Whatever the nature of its commercial activity, whatever their professional sphere, the purpose of a company to guarantee its development remains to increase its sales. For this purpose, what are the choices available to her ? What strategic axes can the business manager rely on to define the action plan that will be the most effective to guarantee the best development of his activity? ?
When we talk about a commercial action plan, we can, For example, structure our thinking according to three strategic development axes. We can move towards prospecting, upselling or even business contribution. Each of these three axes will assert its specificity with regard to direct or indirect contact with the end customer. But beyond these structural differences, these three strategic axes come together in their purpose : they all tend towards sales development.
• Prospecting is a strategic sales axis by direct approach to prospects. The principle of prospecting consists of directly contacting the target, with which for the moment no link has yet been established.
• On the other hand, in the context of upselling, this contact with the target already exists. This involves establishing an additional sale or reproducing a sale. This approach is based on follow-up calls to satisfied past customers or active customers with new needs.. It is a strategic sales axis through a direct approach to the customer.
• Finally, a third commercial axis lies in the contribution of business, it is an indirect approach strategy, which can be subdivided into two parts. Firstly, the contribution of business through contractual relationships, structured and paid, either by simple contract, either by service contract. Or on the other hand, bringing business through recommendations, which can be oriented towards the search for prospects, than towards the search for recurring prescribers.
BNI, world leader in business referrals
Our organization is based on this last axis. It has thus become the world leader in providing business through recommendations.. For over 37 years, and across more than 70 countries, Business Network International (BNI) helps entrepreneurs and liberal professions develop their sales using a structured method, positive and encouraging. Of course, these three strategic axes have always existed. The entrepreneur has always had the choice to move towards prospecting, upselling or bringing in business. The great strength of BNI is not to have invented the provision of business through recommendations. The power of the system is to have been able to structure what was not by nature. Unpaid business contribution, without contractual relationship, could be modeled to make it a real commercial development lever.
What are your business development plans for this year 2022 ?
And you ? How do you want to market your business ? What actions do you want to take to make your company known? ? So that your business stands out at the top of the rankings ? So that it becomes THE essential reference ? In other words : Among these three strategic axes, what type of business development would suit you best? ? It is the responsibility of the business manager to choose and define his commercial strategy.. In reality, this choice will not consist of choosing only one of the axes, but will consist of assigning priority percentages to each of the three axes. Because it is important to take into account a whole range of factors, the type of products or services sold, of the target market, of the competitive situation, etc.
SOME EXAMPLES TO CLARIFY STRATEGIC CHOICES
Prospecting
It can take different forms. For example, we can consider a targeted “door to door” approach., which can operate effectively for a specific and targeted need, or in a sales situation offering a unique leader product that will benefit, or a market opportunity (bonus paid by the State for a photovoltaic installation), or a cyclical opportunity (need for cleaning and maintenance of air conditioning systems as summer approaches ; or need an internet service provider in a new real estate residence recently delivered). Another example of prospecting can be done in indirect form, through the purchase of qualified files which make it possible to approach an identified typology of customers (50 year old woman, CSP+ for a retirement savings plan presentation ; or company in the agri-food sector made up of 10 to 20 employees for a company mutual insurance offer)
L’upselling
It may prove complicated for small businesses with a small number of employees. Indeed, to be effective, this area of commercial development mobilizes significant personnel needs in order to carry out frequent and regular follow-up calls, and a working environment equipped with CRM-type tools in order to structure this monitoring. Upselling will be effective for example, when it comes to taking stock of a contract (for an insurer, an Internet Service Provider) and see if conditions have changed. Or, for a local Craftsman who has established strong relationships with his customers, (like a tiler for example, who would have carried out the renovation of a bathroom on the first floor of a house, and who calls his clients back the following year knowing that another bathroom is located on the ground floor) to see with them if a renovation project has become relevant.
Bringing business through recommendations
In some cases it can be particularly effective, even essential. Indeed, companies positioned in a highly competitive market will have a particular interest in relying heavily on the recommendation strategy. This strategy will be a real lever for them to stay one step ahead of their competitors., thanks to the established trust that places them at the center of the process, and will allow them to be positioned from the beginning of a new project.
When the choice of the commercial action plan turns primarily to the strategic axis of the business recommendation, then it will be appropriate to consider this choice as the first step in a process. Next will come the formalization of the differentiation factors, in order to explicitly position the company with regard to its competition. And will also come the active process of building a specific team. How to surround yourself with recurring prescribers ? How to identify and build a team that produces a continuous stream of business referrals ? These two axes may be the subject of future articles.. Because the entire BNI La Réunion and BNI Maurice team will be happy to help guide the reflections and strategic choices for commercial development. : this is the heart of our mission !
Annick and Sylvie Miquel
BNI Executive Directors Meeting
& National Directors BNI Mauritius
+262 692 45 84 00
bnireunion@bnifrance.fr
contact@bnimauritius.mu
