Who do you want to target for more business this year?

Who is an ideal potential new client?

What is your plan for developing those relationships?

It’s a fact!

People who set goals and have a written business development plan outperform those who don’t—even in a down economy. The secret lies in asking yourself the right questions, writing down your answers and following through with your commitments.

If you haven’t proven this to yourself yet or you know it works but need a jolt to get you going, this is your chance to get a Jump Start on making more rain in 2013. Based on the system I use with my clients at the beginning of each year, I am pleased to share this planner with you.

Until next time,

Robin

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Raising the Bar

2013 Rainmaker Jump Start Planner For Professionals

Instructions

This fill-in-the-blank exercise should take a half hour (or less) to complete.

(If you would like a Word version of the form, email me at rhensley@raisingthebar.com)

1. I will complete this form within ___________ days. (I suggest that your goal be within 7 days. Pend  this on your calendar now to check yourself in 7 days. RTB will even send you a reminder in 7 days  to remind you of your commitment to yourself.  Note:  If you have not completed this form by then,  you just may need a coach or a partner to hold you accountable so that you will complete the form and review it at least weekly.)

2. My three primary target clients for this year are:   

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

3. For each most important prospective or existing client fill in the following:

• I will meet with (prospective client/existing client) ______________________ by (date)  ________________ for the purpose of ____________________________.

• I will do research on (prospective client/existing client) by _____________ (date).

• The three most important needs of this person are:

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

• I will ask the following questions of this person during my meeting:

 __________________________________________________________________________? 

 __________________________________________________________________________?

4. The advances I will work toward during phone calls or meetings are:

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

5. I will ask _________________, my primary contact at _______________ (client firm), to introduce  me to two new people who work for that same client firm.  (This is designed to expand your  contacts with an existing client.)

6. I will reduce my reliance on __________________ (client) from ____ percent of my revenues down  to _______ percent.

7. I will conduct ______ (number) client satisfaction interviews with my clients this year.  I will start  with clients (list at least three) ___________, ____________, and ____________ in the first quarter;  and (list at least two) ________________ and ______________in the second quarter. I will do these  in person.

8. I will meet with  _____ (number) prospective clients this quarter.  These are people I know, but for  whom I am not doing any business.

9. I will devote ____ hours to marketing and business development each week of this year.  I will  diligently keep track of the time I invest in this area.

10.   I will meet with _________ (number) people in my network each quarter of this year.  I will start by meeting with ______________, _________________, and _____________.

11.   I will meet with   _____ (number) of my partners each quarter of this year.  I will start by meeting with __________ by February 1, ____________ by February 15, and ________________ by March 1,  etc.

12.   I will meet or speak with ____ (number) referral sources each quarter of this year.  I will start by calling _________________ by January 30.  The questions I will ask are:

_________________________________________________________________________?

_________________________________________________________________________?  

_________________________________________________________________________?

13.   I will write ____ articles this year and place them in publications that my clients read.  My target publications are ______________________ and _____________________.

14.   I will speak ___ times during the year at industry or trade conferences where my prospective clients congregate.  (Related questions:  Where am I currently scheduled to speak and on what dates?  How  do I get on the agenda for those conferences?  Do I know the name of the chair of the speakers  committee?  If not, can one of my clients or partners make an introduction or sponsor me as a  speaker?)

15.   I will learn the following new skills this year that will increase my value to the market.  (For  instance, I will learn about capital funding in the biotech field to better serve the needs of my  environmental clients.  I will learn how to use LinkedIn so I can better communicate with my referral  sources.)

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

16.   I will call dormant clients ______________ and _______________ by _______(date) to ask them if  they would like to receive the firm newsletter; or ask them to join a group/organization or speak to  a group to which I belong. 

17.   My accountability partner to achieve the above is ____________________________.

We will talk by phone at _____________ a.m./p/m. each _____________(choose a day of the  week).