{3:00 minutes to read} Any number of things can affect the ebb and flow of business. Acknowledge that there will be cycles, and use the downtime wisely.
I often see clients in professional services experience being busy one month, but not the next. The workflow gets crazy busy for a while, and then it’s like someone pulled the plug, business slows down, and it doesn’t make any sense why.
Here are some tips to get the most out of the inevitable “slow times:”
Acknowledge that there are times of year that are busier than others, and even though it’s not always predictable, it’s wise to plan ahead for those slower times.
1. Set aside operating capital so that slower months doesn’t mean tapping your credit cards to keep the bills paid.
2. When you’re really busy, perhaps it’s difficult to stay up with your publishing schedule. So, use your lighter schedule to bank blog articles.
3. The same goes for the rest of your marketing: If you depend on referrals, like nearly all professional services do, take that down time to reach out and have a cup of coffee with potential referral sources or centers of influence – people that are important to your business. We’re all so busy that we have reasons/excuses for not nurturing those relationships as well as we should, but if you have a slower period – it’s a great time to do exactly that. In fact, doing so might actually help end your slow period.
4. Use advertising or pay-per-click during the slow periods. While, generally speaking, advertising brings a lower-quality lead than a referral in almost all cases, if done well, it can help.
5. Get an extra newsletter or email out. Spend more time on LinkedIn paying attention to, and commenting on, the people that you’re connected to – or should be connected to. In future blogs I will discuss the benefits of commenting on other people’s discussions – what I’ll call “Commenting for Cash.”
I can confirm that professionals who have been consistent networkers and bloggers tend to see a lot less of the ups and downs cycle over time, as compared to their peers. What are you doing on those slow days?
We’d love to hear what you’ve done to mitigate the ebb & flow cycles in your practice. Please do so in the “Leave a Reply” section below.
Mark Bullock
Telephone: (631) 754-0800
Email: Mark@phoneBlogger.net
Website:phoneBlogger.net
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