I often speak with lawyers and business owners about cross selling their services. My message: cross selling is not really selling, but actually service.  Think about it… no one wants to sell or be sold to.  But everyone wants to be well-served.  So where do you start? Let’s begin with one basic foundation. Show your team’s ability to get the job done.

Show to Tell (and then Sell)

Instead of using words to tell everyone how great your team is, show them you collectively have what it takes to make things happen.  How?  Content marketing.

• Create relevant content for your website, electronic marketing, social media and presentations. Deliver helpful information that shows them that your team has the skills, understanding and motivation to be on top of the issues they face.
• Connect with your clients through social media.
• Maintain visibility with your networks by posting a variety of material on a routine basis.
• Share all of the content your colleagues create with your clients, including leader text explaining how your team collaborates on the relevant topic.

Remember, content needn’t be long; nor your own. Write short commentaries on articles written by other leaders in the field, publish brief and informative blog posts or create advisories that cover relevant topics to your target audience. Just remember, you aren’t directly “selling” anything with this content, but rather building visibility and showing awareness so that when you do ask for the business, you have credibility, experience and knowledge about the topic at hand. By making your team a go-to resource, the team becomes the glue that holds the business strategy in place.