Introduction

Once you have defined your "Blue Chip" client profile, it’s critical to keep it at the forefront of your business development strategy. Leadership must direct your business development team's time, talent, and treasure with the "Blue Chip" client profile as your North Star.

Your outbound sales team should have a tight & targeted list of “Blue Chip” prospects who they are actively pursuing and adding value. Your marketing team should have your “Blue Chip” profile at the center of your bullseye while they are creating valuable content, building emailing campaigns and investing in targeted advertising. Your customer success team should have your “Blue Chip” clients at the top of their priority list to ensure they are retaining and growing them.

Time

If you’re reading my blog, you likely have a small business development team. Often, your “hunter” and “farmer” might be the same person - in some cases, that person may be you. Given your limited bandwidth and resources, time is a critical asset. Opportunity cost is especially relevant in business development: every moment supporting one client is unavailable for another. Therefore, maximizing your team’s time, energy, and effort is essential.

Examples of “Getting It Wrong”:

• Sales: You bought a list for your outbound sales team, and they're working through it A-to-Z. Although the adage "every no brings you closer to a yes" holds some truth, this approach is wildly inefficient. As a lifelong salesperson, I can attest that there is a significant difference in confidence and motivation when you know every prospect on your list is aligned and qualified. (see: How a “Graveyard” Prospect Almost Ended My Career in Sales)

• Marketing: Your marketing team is too focused on driving inbound leads and is casting a wide net. I witnessed a client’s revenue decrease as their inbound leads increased because their sales team became inundated with misaligned prospects, failing to disqualify them effectively. Consequently, their precious time was occupied with unproductive leads instead of pursuing “Blue Chip” prospects. (see: Aim Small, Miss Small)

• Customer Success: Your customer success team treats all clients the same, giving the "squeaky wheel" the grease. Many of my clients follow the 80/20 rule, where 20% of clients generate 80% of revenue. However, their time allocation often doesn't reflect this distribution. They treat all clients equally rather than prioritizing their “Blue Chip” customers. (see: 20% of your Clients Generate 80%+ of your Revenue)

Fortunately, how and where you invest your time is within your control. Focusing your time on “Blue Chip” clients and prospects prospects is crucial for success and ability to grow.

Talent

In today’s marketplace, especially with the challenges of attracting and retaining top talent, specializing your business development team and leveraging their strengths is essential. Hunters should focus on creating and developing new business, while farmers should nurture and grow existing relationships. Marketing should articulate your expertise and communicate it to your wider audience. (see: Hunter and/or Farmer: Why Specialization is Critical for Sales Success)

Examples of “Getting It Wrong”:

• Sales: You lack an effective outbound salesperson or team conducting consistent and valuable outreach, missing opportunities to connect with key stakeholders among your Blue Chip clients. (see: Tailor Your Outreach Messaging for Success in a Crowded Marketplace)

• Marketing: You don’t have an effective marketing person or team/agency to build your brand, voice, positioning, and expertise, hindering your salespeople from showcasing your unique differentiators and making critical connections. (see: Why Your Sales Team NEEDS Professional Marketing Support)

• Customer Success: You lack an effective customer success manager or team to create a “world-class” customer experience for your “Blue Chip” clients, crucial for retaining and earning repeat business, recommendations, and referrals.

Specialization allows your team to operate more efficiently and effectively, maximizing their unique skill sets.

Treasure

Cash is the fuel for every business. How and where you invest your money is critical. Again, many of my clients have 20% of their clients generating 80% of their revenue, but their financial allocation often doesn't reflect this distribution strategy.

Examples of “Getting It Wrong”:

• Sales: You hired an “appointment setting company” without a crystal clear “Blue Chip” strategy and defined outreach cadence. (see: The Pros & Cons of Hiring an Appointment Setting Company)
• Marketing: You focus on creating 1-pagers, hoping they will sell for you. (see: Give Value or Do NOT Send the email)
• Customer Success: You spend too much money on travel and entertainment for non-“Blue Chip” clients.

In today’s economy, making strategic investments in your “Blue Chip” clients and prospects can set your business apart from the competition. Prioritizing your financial resources to support the relationships that matter most can lead to greater loyalty and higher returns.

Conclusion:

As the growth-minded leader of your business, aligning your most valuable resources—time, talent, and treasure—with your “Blue Chip” client profile is essential. This focused approach is the key to unlocking your business’s full potential by attracting and retaining the clients who generate the most value.

Nexts Steps

If you or your sales team are struggling to maximize time with your best prospects and clients, I invite you to join my cohort-based course called: "Beyond the Founder Rainmaker - Building Your Outbound Sales Strategy". You'll gain invaluable insights, practical tools, and actionable strategies to unlock the true potential of your business.

Go Deeper

• The “Blue Chip” Client Profile
• How a “Graveyard” Prospect Almost Ended My Career in Sales
• Aim Small, Miss Small
• 20% of your Clients Generate 80%+ of your Revenue
• Hunter and/or Farmer: Why Specialization is Critical for Sales Success
• Tailor Your Outreach Messaging for Success in a Crowded Marketplace
• Why Your Sales Team NEEDS Professional Marketing Support
• The Pros & Cons of Hiring an Appointment Setting Company
• Give Value or Do NOT Send the email
• Beyond the Founder Rainmaker: Building an Effective Outbound Sales Strategy

Carver Peterson helps growth-minded leaders and organizations achieve predictable and sustainable revenue growth through a refined strategy, defined process and aligned structure.

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