Today, I want to challenge your thinking and get you thinking of different ways to bring in business!

Fasten your seat belts!

1)    Go Where The Money Is: When the FBI finally caught up with the infamous bank robber Willie Sutton they asked him “WTF dude, what’s up with the all the bank robbin?” (or something more FBI-like) He replied “That’s where the money is!” Pretty ingenious if you ask me and something we forget about in sales on mucho occasions.

So where’s the money right now?

Well some of that is going to be specific to your product or service but industries such as healthcare, insurance, education, government etc. might be more “recession resistant”

Another way to find where the money is, is to see who’s hiring now? Make it a point to check monster and careerbuilder. If they’re hiring, there’s a reason!

I make note of the trucks I see on the road. It they are out running deliveries it might be because they’re kicking ass. Note: One can never have enough businesses that are kicking ass. They usually have more money in the wallet!

Once you identify where the money is, you need to show up!

–       Go to the industry groups on Linkedin and get into those discussions!

–       Get involved in the trade associations

–       Show up at the conventions, trade show etc

2)    Go Where The Money Isn’t: Conventional wisdom would have you avoid the industries that are hurting right now. But sometimes the “hurting” is your best reason to contact them! Note: You had better to be able to clearly articulate how your product or service can generate revenue or offer some kind of cost savings across their business. Sometimes we’re so busy running to where the money is, that we neglect this one big time!

3)    Go To Where The Money Is As A Direct Result Of Where The Money Isn’t: Example: Perhaps people aren’t buying as many cars as they used to but they are servicing their cars (so they don’t have to buy another one right away) Perhaps people aren’t going out to dinner as much but they’re buying more groceries.

4)    Go Where The Money Used To Be: How about those neglected accounts at your business that sort of disappeared over time? How about the former client that went with someone else. Things change. Oh, and this might sound crazy but sometimes people think they are leaving you for greener pastures only to realize they made a big mistake. The problem is their ego. Make it easy for them to come back “home”!

5)    Go Where The Money Will Be: Business is moving faster than ever and with each new day, comes new innovations. You need to be reading Businessweek and the Wall Street Journal in order to “skate to where the puck is going to be” as my friend Wayne Gretzky once said.

6)    Go To Your Backyard: Funny thing about backyards. When we are used to looking at them, everything blends in and we kind of forget what’s there. What money do you pass each day on your way to work? What money do you pass each day when you’re racing to an appointment? How about the businesses next door to your appointments? In the same building? Perhaps a good “Drive By” is in order” You need to be reading your local business journal to keep a look out for local opportunities.

7)    Go To The People You Selected Out Because Of Assumptions: How many times have we hesitated to call a business because we felt they were too big, or they wouldn’t consider a small company like ours? The opposite is true too my friend. Sometimes our assumptions are based on one of our coworkers telling us “Don’t call that company, they’re possessed” You know what they say about assumptions, right? Every time you make an assumption, you make an ass out of u and mption. Don’t ever forget that!

8)    Go To The People Who Have Told You “No”: Things change. People come and go. And while you’re at it, swallow your pride and go back to those who vanished on you and never got back to you.

9)    Consider Going To A VP Of Sales: Once again, if you can clearly articulate how your product or service can generate revenue, why wouldn’t you approach a VP of Sales? This is the guy getting his butt kicked, right now . . . talk about feeling pain! This is the person who (get this) probably has the ridiculous sales chops to sell something like this internally,  and . . . VP’s of Sales are one of the only people in an organization who can get un budgeted money for things . . . if it results in more Benjamins for the company. Now, I want to be clear, the VP of Sales might not be the supreme dude/dudette in the matter, but if you can get them on your side, it might be what professionals call “a very good thing”!

10) Consider Going Lower In The Organization: Yep, I know I can hear the “boos” and “you suck Castain”  as I write this but . . . Sometimes we are so busy going for the highest level of decision maker, we forget about the  ones actually experiencing the pain (or in need of the opportunity) No offense, but you can’t expect someone at 30,000 feet to have the same level of passion for your offering. Perhaps you can get someone lower on the food chain as an advocate and you can both re approach the C Level Grand Puba?

11)  Go To Where You Are Referred: When was the last time you asked? Think “Low hanging fruit”

12)  Go To Where Your Contact Just Went: Sometimes we get so focused on the account we’re “hunting” or servicing and fail to follow our contact to that new place they started working.

13)  Go To That High Profile Speaker You Just Saw: Have you ever been to a networking event where they had some C – Level or Entrepreneurial rock star give a speech? I make it a habit of going up to shake their hand after their speech. I offer some kind words, and if possible engage in a quick chat. Now if they just spent some time talking about something really cool at their company, guess who gives them a follow up call with some specific ideas that “speak to what they were speaking about?” Gold star if you said “You do Uncle Paul” One other thing (and don’t tell anyone) at the very least, I want to network with high level rock stars like this because methinks they know other high level rock stars. Think bigger picture gang!

14) Go To Where The Conversation Is: Where are people having conversations about the things that you can demonstrate your expertise? Here are two mighty cool (free) resources to help you listen

–       Use http://search.twitter.com to find Twitter chatter you can mosey on into!

–       Use http://socialmention.com to find people blogging, tweeting and talking on Facebook about the industries you are targeting.

So here’s the deal. Today is all about trying something different. Its a new day, in a new week and you have a world to conquer!

Go get ’em!