Thursday Nov 19

Many people say to me "If I get in front of the right person at the right time I stand a very good chance of making the sale". The only issue is getting there - and this takes effort, or lots of luck.

I don't believe that there is any alternative to hard work, but I do believe that there are ways of working smarter, not harder - as the maxim goes. The best way of maximising results is a well organised, structured and integrated approach.

• Getting in front of the right people - this involves market targeting, making an initial approach, delivering the right message, choosing the right routes to market, having the right support material and watching your competitors
• Being in front of the right people at the right time - this means being at the front of their mind at the moment when they are looking for the solution that you can deliver to a problem they have

"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it." - Thomas Jefferson