Waiting for the Storm to Pass – Like the Weather, Business Development Can Be Daunting

Last night in North Texas we experience tremendous downpours; flash flooding; hail and damaging winds.?This morning the sun is shining and, except for mud and puddles on the roadway, there isn’t much sign of the 2+ inches of rain that fell last night.

So why do I mention this storm? It got me thinking of a comment made last week while I was teaching a business development course.?One of the students said, – “I always seem to be in a storm – I try and try to get work and it never seems to happen past the first job.?I am so frustrated!”

Business development isn’t easy. There isn’t one magic pill to take that will get you more work. There isn’t one way to do it correctly.?As a finance professor once told me when I asked what the answer to the question was, he said “It depends”. Clients buy on their schedule based on their needs – not yours.

Therefore, it is important that you take a “long game” approach to business and develop relationships with existing and potential clients.?Only through building relationships will you understand a client’s pain points, needs, and value for the services you bring.?Unless you are in a business of “one and done” services, you will have a hard time getting repeat business from the client.?You don’t want to give the impression to the client that you only do one thing – if your company offers more.?

So a few things to consider when you feel like you are in a storm.

1.??????Don’t panic – business development takes time – give yourself a break!

2.??????You will fail – it will happen, so learn from your failure – don’t take it personally

3.??????Ask lots of questions to learn more about your client’s business and issues – only that way will they know you are more than just a commodity service

4.??????You need to be actively looking for new relationships and new opportunities – don’t wait for the phone to ring.

5.??????Much like lightning you never know when the next piece of business will come from – sometimes you just get lucky – be in the right place at the right time.

Meyer Vorst Consultants

We work with individuals to help them improve their business development skills in the professional services arena.?We also provide strategic marketing support and advice for consultants and their firms.?For more information, check out our website at www.meyervorst.com