by Bill Scheessele
Is your company ready to move beyond the strategy of merely 3Behavioral psychology farming for organic growth? If so, you may be ready to build 3You must have a developed knowledge of psychology, a hunting strategy, looking for those unique individuals who understanding how and why people behave. What is it can deliver new business to your firm. With the advent of that motivates a prospect to trust an individual and share innovative and promising initiatives like those of renewable information? It’s people knowledge. energy, the question is, do you really have an individual who can lead your company’s business development organization 4Gathering information and take advantage of these opportunities? 4Doyouhavethecapacitytodevelopthebehavioralcharacteristics
The typical profile of this individual is a person who of an intelligence-gatherer? This is not marketing—far from it. already has established working, personal relationships with You must be as skilled at asking intelligently “dumb” questions the senior management of the organizations being pursued. He as you are at giving high-level presentations. This is the critical or she brings an extensive contact base and ready access to the ability to know what information is important to gather early appropriate individuals. on, from whom to gather it and how.
Have you settled for this minimalist approach?
There are a lot of individuals with this basic profile 5Just say no, more often who declare they are business development professionals but 5The successful strategic business leader has to have the ability
in reality, they aren’t. Many have excel lent qualifications— and courage to disqualify opportunities early a nd efficiently. Can leadership credentials, operational and tactical planning, you say “no”? You must be able to let go, close the door, walk A u t h o r program, project and resource management experience, as away and move on to a better opportunity for your company. Bill Scheessele is chair- well as the requisite technical expertise. They seem like perfect man and chief executive candidates and many are hired. Perhaps you are one of them or Building the pipeline officer at MBDi, an maybe one or two names come to mind. However, most have 6You must have the skill to quickly build both a short- and international business not made the commitment to use their experience to acquire long-term pipeline. You must develop and hone the thinking, development profes- new business. As a result, many dig a circular ditch, digging have the character and be educated or re-educated in the role sional services firm. themselves and the company into adeeper hole. of professional business development. Real BD leaders are Hecanbereachedat Areyoudiggingdeeperorwider?Maybeyouneed abletoquicklyengagepeopleatthehighestlevelwithinan (704)553-0000 or bill. to dig strategically. To beastrategicbusiness leaderwho organization and haveaknackfordiscoveringopportunities, scheessele@mbdi.com. isinnovative,creativeandsuccessful,youmustbeableto bothshortandlong,onanongoingbasis.Howisthiscurrently innatelyapplythefollowingsevencriticalconcepts. workingforyou?
1The hunter mentality Alpha prone
Areyouahunter?Behonest.Thebusinessofhuntingisnot7strategic business leader must have the ego drive to prettyandit”snotfortheweak.Youmustexhibitthehunter continuallypursuenewopportunities, likeanalphawolf. profile,alwayspursuingthenextbeststrategicopportunities Alphawolveshaveaheightenedsixthsense,theabilitytosee foryourcompanyandcraftingthoseopportunitiesbefore leveragepointsandmakeconnectionsthatothersfailtomake. competitorsrecognizethem.Inmanyways,huntingisscientific You”’renotplayingfollow-the-leader. innature,breakingopennewenergyavenues,developingnew relationshipsandtestingnewopportunities. Peopleoftenaskifstrategicbusinessleadersareborn 2withtheBDgene.IsitinherentintheirDNAorcantheybe Purposeandgoal developedinthisrole?Afterthreedecadesinthisbusiness, criticalthatyouunderstandthegoalandpurposeof Icansaythesimpleansweristhatit”’sreallyalittleofboth. businessdevelopment.WhatisBDtoyou?Inadditionto Few individuals bring it all. That”’s where professional yourgoalofdevelopingasubstantialpipeline,thepurposeof developmentandmasteryeducationcomeintothestrategic yourroleistohelporganizationsunderstandtheirrealissues, BDequation. challengesorconcerns, andidentifytheirpain.Thisisatough, Isthistherightroleforyou?Areyoureadytotakethe trust-buildingandaffirmingstep. nextstep?
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