What is the key to successful business development?

I think customer engagement is the key to successful business as opportunities do not wait.

1. Review your recent business development activity. Look at what worked, what didn’t, and identify the key learning to take forward.

2. Have a plan for uncovering business referrals from existing clients

3. Hire the right people for business development

4. Cross train your staff

5. Ensure everyone on the team is clear on the individual, team and organisational goals.

6. Ensure a robust plan is in place for achieving those goals.

7. Establish goodwill

Research & analysis is the point of departure for succesfull business development. Taking actions towards creating new business opportunities, new business relationships with cross-functional partners, attaining new customers, exploring new markets will be based on applicable & useful current facts & analyses, if research & analysis is superb. I like to concentrate on departure-points as being major in achieving any succes.

Without research you wouldn't know how to build bridges, attain, explore, penetrate or engage, unless you're using a one-concept-fits-all method.

Hire the right person at the right time.

Passion for either the process or the result.