10 Key Strategies for Successful Business Development
At deVilliers Communications we are passionate about driving new business for our clients. Our team has over thirty years of business development experience, built up from working at companies such as Orange, BT, Sky Sports and many more. As a team we have created our Top 10 business development activities to help drive your business forward.
Our Top 10:
1. Dress for success
This is self-explanatory and makes a huge difference to winning confidence and trust. Make sure you consider your clients environment.
2. Have a clear understanding buyer behaviour and targeting the right people
This is often missed out in account strategy planning but every business has its own unique approach to procurement and decision-making. Researching this can save you time and money.
3. Ability to connect with your clients and build the right relationships
Get to know your clients, if you seriously want to work with them be prepared to learn about them and how they like to work. Be yourself and strike up some friendships.
4. Adding value to your relationships
Make sure you have some ideas and concepts in your mind to add value to your core proposition, what is the creative idea of the meeting.
5. Turning service management into opportunities
A problem or account issue is still an opportunity to build credibility, don’t be afraid to ask for more based on helping your clients perform or get results.
6. Meeting outside the office
Offices sometimes create tension, with so many places to meet the options are limitless and clients often open up more in a relaxed environment.
7. Understand your clients business
Do your homework and make sure you know everything from the share price to their latest business activities. This demonstrates that you are serious and want to get under the skin of their business.
8. Listen carefully and record your meetings
The tendency is talk early in meetings about yourself and your products, start by getting the client to discuss their business and don’t spend too much time on your services to early. Read the body language and switch on your senses, for people new to client facing roles it is best go to meetings with a colleague or mentor to help in temperature check.
9. Have a set of objectives for the meeting
We believe in having a plan for the meeting, good to set an agenda.
10. Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals and extra business
Clients will help you but if you don’t ask you don’t get. If you give me a lead I will…
To further discuss your sales and marketing teams and how to get the most from your sales and marketing campaigns come and visit us, we do good coffee.
