Doug Ott Consulting, LLC

  • Home
  • About
    • About Doug
    • Clients We Serve
    • Testimonials
  • Services
    • Coaching
    • Training
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About
    • About Doug
    • Clients We Serve
    • Testimonials
  • Services
    • Coaching
    • Training
  • Blog
  • Contact

Activity Begets Results

5/20/2021

 
…One of my favorite quotes from my former boss and National Sales Leader at Deloitte, Tom Lutz.

Even though Tom sees talent and experience as important attributes to be successful in growing a business, he always falls back to the most important work habit – staying consistently active in the market.

This basic rule of thumb seems simple, yet why is it hard for professionals to follow? Why do so many talented professionals fall into the “best-kept secret” category?
Is it laziness? Perhaps lack of BD know-how? Or the one I often hear - “I’m too busy taking care of clients to be doing business development?” Ah, the last one is a classic! A convenient built-in excuse to avoid business development for extended periods of time.

I believe professionals enter this “witness protection program” due to a combination of all the above. Many would prefer to follow the old-school work philosophy “do good work and more work will follow.” This may work for a small percentage of professionals, yet this is not enough for most in today’s competitive market. Doing good work goes without saying. That is table stakes. Staying top of mind on a consistent basis is what separates the successful professionals from the struggling ones.

So how can you get into a better habit of staying active in the market? Here are a few suggestions.

Invest small chunks of business development time daily.

Instead of trying to carve out an hour or longer for business development, consider committing to less time, but try to do it daily. Many of my clients have found that investing 15 minutes a day of BD activity at the beginning of their workday is far more effective than trying to squeeze in an hour during the middle of the day.

Spend more time on social media.

Whether it is on LinkedIn, Twitter, or even Facebook, investing the time on social media can pay off in the long run. It is about getting your face and name out into the marketplace. You do not need to come up with your own content all the time. Liking, Commenting, and Sharing is better than no activity at all. The key is to spend time on social media at least 3-4 times per week. Tip – look for associations for you to follow. It will provide you much more interesting content to like, comment on, or share.

Do a 30-day trial of concentrated effort.

See how much you can add to your pipeline in a 30-day period. Working with a physical therapist to rehab an injury over a concentrated period can work wonders toward a quicker recovery. The same goes for business development. You will be amazed at how many more opportunities you can create by focusing daily on business development over a relatively short period.

A great way to get into this routine is to commit to the 4-Week Business Development Challenge that I posted last year. It is a straightforward daily activity that does not take up too much of your time.
 
Last week I had a wonderful catch-up conversation with Tom. He mentioned to me that his sales team is having a record year and should exceed $6.5B at Deloitte. A big part of their success is attributed to their continued focus on staying active in the marketplace.  Whether it is through social media, Zoom calls, or in-person meetings, staying in regular contact with your clients, prospective clients, and referral sources are critical in building a healthy pipeline and ultimately a steady revenue stream.

If you are struggling with getting out of the blocks due to a lack of knowing the business development basics, reach out to a mentor, BD colleague, or an outside coach. This additional guidance can make your life and your business so much more enjoyable.

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018
    January 2018
    March 2017
    January 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

have a question or want to learn more? Contact doug Directly: 

EMAIL: DOUG@DOUGOTTCONSULTING.COM    |    PHONE: 415.350.9423    |
Picture

© 2023 Doug Ott Consulting, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Website by RyTech, LLC