It’s an overwhelming 
marketplace, full of entities and individuals who could potentially use your services. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of them need you now, which leaves you with the question: How can you identify the relevant prospects?
A CPA firm approached me with this conundrum a few years ago. I advised them to purchase a mail list of their target market and send a survey to the C-suite therein. The responses they received yielded a short list of prospective companies with immediate business needs.
The CPA firm then reached out to their strategic partners: law firms, banks, and consulting firms who also specialized in the same niche market. Armed with the data from their survey, they collectively put together several multi-disciplinary programs, panels, and marketing initiatives that were highly focused and beneficial to all parties.
The takeaway here is this: as you identify referral sources, think beyond the obvious question of “will they refer clients to me?” Professional service firms can work together to approach their respective industries from a variety of angles, and a smart strategic collaboration can help you become just a little less overwhelmed.
