Marty Fagan Explains Why Passion and Authenticity Are Keys To Successful Relationships

<p>Marty Fagan shares his strategy for entering new markets at TransUnion and why the Three Legged Stool approach to business development is the most effective way to build relationships with complete strangers. Find out why business development is sales plus thought leadership, why valuable relationships, both  in life and in business, begin with authenticity and passion, and why persistence is one of the most powerful success habits you can cultivate in your career.</p> <p> </p> <p>Mo asks Marty Fagan: Go back in time and tell me of the moment when you realized growth or business development was something you wanted to dive into.</p> <ul> <li>In his role at TransUnion, Marty is helping the organization explore new areas of the market that the business has never participated in before, and that’s where business development has been a critical component.</li> <li>As an unknown entity, it requires an entirely different mindset in how you approach new business.</li> <li>If your brand isn’t really well known yet, that can actually be an advantage, as it gives you the opportunity to decide and shape the brand that people will perceive.</li> <li>To break into a market, you need to have the mindset of a marketer and sales executive. You have to bring together the tactical and the strategic to win.</li> <li>When meeting someone for the first time, Marty tries to glean as much information about them as possible ahead of time using resources like LinkedIn to find people with connections to the person he’s going to talk to.</li> <li>Next, he looks at the company’s strategic objectives, vision, and priorities, then moves up to researching the industry as a whole.</li> <li>All this research allows Marty to create really customized questions that are highly relevant to the potential client, all within the context of solving a need for the customer.</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>Mo asks Marty Fagan: What is your personal definition of business development?</p> <ul> <li>Business development is sales but in a different way. You have to