Change Your Mindset about BD, Part 1: All About Change
Angela Meyer, PhD, PE
Helping Professionals Build Their Network to Generate Business | Business Development Consultant | Corporate Board Member | Adjunct Professor
As mentioned in my introduction, I am using the book “Who Moved My Cheese” to discuss success strategies for business development. In this installment, I want to talk about why changing your mindset about doing business development is important to be successful.
If you have read the book, it is about 4 characters – Littlepeople: “Hem” and “Haw” and Mice: “Sniff” and “Scurry”.?It is all about the search for cheese – much like the search for work and the personalities behind those that succeeded and those that failed.?The characters behaved much like their names.?Sniff and scurry were always hunting. Hem and Haw were, frankly, complaining and complacent.
I was trained as an engineer and being a consulting engineer was a great job.?But early in my career, back when there weren’t as many women in STEM, there were limited opportunities offered despite my asking. So I did the only thing I could think of to end my frustration, look for a change.?I moved to the corporate office and, about 6 months after I arrived, I was told by the CEO “you’re changing jobs and moving to the marketing department”.??I knew nothing about marketing, but I needed a job, so I took a chance and changed my mindset about what I thought about marketing.?I spent the next several years learning as much as I could and how I could help my company gain more work.?I learned about other parts of the business, worked on my communication skills, and started building my network. ?I became like the character “Scurry” always looking for something new.
A few years later, I made a switch to purely a sales role. I was terrified.?What did I know about sales??I always had a negative connotation about it. I became like “Haw” – I didn’t want to change. I was complacent. ?However, I knew that if I didn’t change my attitude, ?I wouldn’t be any good at it.?Believe me, I tried, and I failed many times. But I made the effort and through perseverance and hard work and developing relationships, I became successful. I moved my cheese.
About Meyer Vorst Consultants
We assist clients to become better at sales through training or individualized one-on-one coaching. We also assist consulting firms with strategic marketing support.?For more information check out our website at www.meyervorst.com
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2 年Angela, as always you are inspiring! Thank you for the mid-year reset reminder. And best wishes to you and your son.
Managing Director of Business Development & Client Services
2 年One of my favorite books! The message is time tested and relevant in the very fluid business landscape we find ourselves in today.