What do you do if your ideas and proposals are not getting through in a Business Development career?

Allt b?rjar med f?rst?else. F?rst?else f?r vem du m?ter och vad dennes behov ?r. Jag har lyxen att ha mkt analytiska kollegor. Tillsammans med dem och AI unders?ker vi f?ruts?ttningarna f?r er m?te. Jag har f?r vana att g?ra en persona sv den jag m?tet. Olika djup beroende p? hur viktigt m?tet ?r. Genom att f?rst? vad den andres utmaningar, problem och triggats ?r ?kar chansen till inte bara ett bra m?te- en stark relation omtanke ?ven aff?r eller vad du nu vill ha ut av m?tet. Alla m?nniskor f?r tillit n?r motparten visar att de har f?rberett sig- att de f?rst?r dig och din vardag. Och det ?r fr?n tillit relationer skapas. Och fr?n relationer skapas aff?rer. M?nniskor k?per av m?nniskor. Inte av f?retag.

As the head of business development, if you're having trouble getting your ideas and proposals approved, it's time to reevaluate your approach and communication strategy. Make sure you've done your research and tailored your proposals to meet the specific needs of your audience. Your proposals should clearly articulate the value and benefits they offer. Seek feedback from colleagues or stakeholders to refine your presentation skills. Consider incorporating visual aids or data to increase the persuasiveness of your proposals, ultimately improving their chances of acceptance and implementation.

Be bold and swing for the fences. Everyone is drafting and totting the same “group think” narratives around. Be the outlier!

In my experience, In business development, if your ideas aren't resonating, first ensure you're addressing your target market's / clients pain points accurately. Understand their needs deeply and tailor your solutions accordingly. If your solutions are clear but ineffective, refine them to better address these pain points. Communication is key; ensure you articulate your proposals clearly to avoid misunderstandings. Finally, actively seek and incorporate feedback to continuously improve your solutions and approach, ensuring they remain relevant and impactful. This could also include certain objections and therefore handling them effectively will help resonate your ideas well with your clients.

If your ideas and proposals aren't gaining traction, it's essential to recognize that your customers likely have different expectations. Engage with them to grasp their needs fully, including aspects such as lifestyle, demographics, and decision-making processes. Moreover, factor in the significant changes in recent years and the continual evolution of products and services. What proved effective yesterday may no longer suffice today. Embrace change, adapt, innovate, and stay in sync with the evolving landscape!

When facing rejected proposals in business development, it's vital to seek feedback, analyze past performance, tailor proposals to stakeholder needs, collaborate effectively, build strong relationships, enhance presentation skills, remain flexible and resilient, and continuously learn and innovate. By adopting these strategies, professionals can increase the likelihood of their ideas gaining traction and achieving success in a competitive landscape.

If you're finding your ideas and proposals hitting roadblocks in your business development career, it's time to sharpen your focus on understanding your audience. Knowing precisely who you're pitching to and what makes them tick is crucial. Tailor your proposals with laser precision to address their specific needs and pain points. Dive deep into research, uncovering their desires and goals, then craft your message to resonate powerfully.

The items listed are the table-stakes to pitching ideas. But, a technique I’ve found to be the most helpful is conveying the right amount of information in a progressive narrative. The C-Suite are incredibly busy and often have to consume a ridiculous amount of information daily. Build a “progressive deck.” In this strategy, you start with the basics: Problem statement in narrative form. Stories are incredible at creating relatability. Senior Leadership are often responsible for specific metrics. Connect the problem to their metric, making it person. Then jump right to the answer and solution. Keep this simple. Then progressively dig into details on gains and ROI. Get to the point, then have slides that go deeper if requested.

In the realm of business development, when your ideas and proposals encounter resistance, it's crucial to recalibrate your approach. Visualize this: you're a navigator traversing uncharted territory, each proposal a meticulously crafted map. But to ensure accuracy, you must intimately understand your audience. Through diligent research and tailored messaging, your proposals become beacons, guiding stakeholders toward shared objectives. With each presentation, you illuminate the path forward, fostering buy-in and propelling your career to new heights.

In the realm of business development, encountering objections to your ideas and proposals is inevitable. To navigate this challenge effectively, anticipate potential objections and proactively address them within your pitches. Visualize yourself as a skilled debater, pre-empting counterarguments before they arise. By acknowledging and mitigating objections upfront, you demonstrate foresight and credibility, fostering trust and receptiveness among stakeholders. This proactive approach not only strengthens your proposals but also showcases your ability to anticipate and overcome obstacles, enhancing your standing as a persuasive and strategic business developer.

In business development, effective follow-up and follow-through are essential. By promptly and persistently following up on your proposals, you reinforce relationships and demonstrate your commitment to success. This proactive approach not only strengthens your credibility but also paves the way for fruitful collaborations and ongoing growth.

Being proactive in your follow-up and execution is not just good practice—it's a vital part of your personal brand. Every interaction, from the initial pitch to the thank-you note, builds your reputation. Proactively providing summaries, additional resources, and timely updates shows diligence and reliability. It demonstrates your commitment to not just the idea but the relationship behind it. In the professional world, your reputation precedes you; it's the shadow of your personal brand. Ensuring that every promise is fulfilled and every action is taken with intentionality reinforces the perception of you as a trusted, dependable partner in any endeavor.

Follow up on went right and follow through what would have been done better . In a process always be flexible in creating solutions as you move ahead on timelines. Speed and out of box thinking at time can give better solutions for any adversities which arise though the process.

If ideas and proposals aren't gaining traction in a business development career, I'd first reassess the approach. Seek feedback from colleagues or mentors to identify areas for improvement. Refine the proposals to better align with the company's goals and client needs. Utilize data and examples to strengthen the arguments and increase persuasiveness. Build relationships with key decision-makers to garner support and advocate for the proposals. Continuous learning and adapting strategies based on past experiences are essential for overcoming obstacles and achieving success in business development.

Engage a business development coach and mentor. Work one-to-one to improve your skills and effectiveness with someone who has 'been there' and successfully 'done that' in business development. They need to 'hold up a mirror' for you to see the gaps and weaknesses in your skill set and approach. Importantly they also need to help you identify your strengths through which you have achieved positive effect. Together you can agree plans to close your gaps, strengthen your weaknesses, and capitalise on your strengths to optimize your performance and resultant achievements. Continue to monitor your progress and work with your mentor and coach as a sounding board.