What Business Development REALLY Means, According to Jane Allen, Jeff Berardi, and Henning Streubel

<p>Mo asks Jane Allen: What is your personal definition of business development?</p> <ul> <li>Jane’s definition is simply proactive problem solving. If you are trying to sell something, it should be something they need and may not know they need it. It’s about showing them a problem they have as well as the solution.</li> <li>People don’t like to be sold to, but they do like to buy.</li> <li>If you’re struggling with being proactive, realize that it’s not the job of the prospect to call you or respond to your email. It’s your job to get the meeting.</li> <li>One of the best kinds of meetings is when someone says that they are not going to work with you, then at least you’re not going to waste your time.</li> <li>Don’t waste their time. Even if you think you have all the answers, you don’t. The goal of the first meeting is to ask thought provoking questions and to determine whether you have a solution to their problem.</li> <li>If you can’t resolve everything in one meeting, the goal is to secure the next. The prospect should understand the importance of the next meeting and you should give them enough of a cliffhanger that they anticipate it.</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>Mo asks Jeff Berardi: What is your personal definition of business development?</p> <ul> <li>Business development is creating a pipeline of future growth opportunities. You won’t know when they come to fruition or how, but it’s a steady process of cultivating and building relationships.</li> <li>There is never enough when it comes to business development because you never know when the well is going to go dry. By having a large pipeline, you have the ability to choose who you work with rather than having to take whatever comes your way.</li> <li>The lack of control is a major source of stress for people. Business development activities give you back the control over who you work with and how.</li> <li>You may be busy, but you must set aside time for business development opportunities or you might end up resentful of how much you are working.</li> <li>B