21 Quick Steps to Boost Biz When You Have A Slow Period

21 Quick Steps to Boost Biz When You Have A Slow Period

When your clients go on vacation it can leave big holes in your schedule. Or if you live in an area where there is a slow period of time, every year, you can expect that time to be slower than the rest of the year.

When you can anticipate for this “off-season” and make the best of it, when your clients come back, you are ready to go, full throttle!

If a slow time pops up, un-announced, don’t sit and complain. Be pro-active.

When you actually put plans in place, you will not only feel less-chaotic, but will be able to generate more business for not only these next few months but you’ll see the results of your efforts during the rest of the year.

Start Here:

• Take a fresh look at everything about your business and begin to make a list of the most important tasks to complete. Think in terms of biggest impact-when-done items. For some of you, that might mean taking care of a lot of little things, just to see some traction. For others of you, you might want to tackle the biggest, hairiest thing, so it is finally not hanging over your head.
• Go to the office supply store (one of my favorite things to do!) to get files or baskets, or what-ever you need to get yourself more organized.
• One of the ‘tasks’ I like doing the best, is to make phone calls to people I need to follow up with, connect with, or just extend a ‘hello’ to if I haven’t seen or heard from them in a while. (They appreciate it and often it leads me onto something great such as a new speaking gig, a new client, or a referral partner I had not yet known of.)

10 Steps To Get Organized:
1. Redo (or create) a web site that focuses on the benefits for your client. (Not all about you) Put your picture on the site so they know who will be working with them, and if you’re a male practitioner, just because traditionally it is more difficult to have clients feel comfortable with seeking services from men (<– don’t read that the wrong way!) the trick I advise (<– again, don’t read that the wrong way!) is to include a photo of you and your wife, your pet, your kids, something showing you as a ‘warm-fuzzy’, safe, family-man type. Also, be sure to offer an incentive on your website for site visitors to give you their email address so you can continue to market to them even after they’ve left to website.
2. Create or up-date your brochure
3. Re-vamp other printed marketing material such as mailers, or ads you run.
4. Make sure price sheets are current
5. Re-do your office forms that the clients complete as they might be
6. Double-check bookkeeping
7. If you have accounts receivable – send out bills
8. Clean off your desk
9. Empty old files (based on where you live, you may be required to hold onto client charts/files for a specified time. (We hold client files for 3 years from inactivity and for insurance cases, 7 years.)
10. Throw away, recycle, donate anything you don’t need

5 Methods To Generate New Business:
1. Send out a printed newsletter of info they would love to have (not just sales info) to current clients
2. Mail follow-up letters or make phone calls to reconnect with past (Missing In Action) clients.
3. Update database
4. Write articles for the media to get your name out in your community
5. Hold a special promotion, party, gift-with-purchase, or discount

Methods To Improve Your Mental State & Your Business:
1. Take a new class
2. Get a massage, acupuncture, chiropractic session for yourself
3. Do some financial planning alone or with your accountant
4. Invest in new equipment, linens, music, sound system or other fun things to jazz up your clinic
5. Clean up the entry-way to your business; Plant new flowers and look to see what your new clients see when they first approach your business from the outside.
6. Get the office painted (inside and/or out) if it’s showing signs of wear. (Note: Every day Disney Land closes, they have crews that walk around and touch up chipped paint on anything the guest sees.)

Once you take control of the slow periods in your calendar, (even if that means a slow day) and use that time to be productive, you will begin very soon to see the fruits of your labor pay off.

Of course, slow periods also mean vacation time for you. Many entrepreneurs shy away from taking time off but as you know, re-charging your batteries is critical. Some well-deserved rest and relaxation will help you come back with more energy and new ideas.

And if you have to, with cell phones and laptops, you can stay in touch with clients no matter where you are.

That’s pretty cool eh, pina colada while emailing clients. Now that’s a great job!

Do you have anything to add to the list of things to do during a slow period? Please post below to share your brilliance!