by Cheryl A. Clausen

It's as easy as 1-2-3. First, you have to identify who those customers are. Second, you have to know what they're actively looking for. Third, you have to develop a message and the right bait to get their attention and interest. The customers with the greatest potential for you represent your target market. You need to have enough clarity about this specific group of customers that you know their names. In fact, you want to list the top 10-100 prospects that you want to convert into customers.

When you understand your ideal prospects better than the competition it's easier for you to attract them. When you know about your prospects you can stop wasting your time sending them information about you and what you have to offer. Instead you can prepare a message that resonates with them. But you can't do that unless you do your homework.

Your homework requires that you do a little research until you know the top 3 concerns they're actively thinking and perhaps worrying about. This will take more than going to their website and reading about them, although if they have one you should certainly do that. You'll have to read, listen, and pay attention to what they do. Armed with this knowledge your ready to figure out the message you want to send them. Your message has to speak to them about what they want or need and why it's difficult to get it or why they're struggling to get it. You have to make it clear to them that you understand them, and that you have something they want.

You usually mess things up by having either no offer, or one they won't take advantage of. It's hopeless to just put your message out there and hope someone will contact you. That will never produce consistent or predictable leads for you.

When you've done all the work to this point, don't throw it away by hoping for an action. Make sure there will be an action by extending an offer they'll have to take you up on so you get the most value from the time you've invested. You can think of this offer as the bait

Your offer should be very specific to the people you're communicating it to. When your offer is to call you that's a poor choice because everyone knows that's an offer for a sales pitch. No one wants to volunteer to be sold to. People are much more likely to respond to an offer that educates them about something they want or want to avoid. Plus there is far less perceived risk in asking for information. Even though this may seem like a lot of work on the upfront it's actually pretty easy and it will save you time and increase your results. When you take this time management idea to heart you'll consistently and predictably get the customers you want.

About the Author:

Author: Cheryl A. Clausen can help you get where you want to be. Improve your Time Management Skills with this fun & informative quiz. Wonder how your Sales Skills measure up. You can get a unique content version of this article. Ebooks Online.