If the only reason you want to connect with me is because you have a sales pitch to unleash, I hope you’re selling a commodity. Most of us make scores of commodity type purchasing decisions regularly — from toothpaste and soap to phones and computers — and we become experts at filtering the pitches. When … Continue Reading
This is the second installment in a 14-part series dedicated to everyone working on a business development plan for 2019. Part 1 outlined the necessity of a strategic foundation, and suggested a framework that will help in identifying and articulating the strategy. If you haven’t come to terms with this first step, resist the temptation … Continue Reading
Most professional service providers would welcome a more consistent and robust flow of quality leads. Scratch that. When it comes to business development and sales, virtually every professional service provider I know is searching for a way to connect with potential new clients. So much so that this is the promise of marketing strategies, the siren song … Continue Reading
Vision is the lifeblood of any march toward the future. Without it, the status quo offers a comfort zone that is difficult to give up — especially when things have been pretty darn good for a very long time. Before we go further we should clarify terms. A Vision is not about a 100-word so-called … Continue Reading
In a recent conversation, the managing partner of a business law firm asked, “why is organic business development slow, painful and, for the most part, ineffective when it comes to actually developing new business?” He went on to cite the percentage of revenue his firm invests in marketing and business development efforts, and wondered aloud … Continue Reading
The year was 2009. The law firm managing partner was confessing. Not in a contrite or inquisitive manner. The tone was incredulous. He didn’t get it; and he seemed to politely resent the idea that he should invest any time or energy discussing it. Ironically, he was elbows deep in the process of interviewing for … Continue Reading
Ask a dozen professionals to define marketing and you might receive a dozen different responses. From retailer to B-to-B enterprise, from service provider to widget producer, from Fortune-listed to start-up — marketing is defined based on what we’re selling, and who we need to motivate. But all of us, unique perspectives notwithstanding, count on our … Continue Reading
If you wrestle with business development — where to focus, how to start, what to do next, how to make it seem natural — if you struggle with the whole idea , chances are one of the causes for the struggle is an anemic or nonexistent professional network. If this describes you and you’re among … Continue Reading
Long ago, before digital became the state of the art, the print industry hadn’t seen significant change for decades. Actually it wasn’t all that long ago in the scheme of things. Less than twenty-five years. Then someone figured out ones and zeroes. And norms for an entire industry began to shift. Seemingly overnight, what had once … Continue Reading
Ask a dozen professionals to define marketing and you might receive a dozen different responses. From retailer to B-to-B enterprise, from service provider to widget producer, from Fortune-listed to start-up — we tend to define marketing based on what we’re selling, and who we need to motivate. But all of us, unique perspectives notwithstanding, count on … Continue Reading
No one should be surprised. It is, after all, human nature. On the other hand, it is a distraction, a resource drain and a mistake we insist on making over and over. “It” is our seemingly relentless search for a business development Silver Bullet. From the siren call of a social platform to the promises that … Continue Reading
Two things are often true of professional service providers wrestling with how to build a practice, and we discuss both frequently: an anemic network — which translates to a severe shortage of connections that can either hire you, or refer and introduce you to the folks in a position to do the hiring; and, the absence … Continue Reading
Business development is not complicated. Hard work? Indeed…because it is, at its core, about succeeding at relationships…and we all know that almost anything having to do with relationships is hard work. But the quest for formulas, fast-fixes and a magic planning template notwithstanding, biz dev success does not reside in a silver-bullet or one-size-fits-all solution. Strategically sound … Continue Reading
I was struck by the idea shared by David Ackert on his blog last week, and I highly recommend you check it out if you haven’t already. We spend considerable time and space exploring tactics for effective business development, and frequently note that — when it comes to professional service practice development — relationship is the name … Continue Reading
