When you have gone through your list for the day, it is time to build the list for the next day. I recommend only one day at a time because of the referrals you will get from your calls during the day. If you would rather plan a week in advance, then you should do so and call the referrals as they come in. Remember doing the calls is only a portion of your day and the remainder of the time will be spent doing the work you have created for yourself and other activities. Through all of your activities, networking, and client interactions, you will be building more names for your call list. You can plan on obtaining additional leads everywhere you go. You never know where the conversation will lead when in another person's office or at a social gathering.

It is not that you are after business every waking hour; it is just that you must be aware of business opportunities that you can follow up with during your working hours. You may have some solid business relationships that take you to social outings so you can potentially meet people that you will eventually do business with. I recently went to an event through an alliance partner and I was not really sure if I wanted to go. I was so busy networking and trying to gain business that I almost passed on the opportunity. I finally got ready and went to the event. At this event I met two potential customers and agreed to meet with them the following week. You never know where your leads will come from, even if you are too tired, just go and enjoy, you never know what will happen.

At a breakfast meeting I had recently, a discussion of closing business became the topic. She felt that sometimes things she though were locked down often fell through. At other times she said that the business comes out of nowhere because she had attended an event or had done her follow-up calls. You just have to make sure you keep calling.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D., has spent 25 years in various technical and business leadership roles. Dr. Daoust brings to the table a successful executive career combining many years working with government, non-profit and for profit organizations in a broad variety of industries. Her positions have included executive, financial, marketing, sales, and service management. She has worked with such companies as Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Mobile BIS, Cisco, Accenture and Avaya in the field of knowledge management.