Emily B. Rose, SVP, Broker & Partnership Sales of LegalShield and IDShield, empowering people in the evolving legal and privacy landscape.
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Spring is traditionally a season of renewal and growth. You’ve made it through the winter blues, closed out tasks from last year and built your plan for the rest of this year. Now you have a fresh start to put your plan into action—setting new intentions and planting seeds for initiatives and connections that you want to cultivate in the coming months.
Spring cleaning applies to more than just clearing out physical spaces in your home or office. You and your team can use this time to wipe the slate clean and break out of monotonous routines and autopilot mindsets.
This is my favorite time of year for business development and sales because it’s focused on reconnecting, sharing ideas and fostering relationships with partners or prospects. Think of it as an opportunity to channel your enthusiasm and creative energy into activities that contribute to your partnerships and business goals. Here are small, medium and large changes you can implement this spring to be more productive and proactive the rest of the year.
Small Actions
You don’t need to spend a ton of time or money to get started. You can take these small, personally focused steps at little to no cost:
1. Tidy up your inbox and to-do list.
Review tasks, projects and communications from the last six months, clearing out or archiving items you’ve completed. Reflect on what worked well and what didn’t. Which strategies do you want to carry forward with you, and which can you let go of? How can you create more space for new ideas and initiatives?
2. Reach out to existing connections.
Instead of reconnecting with partners or prospects via email, add a personal touch. Send a handwritten note in the mail, wishing them well and expressing your interest in catching up soon. Or pick up the phone and make a call. In a world where text and email is quickly becoming the primary mode of communication, a phone call still goes further in connecting with people and letting them know they are a priority.
3. Get a little uncomfortable.
Come up with a list of simple actions you can take that will help you move out of your comfort zone and closer to your goals. For example, if you want to use social media more for developing your professional connections, you could update your LinkedIn profile, post a question in an industry group or send a new introduction or contact request.
Moderate Actions
While you’re building momentum with small steps, you can also start expanding your efforts to include more moderate actions:
1. Seek out networking opportunities.
Look for ways to build your professional connections online and in person. Join industry groups on social media, and find local meet-ups or conferences you’d like to attend. Meeting even one new interesting person can help spark creativity or open up new sales or partnership opportunities.
2. Set up virtual dates.
Follow up with the people you sent notes to, and propose a time for a virtual coffee break, lunch date or happy hour to discuss new projects, interests or collaboration ideas. It’s often easier to schedule a catch-up video call than an in-person meeting, which makes it less stressful for both of you. For instance, you could suggest an early morning Zoom coffee chat to a business partner you know is an early riser. Bonus points if you send a coffee shop gift card ahead of the meeting that they can use.
Big Actions
If you have the budget and the bandwidth, incorporate a few bigger actions into your spring strategy. Your goal here is to break out of mundane day-to-day activities and find places to connect with others in your industry.
1. Go where the people are.
Attend events, such as conferences, seminars or trade shows, where your prospects are most likely to be. Look for opportunities to participate in events within your existing networks. For example, if a client, partner or professional organization is hosting a conference, you could attend with your team or volunteer to be a sponsor or speaker. But also look for opportunities that are new and different as well. This opens up your mind and network to new and often refreshing possibilities.
2. Travel to see people in person.
After years of travel restrictions and other Covid-related challenges, it feels exciting to be able to plan business trips again. Getting out of your space can be a welcome change of scenery and an energizing mental and physical break. Travel to see partners or clients who are based outside of your city or state, and take advantage of this face time to strengthen your personal relationships.
Spring is an ideal time for you and your team to refresh and reset. Use the season as a catalyst to evaluate what has or hasn’t worked in the past, set new intentions and take action toward your sales and partnership goals.
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