Kathy McMahon, Director of Marketing and Business Development, CBT Architects

Gary Pease, Principal, Nitsch Engineering

James Koloski, Business Development Manager, RDK Engineers

Katy Redmond Emmott, Fox RPM

B12 Business Development For The New Economy

Principal/PM Business Development

Start with the assumption that your company is qualified – you belong there – be confident

If you like making and keeping friends (and you are good at it), and you are organized, you should be doing more BD!

People want to work with friends and generous with friends…makes work more fun.

Can you do BD in 20%-30% of your time? Why not? What’s stopping you?

From the Principal’s office

It’s all about relationships!

Where can you meet/see more BD folks/Principals of client firms and referral firms??

Join a lead exchange meeting

Invite someone to coffee, lunch, cocktails, dinner, concert, sporting event, etc.

Attend Conferences/Events/Golf – be seen

Prepare and organize presentations – present and show your technical worth – to clients – maybe provide learning units!

Business Development?

Other important points/reminders

Find common bonds: music interests, sports, kids, charity, church, etc.

Remember that generosity begets generosity – but it has to be genuine to really work. Think first of others…It will come back to you.

Don’t EVER keep tabs – EVER!!!!

Keep confidential leads confidential

Keep in mind that something that is not interesting to you is probably interesting to someone else.

Other important points/reminders

Make sure your company sees the value in you doing BD – sometimes takes awhile to develop – set clear goals – be realistic

Respect all parties – Principals/BD/PM, etc…

Stay involved in projects – often the best BD you can do!

Force yourself to make the time to have this be part of your job

Need to be able to compartmentalize – effective time management

Make it fun – you get to choose who you’re doing BD with!

Be patient!!

Fish Finding

Plan, Plan, Plan

Make the time to plan every day - 20 mins. every morning - 30 mins. at the end of the week - 1 hour at the end of the month

Reserve time to get BD done - Block out time in Outlook - Treat it like any other meeting, take it seriously!

Clearly define who to contact and end results - Who: decision makers/connectors - What: Value Proposition - Know your objective before you call

Fish Finding

Don’t Hate The Player

Fish Finding

Get Involved!

Industry Associations - Attend events - Join committees work towards the board

Never Eat Alone - Breakfast, Lunch, Coffee

Reach Out and Touch Someone - Call, Email, Hand-write a note

Toot Your Own Horn - Linked In Updates, Twitter, Speaking Opportunities, Write an Article

Fish Finding

Fish Finding

Don’t Forget to Smile!

Get the Fish In The Boat

The Difference Between:

• Business Development

• Marketing

• Public Relations

Where are you in the cycle?

It’s all about balance

What’s new in this day and age?

BeforeBefore

1. Team

2. Experience

3. Fee

4. Risk

What does this mean for your marketing?

Now

1. Risk

2. Fee

3. Experience

4. Team

Do I Stay or Do I GO now?

Smart Go/No Gos:

• Is this within our business goals?

• Can we make money?

• Does the opportunity have a champion?

• Do we have existing relationships?

• Can we be in the top 5?

• What’s the short and long term impacts?

Differentiate – Everybody’s doing it

Establish client and project Hot Buttons, especially in current day conditions

Pick up the phone

No boilerplate!!!

Be specific and memorable – why does xyz matter?

Tee up the Interview

#1 reason why you win an interview

ChemistryYou can affect chemistry

Don’t try to cover it all, only the most important points

Opportunity most often blown here – don’t under estimate the need to TRAIN, PREP and REHEARSE

Getting someone to switch is really difficult.

Getting someone to switch because you offer more of what they were looking for when they choose the one they have now is essentially impossible.

The chances that you can top a trusted provider on the very thing the provider is trusted for are slim.

Instead, you gain converts by winning at something the existing provider didn't think was so important.

Seth Godin

Can’t touch this

Seek feedback

Be gracious

Refer others

Keep an eye on it!

Whether you win or lose…

The Client Service Factor

What is the difference between “nice tohave” and “need to have?” Good and great?

Having a supporter and having a champion?

Client Service

The Client Service Factor

The 80/20 Rule

80% of your business is coming from 20% of your clients.

Use this metric to focus

Identify your best clients and find the champions

Don’t take any client for granted—it’s much harder to win new business, and there is always someone in the wings

Slice 1

Slice 2

The Client Service Factor

Make client service part of your standard business practice

Schedule action

Principal to project staff

Build real friendships

A good relationship

doesn’t have to be exclusive

The Client Service Factor

Client Service and Business Development for all project staff

How good relationships = growth

Listen

Be proactive

Make your client a hero

Free stuff?

Stand in their shoes

The Client Service Factor

Customer Satisfaction – No Surprises

Feedback

Principal involvement from beginning to end

Open communication

The Client Service Factor

Wash, Rinse, Repeat….

Repeat and repeat and repeat….

1. Do what you are comfortable doing. Have fun. 2. Generosity begets generosity but be patient for payback. 3. Know where your clients go and be there too. Out of sight is out of mind.4. Do something extra every day – make the extra call or send the extra email, post an

update on linked in or send a tweet. 5. Plan, plan, plan – block out time on your calendar where you make calls and have a list of

calls to make.6. Know the difference between BD, marketing, and PR and have a balanced approach.7. Make smart go/nos – don’t waste time or money.8. Identify hot buttons and specifically address throughout all steps in the process. 9. Encourage client service activity/awareness by staff at all levels – Principal to Receptionist.10. Schedule client service actions. Find ways to add value for your client and to the

relationship before, during and after the engagement.

Build Boston workshop 2009 (Kathy McMahon, James Koloski, Gary Pease, Katy Emmott)

Top 10 BD Tips for the New Economy