Community Day 13: Keeping your pipeline active.
This is a question which really pertains to all this doom and gloom going on regarding the economy. People are so afraid about not getting business right now, it is scary. Interestingly enough I have been getting a lot of feedback that small business has been doing exceptionally well at keeping their pipeline full.
What has been your experience? What are you doing right now to keep people coming back?
One of the biggest issues that I have is that when I go out networking I end up bringing in so much business that I just simply cannot handle it all. So I get caught up in delivering the service and then I forget to network, and then my pipeline goes dead. After a week or two I’m wondering where everyone went, lol 
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Do you all suffer from this issue? What have you done to keep your pipeline regularly full?
Hit us up in the comments below.
-Coach Kolansky
Doom and Gloom? Where?
I practice honesty and stellar customer service every day. That is what keeps my pipeline full.
Believe in yourself, your products, your services and always be honest with clients. If you can’t meet a deadline, tell them. If there is an issue, tell them.
Great book suggestion. Read The Speed of Trust by Steven M.R. Covey.
SHAMELESS PROMOTION!
Dan, your experience is a common one. Tony Robbins says that we get answers to the questions we ask ourselves. So I would ask you, “How can you alleviate the ebbs and flows within your marketing pipeline?” One idea is to hire a salesperson who works 100% commission (without a salary) – like I do for Carolyn Does QuickBooks – to go to events for you and keep your brand relevant in the community. The good thing about your business is that it’s an easy sell.
In response to your original question, we keep our pipelines full by attending a networking event or two per week. Always. When people see your face or interact with you continuously (and you have an effective marketing message), your pipeline stays full.
I need to create a schedule of contacts for my clients, customized to the kind of client: newsletters, requests, schedules, reminders. I’m adjusting my eLife to software that will help manage that; between my calendar and email and tasks, I want to be more organized and in contact with my clients (regular, sporadic and potential).
I agree with Cheree about keeping faithful to your networking schedule. My local marketing guru told me when I started my business that networking is even more important when things are going well. I think consistency is important.