This Saturday is the first day of fall, and I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a break from the Georgia heat!

For me, the start of fall means that it’s time for some reflection and soul-searching so that I can determine what I need to do to close out the year successfully and set myself up for a prosperous start to the next year.

It is important to me to be the type of person who attracts success both personally and professionally. I find that self-reflection often goes hand-in-hand with success. If you don’t take a good look at what you’re doing, there’s no way you’re going to improve.

Have you taken time for introspection recently?

If not, I recommend that you give it a try in the next week. If you are trying it for the first time, here are a few ideas of things you may want to work on to grow both personally and professionally:

1. Set or Reevaluate Your Goals

Whether you want to reach a sales quota or improve your marketing efforts, you can’t reach goals without setting them. Now is a good time to review the goals you set at the beginning of the year because you have one quarter left to dig deep and make the adjustments necessary to achieve them.

If you did not set goals in January, it’s not too late to set goals for the next few months. They should be “S.M.A.R.T.” – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.

2. Review Your Marketing Strategy

Does your strategy for attaining new clients run like a well-oiled machine? Or is it more of a fly-by-night duct-taped operation? Prospects are the life-blood of your business, so this is an area that can always use some improvement. Here are a few of my top tips for generating quality prospects using content.

One of the best ways to find prospective clients – as well as get your name out there in your industry – is to attend networking events regularly. There have always been in-person networking events, but now thanks to COVID, there are also a lot of virtual networking events happening that will allow you to expand your network beyond the area you live in.

Another strategy is to check in with friends, colleagues, and former clients regularly. See how they are doing. Ask what their challenges are. If you can help someone by connecting them with a friend or colleague, make the effort. Become a connector. You never know what may be born from your kindness.

3. Plan Your Follow-Through

You may make a strong impression and come across as a world class professional, but an impression amounts to nothing without follow through. If a prospect asks you for information or to follow up at the end of the month, be true to your word. By following up in a timely, friendly manner, you come across as an “on the ball” professional with whom people would like to do business.

Put time on your schedule each week to follow up with prospects as well as current clients. Be considerate and touch base with them in the format your prospect wants to be communicated with.

4. Create a Referral System

When you work successfully with a client, make the extra effort to capitalize on that relationship. Creating a referral system is a way to make it a habitual part of your schedule and strategy.

If you haven’t asked for referrals lately, fall is a great time to check in with past and current clients and ask if they have anyone in mind who may benefit from your services. Remember to express gratitude when clients do send referrals your way. You may wish to incentivize referrals by reducing your fees for clients that send business your way or by sending a gift card or bottle of wine. Even a simple hand-written “thank you” letter can go a long way and speaks volumes about your character.

What form of self reflection will YOU challenge yourself to do this fall so that you can close out 2023 successfully

At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I’ve helped many entrepreneurs work through obstacles that hold them back from building lasting legacy businesses. One of the most common mistakes I see is not implementing strategies to produce consistent results. Together, we can create a plan utilizing tried and true sales and business strategies that will see you through difficult times.

Contact me today if that sounds like exactly what you need.

---

Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus™” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with more than 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

Want to use this article? Please feel free to use this content as long as you keep it in its original format and include a link to the original post and Celeste Giordano’s brief bio.