Are You Properly Equipped?

This is a Message to my Oil & Gas Friends in Business Development

As Technical as our Industry is, we still seem to be stuck back in the 80's when it comes to Market Development. 

We go to the big Expositions, we buy Ads in all the Energy Magazines, we Cold Call then Pound the Pavement!

The Ideal Environment for the Perfect Pitch! 

You Command all the Attention, Ya, Right!

Business Development is a tough game… You need to keep your company happy by getting business, you need to make your clients happy by getting them a good deal, you’re held to a tight ROI and when the market gets tough you get let go first.

Then after every market crash / rebound, the phone rings, can you come back and do that magic you do? 

The market comeback cycle continues as we hear the familiar “New Corporate Vision!”

“ We're going to diversify & expand into new markets to limit our vulnerabilities!" “John! Didn’t you spend your honeymoon in Bali? Maybe you can see if we can get some business in Indonesia?”

You cannot simply jump on a plane and cold call a National Oil Company and expect them to give you a few minutes to pitch your product. 

Tactics of the past are not only less effective, they will get you labeled a pariah. Gatekeepers are now trained in the art of voicemail jail. Inboxes are so overstuffed with daily workload, most unsolicited messages are sent directly into spam or deleted outright. Heaven help you if you show up and think you can talk your way thru the front desk.  

It is no longer a nice secretary you might complement into 5 minutes with the boss, it’s now an armed guard who will not let you on the elevator without a company escort and your passport. The rules of engagement have certainly changed.

Consider all the changes in communications, people don’t talk on the phone, they text, often with emojis, not words…

They have the world at their fingertips, they can find companies and products in any country with a quick search, they can find out who else has used it and see the number of likes and dislikes. Who needs a case study when you have crowdsourcing?

Is your company participating in this brave new world of social proof? 

If your business cannot be effectively “Googled” (is there another search engine?) then there is the real question of “Do you exist?” The answer is perhaps yes, for now, but your days may be numbered! 

It is a mobile world, we all carry a supercomputer in our pockets and businesses who leverage this point are winning. You need to engage your prospects in the manner they wish. The battle is over, it is a consumers market and only the vendor who eliminates all the friction points is going to win. Just ask Toys"R"Us and Amazon!

So is their upside for the Business Development Professional in this new Cyber Landscape? 

Absolutely!

Now is the most exciting time to be in our niche. You have the opportunity to become a brand, not just your company or your product, but your experience, your unique talents and life experiences. This is the reason people have wanted to do business with you over the years. Now you can use this competitive advantage in all of your prospecting.

The internet is the great equalizer, it is now a more level playing field than ever before. Everyone has the opportunity to be their own media company.  

Can you write? Do you perform well on camera? Do you have a commanding voice?

These skills can be translated into your Social Media Presence and Establish Your Brand as a Subject Matter Expert.

In Today's Marketing Arena it is all about Content. Give your Audience as many Opportunities in as many Platforms as possible to find your Message and Learn about your Value Proposition.  

This will allow them to learn about you, your company and your solutions on their own terms, behind the security walls and without pressure and distraction. Make it engaging and educational, if it is a good fit and compelling they will reach out to you. 

Now that’s a change! How many salesmen would like their clients to pursue them?

And when they call you in to make your pitch, you can get to the meat of it! They already know of you, they are aware of your company and they must feel your offering is a fit, why else did they call you? 

Now Close!

Is this different than what the Dale Carnegie Courses taught us in the past? Not really...

Treat People the Way They Would Like to be Treated and They Will Learn to Know, Like and Trust You!

All Things Being Equal, My Friend Wins! 

Learn How to Make Friends and Influence People with the New Tools of the Trade!

If I can ever be of service, all you need to do is ask.