Blog Articles about Business Development
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May 12, 2009
Give.
One of my clients sent the following comments to my most recent blog.
"Read your blog this morning about connecting with people – and I totally agree. I was at my networking meeting yesterday and we were discussing business development. One of our members brought a suggestion to the table, which I thought was so great. Instead of focusing your business development on selling yourself, focus it (particularly at this time given the tough economy) on helping others. Lending some free advice, listening to people’s issues and offering suggestions without any expectations of immediate work – I think this will pay off big in the long run."
I couldn't say it better myself. I am a big fan of free advice. Of course eventually you'll need to get paid but before you do, you should plan to be helpful. How else will people know if you are good? So, don't worry about what you are going to get from meetings. Think about what you can give. The more you give, the better you'll feel and the more your network will appreciate you and refer you to others. Nothing wrong with that.
March 31, 2009
Developing new business should be enjoyable.
I just spent two days working with a new IMPACT coach, Wendi on client meetings. We had ten meetings with clients and potential clients over two and a half days. That doesn't sound like a lot but we were hopping. We went from one meeting to the next with little downtime. I am now quite tired but quite pleased. All meetings went well.
As I sit and reflect one thing stands out for me. Developing new business is work but it should be enjoyable. It shouldn't be painful. We met with people we enjoyed. We met with people we knew already through contacts or previous work. Our meetings were opportunities to learn more about what these people were up to and for them to learn a little about some new things we were doing at IMPACT. How could that be anything but enjoyable?
Why am I tired? I am tired because it takes effort and focus to really connect with people. It is a good tired.
If you think about business development as an opportunity to connect with people you know, you'll find it both enjoyable and successful.
December 02, 2008
Change is good. Even when it is bad.
Some would call me "the eternal optimist". In fact, I think I am.
I wake up early every morning, sit and read the paper look on the bright side. I love what I do. IMPACT is an organization of coaches who do really great work. I am really proud of the work we do. We have a diverse set of clients who seem to appreciate our work. I think about these things and I think, "We will be fine. Just keep focusing on quality work and stay in the market."
This morning I woke up and felt tired and frankly almost battered. The current Canadian political situation (there is a crisis of confidence in our current minority government) has tipped me over the edge. It is very difficult to remain an optimist in the face of relentless, negative press on the front page of the paper.
I am happy to report my exhaustion and pessimism was short lived. By the afternoon today, the optimist is back.
I read an article this afternoon from McKinsey and it helped me move back to the "bright side". This article reminded me of something I already knew but really needed to reminded of. Change is an opportunity even when it is bad. How is it an opportunity? Change "unfreezes the status quo" and is an opportunity to do what you've always wanted to do and fix what you've always wanted to fix. (See Kotter's 8 step change model for more on this)
October 28, 2008
A Bad Economy is Good
Why? A down economy drives a lot of really good decisions. We are all tightening our belts. Our priorities shift. Things we thought were so important a month ago suddenly seem unimportant. For many, the shift is towards things that have lasting value and away from things that provide fleeting satisfaction. We take more time to enjoy that great glass of wine. Suddenly it seems more important to savour every sip. We delay purchases to focus on what we already have. A good wash and tune up and that old car still gets us to where we want to go in style. We spend more time having family dinners and less time in fancy restaurants.
These shifts are good for us personally and professionally.
June 18, 2008
The “Caddy Concept”
Yes I like golf but that is not what this blog is about. It is about business development. The hardest thing about business development actually doing it. Don't kid yourself, business development is something that takes years of experience to do well. After you have worked through a number of tough situations, you can handle pretty well anything. No course can teach you that. So where does the caddy fit it? Here's the story.
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