The Owners' Manual | Issue 15 | Spring 2019

What are some of the skills that people who aren’t in a “BD role” should get comfortable with?

MUHLBAUER | Networking. You don’t need to be involved in business development to network. Rather than worry about looking for opportunities for BL, think of networking as building good karma. Look at it as a forum to meet new people and with the intent of seeing if there is a way you can help them in business. Perhaps you have a contact that would be beneficial to them, or you know of an opportunity that would be of interest. Once you have extended yourself in that way, you will build trust, you will be remembered, and you will have people looking to return a favor.

CARLSON | Striking up conversations with people you don’t know at events. Being persistent. Don’t give up.

MANCINI | (1) They need to try and understand the client’s goals and needs better by listening closely ; and (2) Trying to have solutions to obstacles that arise on projects prior to just pointing out the problem.

BLICKLEY | Understanding that we are in the service business and while all clients are different, they understand that they are the client and we are the provider. Customer service skills are helpful- always be thinking “what can I do to help this client?” or “what can we do to make this clients life easier?”.

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