Henning Streubel, Linda Klein, and Mark Harris Discuss Why It's Time To Get Great At Business Development

<p>Mo asks Henning Streubel: When was the moment that growth and business development was something you wanted to focus on?</p> <ul> <li>Henning is intrinsically motivated to help people, but it’s less about business development and sales. Whenever he meets someone, he has a tendency to ask deep questions.</li> <li>Early in his career working for a utility client in Germany, he realized that the client’s company had many more problems than he initially thought which he discovered by simply having a deep conversation.</li> <li>Because of those conversations, the client was able to take Henning’s thoughts and ideas back to her boss and make positive changes.</li> <li>For Henning, relationship development starts with insights, which allows you to create an impact and trust.</li> <li>Many highly analytical people have difficulty talking about anything outside of the project. Henning recommends understanding that everyone is a human being which means they share a common foundation.</li> <li>Being genuine about being curious is key. Don’t just use small talk as a way to open a conversation.</li> <li>Follow up on the topics and go deeper. This shows your interest in them as a human being.</li> <li>Establishing a personal relationship makes connecting with them easier outside the context of the work. It creates an entry point that lets you have the impact you want to have.</li> <li>When you open up on your experience, you become more vulnerable and that creates a better foundation for trust. This was something that Henning had to learn and practice. Having a few stories in your back pocket can make it easier.</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>Mo asks Linda Klein: When was the moment that you realized that growth was great?</p> <ul> <li>Linda separates the ideas of business development and building a relationship. In the beginning of Linda’s career as a lawyer, she spent a lot of time learning about her client’s business and that relationship building always paid off.</li> <li>It’s not about developing the business, it’s about devel