Who you gonna call?

Many accountants often grumble that August is a tough time for getting hold of prospective clients. Some steer clear of business development altogether during that month. September holds no excuses and, with prospective clients invariably back at their desks, there’s often a temptation to ramp up the sales effort. But think for a moment. What’s happening in your firm is being replicated in others across the country. As a result potential clients’ phones are often switched to voicemail, email campaigns go unopened and individuals remain as elusive as ever.

Prospective clients will accept the calls of those a) they know and like, or b) who’ve made a positive impression in some way. Cold calling rarely creates such an impression. So take a step back. Think of ways in which to warm up the client to take your call. What could help you forge a good impression in their mind? Try these:

1. Research your contact and examine what’s been going on in their organisation/business? What key issues are they’re facing?

2. Send them something helpful which addresses these. It shouldn’t be a sales document, brochure or a blatant promotion of your services. Send something that gives direct insight and guidance. Don’t forget to introduce your firm succinctly in the accompanying letter or note and suggest that you’ll call to see how they found the material. Make that call in the timeframe promised.

3. Alternatively, check if any other contacts in your network could put in a good word and broker a time for you to ring.

And don’t give up if you don’t get through first time. People may genuinely be away from their desk. Rather than hounding an individual, see if you can get an indication from the person answering their phone, or even the voicemail message, when would be a good time to call back.

It’s also likely that your diary is starting to fill up with networking events. Always follow up the contacts you meet at these and do this promptly - say within two days or whenever you agreed to. Use the follow up to give something of value (intelligence, information, help etc). This will help strengthen the rapport you’ve started to build and motivate the contact to take your future calls and in time give you business. Keep in touch.

John Timperley is managing director at The Results Consultancy