Business Development Tips

• Ask provocative, inquiring, open-ended questions to learn more about your client's universe.  Then (and only then!) provide specific information about your firm and the benefits it provides in the context of their needs.
  
  
• Provide complimentary advice, resources, and/or industry best practices during the business development process.  Doing so will demonstrate that you have your client's best interest at heart (vs. just trying to land a job).
  
  
• Stick to your word!  If you tell someone you'll call them or e-mail an article on a particular day, then do so-- this is the most basic litmus test for whether you'll be trustworthy during a project.
  
  
• Don't go it alone!  Exposing potential project team members during the business development process has the dual benefits of demonstrating a collaborative approach and mentoring younger professionals in the art of rainmaking.
  
  
• Always invite clients and prospects to workshops and presentations you and your colleagues will be delivering.
  
  
• Contact past clients at least once per quarter using a variety of media: personal visits, phone conversations, networking events, e-mail messages or handwritten personal notes.
  
  
• Use “affinity” groups (e.g., your alma mater, a fellow 4-H Club member) to help get a foot in the door to prospective client organizations. Of particular value is your alma mater, which likely has a digitized searchable alumni database.
  
  
• When pursuing a past or prospective client to schedule a conversation or meeting, use a variety of communication media, including office voice mail, e-mail, and cell phone (if appropriate). While some folks find it easier to respond to e-mail, your original message may not have penetrated the company’s spam filter.
  
  
• Brainstorm ways to involve past and current clients (e.g., charettes, co-presenting at a conference, serving on town and technical committees).
  
  
• Befriend administrative assistants, who can be important influencers in the business development process. They can “unlock” calendars and advocate for your firm.
  
  
• Don’t assume that just because a prospective client hasn’t gotten back to you, you should avoid future contact. While it’s easy to want to retract back into your shell, persistence is a differentiator in business development.
  
  
• Clients and prospects respect honesty. If you don’t know the answer to a question they’ve posed, tell them so. Promise them that you or a colleague will contact them in 24 hours with the answer. Then follow through!
  
  
• Follow up on any and all client inquiries within 24-48 hours. Responsiveness is a proxy for project management.