Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

As a parent, I often catch myself telling my kids “No.” A word that is hard to avoid when teaching them wrong from right. It is no wonder they already loathe the word as young kids and will voice their “opinion” quickly.

Looking back, I realize that I never liked hearing this word either. Whether it was when I was a toddler (“No, you can’t have dessert before dinner”), a teenager (“No, you can’t stay out past midnight”), or even a husband (“No, you can’t play golf this weekend”), it was not and still not something I like to hear.

No one likes rejection, which is why so many professionals avoid business development. They would rather avoid disappointment by doing very little, if any, outreach to their prospects.

​Throughout my career, the months of September and October have been my two favorite months to connect with my contacts. School is back in session. Most everyone has returned from vacation, and folks are more readily available to meet. Additionally, people are eager to meet in person while the weather is still nice and Covid is somewhat behind us.

Having said that, many professionals are busy. Almost too busy to dedicate any meaningful time to business development. Ironically, this is the best time to connect with your network. Your confidence is high. You have more to talk about. Most importantly, you are not “reaching” for any new work in your conversations which could come across as desperate to your contacts.