Stick to the Basics

Late in 2009 I was sitting in a presentation by a Senior VP of a major Company headquartered in Kansas City. He was speaking about the ways he is engaged by various Business Development Professionals and what his expectations were of them when he did speak with them.  I thought reviewing his major points here would be a great refresher for all of us.

1. Initial Contact.  E-mails, cold calls, mailings and free stuff don’t work on him. He hits delete and gives the stuff to his staff. If he answered every unsolicited voicemail or correspondence he would get nothing done. He only speaks with individuals who are recommended to him by those he trusts.

 

1. Modulated Persistence. Once an individual is referred to him, it may take awhile until there is A conversation. Stick with it. However, there is a fine line between persistence in following up and stalking.

 

1. Choose the right advocate. Your best friend may be the accountant at the organization you are prospecting but they might not be able to get you a meeting with the CEO. Entering the organization at the right level and for the right reason is critical. Top down is always an easier approach than bottom up, that one works best at happy hour;-)

 

1. Know your audience. Once you have a meeting with the decision maker, do not ask them information that is readily available. Examples of questions are particularly irksome: size of Company, Company culture and diversity. Spend time finding out information from the decision maker that is not readily available and probe at the type of solution slots that is needed.  The more value you bring through your questions to show them that you are creative and innovative in your approach to problem solving, the more interested he will be in talking with you.

 

1. Acknowledge differences in point of view (POV). There is no way that you can know what the decision maker is going through. You can offer solutions that have worked for similar situations. So, don’t try to say you know how they feel and what they are going through. Acknowledge that you are coming at this from different perspectives and work on solutions from there.  3^rd party stories are your best tool for giving examples of your experience and knowledge without ‘telling him how to build a watch, when he asked what time it is’

 

1. One size does not fit all. Flexibility is the key here. Listen to the needs of the decision maker and tailor custom solutions that are right for the situation and client. Keen decision makers see through the stock off the shelf solution most of the time.

 

1. Don’t love them and leave them. If you are fortunate enough to secure the project, deliver it well and continue to follow up. Don’t collect the invoice and leave a vapor trail to the next opportunity. You can miss out on valuable feedback, possible new work and potential referrals.

While a lot of this information and can sound a bit jaded and cynical coming from the decision maker, I think it is what it is: Reality. So, while you are looking for the next creative marketing campaign and referral source for your business, be sure to pay attention to the basics of business development. You work too hard to create the opportunity to blow it with lack of preparation.