Effective business development
has become one of the primary keys
to a successful professional career
or growing your practice.
Despite what many professionals think –
or have been led to think –
business development doesn't have to be difficult,
expensive or time consuming –
and the return on investment can be substantial.
As a professional myself,
I believe that the key to maximizing
your return on business development
in an easier way
is by avoiding some common mistakes.
Hi everyone, I am Itzik Amiel,
international speaker, bestselling author,
attorney-at-law and the founder of THE SWITCH®
and today I goanna share with you
6 additional simple ways
professionals can improve
their business development efforts
by avoiding the most-common mistakes.
Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits all approach
to business development for professionals.
The key is to find what works best for you –
and do it.
But one thing is true for every professional -
If you want your results to be amplified exponentially,
instead of trying to implement new ideas,
focus on the right things
and avoid common business development mistakes.
So to help you, let me offer 11 simple ways
you as a professional can improve your efforts
by avoiding the most-common mistakes.
I already shared the initial 5 ways in my first video –
you can find a direct link to it in my comments below -
and to recap they were:
#1. Planning is the key to success
Learn to Plan every business development activity,
in advance
#2. Selecting your potential clients carefully
Do your research to know about the company
and executives you are going to pursue,
in detail.
#3. Learn to give attention
clearly demonstrate that you care about your clients
and wants to help
#4. Build relationships, don't sell
Use networking events to connect with people
and enjoy learning about them.
#5. Follow-up with key people
Make sure to follow up with the right people.
In this video I want to share with you
additional 6 practical ways
you as a professional can improve your efforts
by avoiding the most-common mistakes.
6. Lost or quiet clients are not lost relationships
The Mistake: Experienced professionals know
that the best clients are repeat clients
and that it's much easier to reconnect
with a previous contact than it is
to establish a completely new connection.
But "keeping in touch" is easier said than done.
This is a real mistake.
The Solution: First, relax.
Keeping in touch doesn't mean a lot of work.
You don't need to connect with them
every week or meet every month…
You can keep in touch by simply
sending them something of value –
an article you read
or a link to special news that may interest them
or a special hand-written card.
I like this one very much
and use it myself all the time.
It can be done once in a while.
Remember: the success in keeping in touch
is by taking this step and by acting.
Your success does not depend
on the reply you will get
from your former or a lost client.
7. Always be a person of value
The Mistake many professionals do is:
Trying to convert a prospect to become a client
too soon.
By Trying to rush potential client
to become a client too soon,
you're actually focusing on your wants,
not a prospective client's needs.
That is why the potential client
does not see any use or value
to staying in touch with you.
The Solution: Let me emphasize once again:
Business development is about relationships.
In order to win a deal or engage a client,
it is essential to build a relationship.
The root of relationships is embedded
in providing mutual value to both parties.
You are probably familiar with the saying,
"you get what you put in."
That saying is particularly relevant.
In order to win the approval
and acceptance of potential clients,
it is more important than ever to you as a professional
to provide value first before asking
for anything in return from the other person.
You need to become a useful resource
for your potential clients.
The more value you offer,
the more a potential client comes to depend on you.
Don't hesitate to share information
they may find useful,
whether or not it benefits you in any way.
8. Offer to help, ask for help
The Mistake: I've discovered that
a lot of professionals see asking a client
to help them as being "pushy" behavior.
As one professional mentioned to me:
"We are here to serve the clients, not to bother them.
The client tells us what they need
and we supply it."
Really?
This mindset is a mistake, in my opinion.
The Solution: I believe
that you should ask for and offer to help.
It will show that you care,
that your're empathic.
It shows that you are truly listening
to their needs and focused on solving problems.
No doubt that acting in this way
also help to make you an even more trusted adviser
to your clients.
Isn't that what you want?
9. Continue to be creative and proactive
The Mistake:
Henry Ford said: "If you do what
you've always done
you'll get what you've always gotten."
And this is also true
when we are dealing
with professional business development.
Unfortunately, many professionals
learn to become reactive in their practice.
They only act when a client
asks them to do so.
But running your practice solely
on a reactive-passive basis
will harm your potential growth.
The Solution: In my experience
the most valuable professionals
are the ones who are proactive.
By definition, this means they are the ones
who comes with new ideas and solutions
to their clients rather than
waiting to respond to clients requests.
Embracing business development
doesn't mean waiting for answers to appear;
Put one foot in front of the other,
and find the answers.
Be resourceful!
10. Set the right expectations
The Mistake: Setting expectations too high.
Be honest —
you don't invest time in business development
just to meet new people.
Sure, that's part of it.
But, ultimately you're hoping
those new potential clients will be able
to benefit you in the future,
whether by becoming your clients themselves
or by introducing you to someone else
that might become your client.
The Solution: It's important
that you're realistic
about your expectations.
Don't expect to make your introduction
and immediately ask that person
to become your client
or to refer you to a new client.
Remember, you're building relationships –
and that takes time.
So Be patient.
11. Play to win
The Mistake: 'For many professionals,
the aim is "not to lose".
This approach guarantees
that prospective clients will forget you.
When they need your services,
they don't think about you…
and your competitor wins the business.
The Solution: As a professional,
if you aren't trying to win,
if you're just trying to participate,
you are wasting your time
and the time of your prospect.
You have to define your practice
purpose strategically,
decide what specific business development
victories would lead to your ideal future.
Of course, you can't win the whole world
or please everybody.
Trying to be all things to all potential clients
is a recipe for failure.
You have to strategically narrow
your business development focus
and be willing to stand-out for something.
Be bold, not bland.
These are the additional 6 ways
you as a professional can improve
your efforts by avoiding
the most-common mistakes.
For the first 5 practical ways
please watch my first video.
Doing Business Development Successfully
Is hard enough work.
But avoiding some common mistakes,
as you can see,
is much easier.
If you are a professional
that can get an extra help
in your business development efforts
and grow your practice.
Leave a comment below,
I'll answer, I'll help you out.
I am truly here to help you succeed.
So thank you for watching.
If you like this video,
please leave a comment below,
share it, tell other people about it,
subscribe.
Thank you!
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