Volume 5, Issue 3

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This month's tip is adapted from Chapter 3 of Winning Clients in a Wired World - "Work the Web for All It's Worth." The research checklist concept falls under the "Prospecting Online" section called "What to Look For."

Visit the Winning Clients companion Web site.

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Hi :

How many times have you heard that networking with other professionals, speaking, and writing are proven paths to prospecting success? The challenge is learning how and where to uncover those opportunities so you can capitalize on them when they occur.

February's tip showed how to use the ASAE's associations database to identify groups that cater to niche(s) you work in. This month let's talk about who and what to look for once you've found a Web site that caters to your target audience.

Prospecting Online: What to Look For & Where to Find It

Used well, good association sites are windows into organizations. They shed light on who's in charge, how those people can be reached, when and where meetings occur, issues of concern, and more -- invaluable insights when approaching members of a group if you want to demonstrate you understand their world and the challenges they face.

But where do you begin? Here are five suggestions.

The first thing to check out (if available) is a Site Map which can give you a bird's eye view of content across the site (usually arranged by category). After that come the four P's… people, publications, programs (events) and problems (facing members of that group).

To locate elected officers and board members, look for links labeled "About Us," "Management," or "Leadership." There you'll often find bios and contact information for key people. Once you know who they are Google their names (with and without the association name included in the search) to see what other professional affiliations, personal interests, or article mentions surface. (The more complete the profile you develop of each potential contact, the better able you'll be to determine a solid basis for connecting with them.)

Do the same with paid staff (often found in the sections mentioned above or under "Contact Us"), particularly those in charge of membership, professional development, and publications -- the "in-house" centers of influence whose sponsorship can quickly raise your visibility within the organization.

Next, see if there's an archive of articles or press releases available ("Press Center" or "Media" are the links to look for here). Reviewing a few of those will tell you what issues members are facing. With each article ask, "is this a topic I could write an article or letter to the editor about… or one I could present on at a meeting, sharing information that could help members solve a problem?" (Retirement planning, business continuation, succession planning, or tax law challenges are all examples of topics where advisors might deliver insight to members.)

Check for a published schedule of meetings you might attend to connect face-to-face with opinion leaders and decision makers ("Conferences," "Meetings," and "Events" are sections under which you'll usually find these). Find out if nonmembers are welcome to attend so you can see the group in action. Joining the group, even as an associate member, usually earns you a member directory, a subscription to the association's magazine (and local newsletter), and the right to attend meetings. Most importantly, it gives you a platform for developing all important networking relationships.

With the right tools and knowledge of where to look you can uncover great intelligence in minutes! (The special forms package described below can help you organize what you find even faster.) The harder part is cultivating the relationships. Developing relationships with centers of influence at trade groups is a long-term strategy not a quick hit solution. But they can pay huge dividends if you set your time horizon realistically.

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Next month I'll share the final installment in this series: real life examples of how you can use what you find to connect with professionals who spend their day working with your potential clients.

(Do you know that some of my best sources for newsletter ideas are readers like you? Please email me if you'd like to share a site you've found helpful, suggest a topic for a future edition of the Tips newsletter, or just give me your feedback on what you've read here.)

How Do You Use the Web in Prospecting?

Answer this month's survey about how you're leveraging the Web and I might devote a future tip to ideas on how to do that even better...

Which of the following prospecting activities do you use the Web for? (check all that apply) Distributing a client newsletter Finding newsletter content ideas Networking with other professionals Prospecting for leads Tracking news stories on key audiences Automating direct marketing Making presentations Maintaining a blog Use this link if the form above doesn't work

Ways The Gregory Group Can Help You

Training and Development Programs

We can design and deliver presentations, trainings and coaching programs for you that achieve the kind of tangible, long-lasting productivity gains you're striving for… and motivate people to use the tools and technology they have to do more business.

We've helped companies across the industry blend proprietary initiatives (products, services, programs, Web tools, and technology) with practical, actionable strategies that improve results through better use of resources your people already own.

If you're planning a national sales conference, due diligence presentation, cross-country road show, or employee training, email or call me at 202.364.6913 to explore how to achieve maximum ROI on your dollars spent.

Here are some examples of what people have said about our programs…

"That was a phenomenal presentation. I just came back from a weekend boot camp with one of the industry's leading coaches; I learned more specifics about how to manage my business to take it to the next level in your 45 minutes than I got in those two days."

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"The best and most understandable way to harness the power of the Web I have ever heard."

Get Ready for ProductivityU.com

Very soon, The Gregory Group will be launching a new program called ProductivityU to bring the principles and strategies contained in Winning Clients to life through live, online coaching and training sessions. Think about the best conferences or sales meetings you've attended, then imagine participating in a program of that caliber in the comfort and convenience of your office... that's what ProductivityU will offer.

As a current Kip's Tips subscriber you'll be eligible for preferred pricing on an exclusive program… but only if you register. Visit ProductivityU.com and sign up to be notified as soon as the program is introduced.

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Is someone you know looking for valuable, practical, take-it-back-to-the-office-and-put-it-to-work content to include in an event they're planning… one that teaches people how to instantly increase productivity and improve results… maybe an industry conference, an annual sales meeting, or an offsite planning session?

Whatever the venue, introduce me to the person in charge and, if we schedule a program, you'll receive two hours of coaching for you and your team with my compliments. Email me their contact information and the event(s) they're responsible for and then let's talk. (Examples of past referrals include CEOs, national sales managers, branch managers, recruiting directors, national or local chapter leaders of organizations, directors of education and professional development, and independent meeting planners.)

Many of my speaking engagements result from referrals. Here's your chance to benefit from bringing my work to the attention of those who plan and program events you attend.

Worth Checking Out

Save Time with the Worksheet Templates from Winning Clients

Throughout Winning Clients, I discuss forms and worksheets you can create to make managing your business easier, less stressful, and less costly. Some of those (like the sample knowledge journal) are available as free downloads from the book's companion site.

There's also a package of eight premium forms (Word templates) available for purchase… including the Online Research Checklist. The ORC is a great tool for organizing Web addresses and other tidbits of intelligence from various association and company sites you find while doing the prospecting research described above.

The premium forms package also includes a set of three client communication planning worksheets, a top client profiling form, a worksheet for mapping workflows (including your sales process), a form for figuring out delegation opportunities, and three others.. A total of ten templates, all for just $24.95

Want to pick up a set for yourself... or save your assistant the trouble of creating one from scratch? Click here.

Upcoming Presentations

Don't forget... on Monday, April 11 I'll be presenting two workshops titled "Making the Web Work for Consultants" at the Investment Management Consultants Association's 2005 Spring Professional Development Conference in Palm Desert, CA. The focus of the presentation will be how to unlock the Web's power as a business development tool.

IMCA is one of the financial services industry's preeminent professional organizations. Its spring meeting attracts over 1,200 of the country's leading investment professionals. If you're planning on being there, I hope you'll attend one of my sessions and say hello (or if you know someone with the CIMA certification who'll be planning on attending, feel free to forward them this message so they'll know about the session).

Talk to you next month!

Kip Gregory
The Gregory Group: Take Your Business Up a Notch
202.364.6913

http://www.kipgregory.com

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