Business development is a crucial part of the overall success of your business. It’s essential therefore, that you not only commit to business development but that you organise your time for it, as well as getting clarity and focus on it too.

Here are 18 tips to help you get organised, focused and targeted in your business development efforts.

Organising your time

#1: Utilise existing contacts when looking to forge new connections.  There’s usually no more than one degree of separation between us and the person we’re targeting, thanks to the ability to make a wide range of connections on and offline.  The chances are, we know someone who is that one degree of separation, who can serve as an introducer or give us a point of common ground.

#2: Team up in groups, especially when trying to crack a target account.  By working together as a team, encouraging and coaching, you will start to make an impact and make efficient use of everyone’s time.  You can also then carefully choose who is the best person to make a call to a particular contact.

#3: Save time by using resources, such as “The approach email”.  Have something drafted and ready to adapt for each introduction.

#4: Before you call somebody, sit down and think clearly about what you are going to say. Know also, what you want to get out of the call, both in the short term and the long term, so you can make the call both efficient and effective.

#5: Be concise.  When you do get to speak to the person or email them, get to the point! People have short time spans, so get to the point of your call, straight after the initial salutations and pleasantries.

#6: Forging friendships outside of work is extremely powerful and they’re often sustained over the long term, when they develop naturally from mutual interests.  The time you spend with friends can also be considered ‘informal business development’ and lead to great opportunities.

#7: For all your contacts – both personal and professional – make a note of their interests.  Then, when you do come across something that would appeal to them, such as a book or article, you can take the opportunity to connect.

#8: Use existing firm support/structure around intellectual capital – effectively ‘touching’ people on your target list.

#9: Keep your mailing list up-to-date is less time consuming than having to pull it together from scratch.

Schedule time for your business development

#10: Ask your EA to schedule calls with your key contacts, placements and best candidates at regular intervals – keep in touch.

#11: Make the most of your trips, by scheduling time with a business development contact in that location.

#12: Make time; schedule a business development slot. Whether it’s an afternoon or a day, commit to a set time slot for your business development.  If something comes up that must override your scheduled time, move it – but never delete time scheduled for business development.

#13: Leave space in your calendar for spontaneity so you can act on opportunities that emerge.

Building a business development target list

#14: Create a list of people you want to get to know and then be thoughtful about when/how/with whom you meet.

#15: Think about people you should know, as opposed to people you happen to know.

#16: When arranging courtesy interviews with senior executives, ascertain their interest in outside boards. They will almost always respond positively to our overtures because of obvious self-interest. Once meeting, you can also steer the conversation in other directions. Make sure you do not promise more than you can deliver on the Boards front.

#17: Map out relationship connections between target individuals, leveraging Qnt and other resources to discover how you may know each other. Then, when you are talking to someone, use that conversation to help open the door to someone they know.

#18: Regularly update your target list, as your goals change and your business grows.

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