage. If not, you may be able to hire a freelancer or consultant to provide professional support.
Allocate adequate time – There is no “best time” to work on business development, but it’s essential to put aside a block of time each week to complete essential tasks and maintain momentum. Allow time for setting appointments, visiting customers, writing blogs, updating website content or implementing other marketing campaigns.
Set regular targets – Setting regular business development targets will help you maintain progress against your wider business and financial goals. You could set targets for numbers of appointments set, new customer wins, blog postings or repeat orders. If you regularly miss targets, you may need to allocate more time or ask for support.
Make appointments – You will probably need to contact a large number of prospects before converting some of them to customers. In your weekly schedule, set a target for the number of calls to contact new prospects or to follow up leads.
Develop a publishing schedule – Publishing blogs, social media content or content for your website helps you communicate with the market. Create a schedule of material for a month ahead and include time to complete part of the schedule each week.
Follow up leads - It’s important to include time to follow up leads. Effective marketing and social media campaigns will generate leads, but if you don’t follow them up, the campaign is wasted. You can contact leads by email or phone to find out more about their requirements and arrange the next step, which could be a sale or a meeting. For prospects not yet ready to buy, you can maintain contact with a lead-nurturing program that continues to provide them with relevant information.
Monitor progress – During your allocated period, spend some time reviewing results. That way you can assess what’s working and what’s not. You may need to refocus efforts and resources if you are not getting appointments or achieving sales targets.