While I don’t do much business development, there’s one tenet that I know works, because I’ve seen it pay dividends again and again: Be helpful. Sounds easy enough, but this directive is harder to follow than it first seems, because knowing how to help someone is more an art than a science. So, let’s amend … Continue reading On helpfulness as a business development tactic
Tag: business development
On business development and the shame of not knowing everyone
As an introvert, I was never going to be much of a business developer. (I've written previously about my mild aversion to picking up the phone.) But even though I fall on the marketing side of the A/E/C business development-marketing spectrum, sometimes I still find myself in business development situations. Typically, this is a "leads … Continue reading On business development and the shame of not knowing everyone
On struggling to consider sales goals
How should we think about sales? Our firm—and most professional services firms—consider sales as distinct from revenue. Sales. When our firm wins a new project, we negotiate a contract with the client. Usually, that contract includes a lump sum fee. Let's say the fee is $500,000. Once the contract is signed, we count this as … Continue reading On struggling to consider sales goals
Taylor Coe 