Thinking Outside the Business Development Box

Being a successful business developer often requires thinking outside the box. That’s because some things about business development may seem counter-intuitive, at least on the surface.

Think about it: the fundamental goal of business development seems to be about getting things for yourself: more Clients, more work, more engagements and, ultimately, more revenue for your firm and for yourself. It seems like it’s all about you.

But if you approach business development this way, you will often fail. This is because, in reality, successful business development is not about you. It’s all about the Client.

Good business developers know this. They are all about the Client. They are genuinely interested in their Clients. They make it a point to learn all they can about the Client’s business and industry. They ask good questions and then listen so that they can identify and understand the Clients' issues, challenges and needs. Then they find ways to help them. They build relationships. They provide superlative Client service. These are the things that make them good business developers. Then there are the great business developers...