In business, relationships are everything. As such, winning your biggest clients often requires you to go the extra mile. In many cases, informal meetings are the perfect place to build that bond while pushing deals towards the finishing post. For the corporate businessman, horse racing events offer the ideal venue. Horse racing meetings tend to last a lot longer than other forms of entertainment. Meanwhile, the breaks in between races affords time to casually discuss business. Most tracks include restaurants and other facilities that can be utilised to ensure a memorable time for your client too. Encourage them to build an emotional link between you (and your business) with positivity, and your hopes of future sales can only increase. So how do you make the most of your day at the horses? Here’s all you need to know. Dress To Impress This might be an informal business meeting, but it’s still a fantastic chance for you to present yourself in a glowing manner. You should grab that opportunity with both hands. Some forms of client entertainment make it difficult. Thankfully, horse racing events are frequented by a lot of business folk, as well as wealthy people. Take the time to make yourself look good, and you’ll make a far greater first impression. Moreover, it’s sure to leave you feeling more confident too. Clearing this first fence is massive. You also have an opportunity to show that you are organised and can be trusted with their business. Even though it’s a day at the races, you can always grab some time to show them essential information or hand them a disc to take home. Offer The Full Works Important clients are used to receiving great treatment. Therefore, the only way to gallop your way to winning the contract is to do it even better. You already have their attention, which gives you a great starting position. Now is the time to ease your way into the lead in this race for a big return. Opting for a more expensive part of the track offers a greater chance for discussing business. Once again, a better day out can only improve their feelings towards you and your business. However, you may also want to think about booking accommodation for the night. The Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest meetings in England. So choosing a nearby luxury hotel like The Wood Norton can take the business event to another level. This is especially useful if you plan to follow the horse racing day with a formal business meeting the next day. Follow Up When done right, a day at the horses will set a perfect impression. However, you often won’t close the deals while sitting trackside. Whether you spend time with the client after leaving the track or not, it’s important that you continue the correspondence upon your return to work. A courtesy email is a great start, but you should arrange a Skype chat or conference call soon after. Just make sure that you leave enough time for them to digest the information you’ve provided with those marketing materials first. By this point, they should have a solid idea about whether they want to use your business or not. It might not always go your way. However, the combination of informal and formal elements at the horse racing can only have a positive influence. More often than not, it will allow you to race your way to the finish faster than Ruby Walsh.]]>
Why Closing Sales is Horseplay
