I started version 1.0 of XM Performance in 2007. I had the consulting, training, and leadership experience, and my partner brought the marketing and sales know-how. We put some money in the bank, chartered our business, and quickly hired an office manager to handle the administrative work. Four months into our adventure, my partner bailed out. Wait . . . What . . . Oh Shit!
I had nothing but a few years of non-profit fundraising under my belt, a two-hour overview of consultative sales from our franchisor, and exactly one client. I didn’t know the difference between marketing, prospecting, and selling, and my ideal client was anyone who could write us a check that would clear the bank. Statistically, I was headed toward the Loser’s Column of the small business startup world (which is easy to do).
What I did have was gritty determination, something to prove, and zero fear of asking for help. We survived by taking our own medicine: investing in consultative sales boot camps, marketing training, and sales coaching. Slowly, over the next 5 years, we built the business that eventually became XM Performance (Plus).
We have helped professional service clients (lawyers, doctors, engineers, programmers) and heavy operations teams (GC, subcontracting, manufacturing, HVAC, electrical, etc.) to create business development strategies and significantly multiply their revenue. By strategically and tactically aligning their efforts for marketing, prospecting, and selling, we help them create next-level breakthroughs.
Ideal Clients. Before we try to do any business development work, we have to know the answer to these two questions:
- What problems do you solve?
- Who has those problems?
Download our Ideal Client Profile sheet to structure a complete picture of who you want to reach. You’ll be saving thousands of dollars in your marketing budget from this simple 20 to 30-minute exercise. |