COMPASS Consultants Corporation
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Ron McKenzie - Architect. Author. Advisor.
"COMPASS Consultants Can
Help Point You in the
Right Direction"
Business Development
The Little Secret of Business Developers
In many companies, business developers literally carry the company on their back. They are the KEY to why the company is sucessful.
Yet, oddly enough, in most architecture and construction companies, business developers will FAIL, not because their not doing their job, but because management (bosses, owners, presidents and vice presidents) don’t understand what business development is all about.
FACT
It takes a business developer roughly two years to be effective. Most business developers are “let go” in 18 months.
Business Development is Sales on Steroids.
Sales people make calls and expect to do a deal on that sales call, while a business developer develops relationships. It may take several years before a major project is signed. Business developers are all about developing relationships, and positioning their presentation by understanding the true and real NEEDS and WANTS of the target market. It is their mission to introduce the culture of their company to the prospect.
Business Development is all about Account Strategy.
It's all about thinking through all of the possabilities and concentrating on what it's going to take to sign a new account. It's about innovation; it's about is having an unshakable beleif that the company they work for is the best company out there, and is the best company to provide services that will save them money, and will be fair and good to work with. If that image fails to materialize, then the business developer will have problems.
Case in Point
Often a business developer is hired who is a good fit for the company and the market. Soon the business developer discovers there is no marketing; meaning no publicity, direct mail, database, prospect lists, project case studies or any speaking engagements by the principals, and articles submitted to the industry publications making them an expert. Marketing and business development work together to develop leads and market the culture of the company.
To be truly effective, marketing and business development is a team effort – it is everyone’s responsibility to market and develop relationships. It must become the company’s culture.
HOW I CAN HELP
I can help you develop a money making business development team! What I do is to help a company develop a business and marketing plan with a budget, and get everyone started in the right direction.
A very wise man once said,
“If you want to grow a company, find good people who want to work, find out what they like to do and what their good at, and let them do it.”
