People blame their personality, their intense expertise, and their crammed calendar. But those aren’t the reasons professionals make the following business development mistakes. These are:
1. They don’t do their homework.
The professional turns up to the meeting without taking the time to research the prospective client, the business context they’re operating in, the challenges they face, recent developments in the industry, and existing professional relationships.
This is the context that fosters the meaningful conversation that helps you show how you understand what’s happening in their world, that you care about what’s happening, and that you can solve their problems.
A nice chat about footy and the weather is unlikely to win work.
2. They struggle with positioning.
You need to be able to describe what you and your firm stand for beyond technical qualifications. Your firm (and you) need a compelling narrative that describes your capabilities in terms of what the client needs and cares about. This goes beyond self-promotion, it describes what you stand for in the client’s world, what they can depend on you for, and what sets you apart from your competition – your value proposition.
This is not something to be learned off by heart to recite, but something to know and understand so you can speak about it in a genuine way. If you can’t do this because you don’t know it, you won’t be compelling. If you can’t do it because you don’t believe it, your efforts will be in vain because your client will see that you don’t truly believe what you’re saying.
The client won’t appoint someone whose work ethic they don’t understand, and you don’t believe in.
3. They don’t build a connection.
Some people build client relationships naturally, but it is also a skill that can be learned. It’s about connecting genuinely with clients or prospects and applying those skills – listening to understand the clients’ situation, asking insightful questions to find common ground, and focusing on the client need rather than selling a set list of services.
Many professionals feel they can’t do this because they’re introverted, or technical rather than people-oriented. But they can learn to.
By seeing business development as an extension of client service, they will do it naturally. Understanding client needs means connecting with them, listening, engaging, and addressing concerns. It’s not selling, it’s providing good advice based on understanding.
Talking at the client about standard services and fee rates won’t uncover the real client need, or build lasting trust.
It’s about thinking differently
By seeing business development as normal human interaction, professionals can put aside their dislike of selling and it will become something they do naturally, even enjoy.
Add in some useful habits like BD planning, relationship coaching, and client relationship management and the results will soar. Then they’ll really like it. After all, nobody wants to do what they’re not good at.
