What Business Development Really Means, According to Andrew Robertson

Mo asks Andrew Robertson: What is your personal definition of business development?

• Business development at its best is win/win/win. Your business wins, the client wins, and thirdly, the client is winning so much that they become your best business development ambassador.
• Raving fans turn into your own personal sales force.
• Focusing on the win for the client secures the win for the business. If your client wins enough, they become predisposed to become a raving fan, but you still have to ask for it.
• Do something for them that gets them something of value and gets you even more. Don’t assume it will happen automatically.
• First, recognize that the person you are working with is a person and not just a job title. They have interests and frustrations, and when you understand that there is something you can engage with together.
• Dinner is a great opportunity to connect with someone outside of the confines and constraints of the work. You can also find a time to accompany them on another aspect of their work and learn more about what they do and what they care about in a way that’s not structured like a meeting.
• The best conversations you can have with a client are the ones where you do 20% of the talking. Figure out questions to act as a stimulus and get them talking.
• There is value and benefit for people in just having the opportunity to talk.