We get lots of phone calls from companies that are looking for help with their prospecting and/or recruiting efforts.
A typical call starts something like this.
“I need a new video and someone recommended that I contact you… ”
or
“I’m interested in having my company featured in one of your magazines”.
or
“I saw a journal you did for XYZ company and I’m interested in doing something like that for my company”
The calls sound pretty benign, don’t you think?
Generally speaking, the callers have some idea of what they want and have a pretty clear idea of why they want it. Growth is the common answer.
Over the past 20+ years, I’ve observed and participated as hundreds of companies created and launched new tools that were supposed to create growth.
Some worked – some didn’t.
Why? What caused some companies to have success with their tools while others struggled?
Obviously, there are a variety of reasons that could impact the answer.
Product….. Comp plan….. Leadership….. to name a few.
But, with all things being equal, the tools tend to work when the companies focused on three specific elements of the business development cycle.
And, more importantly, these elements were addressed in a very specific order.
#1 – Message. They worked on and created a solid story. They know who they are and why a prospect would be attracted to them. And, the story was refined so it could be repeatable.
#2 – System. They created an easy to use and teach system to deliver the message that worked for their business. From the product to the pricing to the culture —- it “fit” them.
#3 – Tools. The tools were determined AFTER they knew who they were and how they could deliver it. The actual tools (media) change over time, but the tools deliver a specific message via a specific system.
Whenever the order of the three elements is changed, the success rate for the tools is dramatically reduced.
The bottom line —
If you don’t know what you’re story is and you don’t have a system to deliver it — you can’t possibly know what the best tool is for your company.
Yet, the phone calls come in as described and we ask them about their story and their systems and, usually, the answers are not very clear.
Increase your chances of success with your prospecting / recruiting tools.
Step back and evaluate your message. Whatever you have to do — take the time to get it RIGHT! Make sure it’s current and relevant for today.
Then, work with your top corporate and field leaders to determine what system they are willing to use and promote.
Refine it and make it completely duplicable. Make sure it fits your culture and commit to it.
Finally, with the above in place, you are now ready to determine the best tools that will help you and your organization grow – exposing more people to your products and business opportunity than ever before.
Working in that order will help you build the foundation for your tools so that more people have more opportunities to succeed in their new business. In the end, that’s good for everyone.
P.S – Thanks to anyone that has ever called and asked us to help. We appreciate it.
