Develop Business

• When you meet a current or prospective client at a networking event, use high yield questions to learn about that person's work style. High yield questions are open-ended questions that ask the other to evaluate, speculate or analyze. Most importantly, they are not about your agenda.

• Engage in business development activities that are consistent with your own personality and style. Some options include attending networking events, participating in community activities, writing articles and giving speeches.

• Some propsects will become clients quickly while others will require some time. Still others will never become clients simply because they’re tied to another firm or organization. Keep your "pipeline" constantly filled by engaging in some business development activity every day.

• Upon meeting a prospective client, avoid the fatal error of immediately "pitching" your services or products. Instead, ask questions that help reveal needs. Then, develop messages that respond to those needs. 

• Buyers of goods and services purchase for emotional--not analytical--reasons. You will close the deal when you "flex" to your buyer’s work style preference. 

• Some buyers are very bottom-line oriented. (They typically focus on cost.) Others are more interested in prestige and connections. Understand your buyer’s motivations before proposing solutions.

• Whether you are working to build a relationship with an internal or external client, don’t interpret "No" to mean "Never." A client may not need your services this instant. Stay in touch. Eventually, they will.