​A topic has come up in several of my coaching conversations recently.

I talk a lot about approaching business development with curiosity. Instead of reaching out because you want to tell someone about your firm or your services, reach out because you’re genuinely interested in their business, what they’re seeing in the market, and what they’re thinking about right now.

Recently, a few clients have pushed back on me.

“Doug, doesn’t that still sound like a sales line?”

It can, and I think that’s an important distinction.

Saying, “I’d love to hear what you’re seeing in the market” is certainly better than asking for 30 minutes to talk about your capabilities. The person on the other end may still be thinking, Why should I spend 30 minutes telling you what I’m seeing?
Curiosity is the right mindset. It just may not be enough to motivate someone to meet with you.
​
This is where I think we need to be a little smarter about prospecting. Give people a reason why the conversation might be useful to them, too.

​Over the past few weeks, I've noticed a common theme in my coaching conversations.

Many of my clients have been taking on the 4-Week BD Challenge. The assignment is simple enough: reach out to one business contact each day, five days a week, for four weeks.

A couple of weeks into the challenge, I usually hear the same question.

"Doug, I'm doing the outreach. Why isn't anything happening?"

It's a fair question. But I usually tell them they're asking the wrong one.

In business development, we spend far too much time measuring outcomes and not enough time measuring consistency. That's a misleading way to judge progress because the results rarely show up on our timetable.

Somewhere along the way, we've developed unrealistic expectations about business development. We send an email, reconnect with a former client, attend a networking event, or have coffee with a referral source, and if nothing happens within a few weeks, we start wondering whether it was worth the effort.
​
That's not how relationships work.

​I'm writing this from our vacation home in British Columbia, where my family and I are enjoying a few weeks away.

One of the highlights of the trip was spending a day on the water in a Zodiac, watching a pod of orcas hunt seals.

It was an incredible experience.

What struck me most wasn't the hunt itself. It was how the orcas behaved. They were quiet and relaxed. Nothing looked forced or loud. Every movement had a purpose.

Our guide explained that hunting seals is very different from hunting salmon. Seals are much smarter, making them far more difficult to catch. Success depends on patience, coordination, and knowing exactly when to act.

As I watched them, I realized they weren't trying to create more opportunities. They were completely focused on the opportunity in front of them.
​
That stayed with me long after we headed back to shore.

​As we wrap up the first half of 2026, I always find this to be a good time for reflection, a reset, and a refined focus.

It's been an incredible year. The Business Development Shift launched in March, my coaching practice continues to thrive, and Aja and I have loved watching our kids grow into thoughtful, curious, and fun little humans.

Like most years, it hasn't all been positive.

We've lost loved ones. Both of our kids have spent time with the orthopedic doctor after breaking bones. Like most things in life, not everything is going to be rosy, especially when we're willing to stick our necks out in pursuit of learning and growing.
​
I've never been a big fan of staying in the comfort zone where everything feels safe. Earlier in my career, I spent too much time there. I avoided risk because I wanted to avoid failure, and over time, I found myself losing the passion I once had for my work.

​This past Monday, I took my son, Lukas, to the FIFA Club World Cup match at Levi's Stadium. It was Jordan vs. Algeria, and we honestly didn't know much about either team, but that didn't matter.

The atmosphere was incredible. Fans from both countries filled the stadium with nonstop energy, and you couldn't help but get caught up in it. It was one of those experiences we'll both remember for a long time.

As the game went on, I found myself paying less attention to the score and more to how the teams played.

Neither team had a global superstar like Messi or Ronaldo who could simply take over the game. Every player had a job to do. They defended together, attacked together, and trusted one another. When someone made a mistake, another teammate was there to cover for them.
​
It reminded me of this U.S. Men's National Team. This has been one of their best World Cup starts in years. They've benefited from strong leadership, a clear identity, and a system where every player understands what's expected of them. Talent matters, but culture and leadership have made the difference.

​You don’t have to be a basketball fan to appreciate what happened in Madison Square Garden last night.

In Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, the Spurs were well on their way to tying up the series at two games apiece.

In fact, when I heard on the radio that the Spurs had a 17-point lead going into the fourth quarter, I figured it was a done deal.

Little did I know that the Spurs would grow their lead to 29 points and still be ahead by 20 with only nine minutes remaining in the game.

Then something remarkable happened. The Knicks refused to go away.

Possession by possession, they chipped away at the lead until they eventually won 107-106 on a shot with 1.2 seconds left on the clock. The largest comeback in NBA Finals history.

After the game, Knicks coach Mike Brown said something that caught my attention:

"You gotta have a little luck. You can also go make your own luck, too."
​
I often draw parallels between sports and business development.

​I remember when people said the internet was a fad.

Some people embraced it early. Others dismissed it completely.

“People will never buy things online.”

“Clients will still want everything done the traditional way.”

“This whole thing is overhyped.”

Now it’s hard to imagine life without it.

Just look outside. Amazon trucks are everywhere. Ordering something online has become so normal that we barely think about it anymore. We’re practically on a first-name basis with the Amazon drivers who deliver to our house.

What once felt disruptive simply became part of everyday life.

I think we’re going through that same kind of moment again with AI.

Most professionals are not struggling with a lack of effort in business development.
​
They’re struggling with where they’re putting that effort.

I often tell my clients that their most precious commodity is time. Most professionals today are already overwhelmed with client work, internal responsibilities, and constant demands on their attention. If you only have limited time to invest in business development, you need to invest that time wisely.

That’s where many smart professionals get stuck.

Sometimes that means spending too much time researching before a meeting. Other times it’s rewriting an email that was probably good enough two drafts ago, sitting through a networking event without a clear plan, or creating content without thinking about who it is meant to reach.None of those things are bad on their own. In fact, they can all be useful.The issue is whether they are helping you move a relationship forward, or simply helping you feel productive. 

​One of the biggest challenges in business development is not the outreach itself. It is what happens after you send it.

You reach out to someone you have been meaning to reconnect with.

You follow up after a good conversation.
You send an article or a quick note to stay in touch.
Then you hear nothing.

No reply. No acknowledgement. No clear signal that anything is happening.
​
When that silence happens enough times, it can start to get in your head.

​Before AI tools became part of my workflow, I was spending a significant amount of time across many aspects of my work. Preparing for meetings, customizing proposals, following up after coaching conversations, researching companies and contacts, and rewriting emails to make sure the tone and message were right.

That preparation has always mattered to me because it leads to better conversations. It also takes time.

Over the past year, I have been experimenting with tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and meeting note platforms such as Fathom to better understand where they genuinely add value. The goal is not to shortcut the thinking process. The goal is to reduce the friction around getting started and capture information more effectively.