We have spent a lot of time in professional service environments and can tell you two things have remained constant:

    1. Growth has always been (and still is) about building relationships; and

    2. Management will always be concerned about the sufficiency of the internal habits that build relationships.

    Our personal approach to business development in a professional service environment is as follows:

    • IMPRESS your clients with exceptional service and a few unexpected value-adds.

    • INFORM your clients about other organization wide offerings and capabilities.

    • INCREASE the depth and breadth of your client relationships to your organization – yes, you may have to introduce your clients to a few of your colleagues.

    • IMPROVE and leverage the varied BD skills of all your teammates.

    • INQUIRE about the needs of clients and future clients alike.

    • INTEGRATE a BD activity into your calendar every single day. Use whatever BD activity that comes naturally to you – and occasionally some that don’t.

    • INITIATE know how to ask for the business – and do it. Your future client is expecting you to initiate this critical (never fatal), conversation.

     

    Business Development Habits for Success

     

    This article was published more than 1 year ago. Some information may no longer be current.