When it comes to business development for professional services, one of the biggest challenges professionals face is finding time to do it all. After all, you don’t sell full-time. Your work, whether it’s consulting, accounting, or engineering, is what you do full-time. And that makes it very difficult to find time to create and develop the relationships necessary to bring in new business.
Mornings tend to work best, before you get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the day. Block this time off in your calendar, close your door, and don’t allow any interruptions. This is your sacred selling time.Know where to spend the sacred selling time you have. Often, it takes just as much time and effort to sell a $5,000 deal as it does to sell a $50,000 deal. Focus on deals that have the greatest potential for long-term success.
Apply that thinking to your business development efforts. Know where the highest potential is, and focus on those prospects first.How many times have you thought, “I should really give Jim Smith at ABC Manufacturing a call to follow up on our conversation from last week, but I don’t have time right now. I’ll do it later.”When you think about doing something, do it .
Automate some of your lead nurturing by sending email or direct mail that provides valuable insights to prospects. Connect with prospects and clients on LinkedIn and Twitter. Publish a blog and post regularly. These technologies can help you build and strengthen your relationships. They also help you stay top of mind with clients and prospects, so when the need does arise, you are the first one they think of.