If you open up LinkedIn and scroll for, I don’t know, thirty seconds? You’ll find ten AI-generated posts, a few vapid surveys, and probably receive a handful of messages – all with the same unifying goal of promoting a business and converting you into a customer.
Sure, some of these methods work. Others are less successful. But what we’re all after is consistency. Too many entrepreneurs and BD professionals drop the ball on the fundamentals and it’s absolutely baffling. So, without any further ado, here are some business development tricks that will actually win you business.
Strategic Networking
A good network is the foundation of any good BD strategy. And how do we network? First, we identify opportunities to meet and interact with our target customers. This might be pitching directly at an industry trade show, rubbing shoulders with relevant industry professionals at an industry awards show and making small talk, or it could be asking an existing customer if they know anyone else who might be in need of your services.
Coming up with a plan to build your network doesn’t have to be as long and arduous as BD itself. All you need to do is mark your calendar with major industry events and set yourself monthly goals, like increasing your LinkedIn network by 100 connections each month.
Be opportunistic. You can’t always account for everything that comes across your desk or happens in the outside world, but when industry changes impact your target demographic, or you build an excellent relationship with a customer, you need to be prepared to utilise these opportunities to get the most out of them.
For example, if a rival is going out of business, target their customers. If you build a good relationship, try to gain access to that customer’s network.
Build Real Relationships
It might hurt to hear it, but most people out there hate salesmen – especially pushy ones. So do your best to remain your authentic self, even while jumping into your professional persona. On top of that, visit clients/customers face-to-face, rather than virtually.
Ever since the pandemic, all of your competitors have remained in the comfort zone of taking meetings over Teams. So be better than them. Go against the grain and meet your clients face-to-face. Go out for lunch. Be humans together, not floating, pixelated heads.
Exhaust All Avenues
Try not to fall into the trap of becoming over-reliant on any one stream, no matter how comfy they become. Cold calling, LinkedIn, emails, industry events, client visits, and yes, even Teams calls, are all viable and have a place. The trick is having goals linked to each one and staying consistent.
One company out there, like some personal injury solicitors in Liverpool, might be excellent at promoting themselves on LinkedIn and have a clear content strategy that celebrates their wins and educates their target demographic.
Meanwhile, another business, like a design agency in Edinburgh, might attend every single industry event. But it’s all pointless if they aren’t exhausting all of the channels at their disposal and being consistent.
Closing Thoughts – Consistency
Speaking of which, consistency, as they say, is key. Utilising these strategies is all well and good, but you need to keep it up. You don’t want peaks and troughs; you want a straight, steady line. The phrase ‘BD while you’re busy’ will always ring true.
When you’ve got plenty of work on, and life is good, don’t get lazy. It isn’t permanent, and that potentially tricky July might be six months away now, but it’ll come around. Future-proof your business. Stay consistent.
Image Credit: business development tricks by envato.com
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