Because the outdated saying goes, there’s multiple solution to peel a banana.
Good factor, as a result of bananas might be tough and when banana is definitely a metaphor for Enterprise Improvement (BD) at your consulting agency, it’s useful to have one other couple of choices if the one you’re pursuing isn’t producing outcomes.
There’s a good probability you could have a (fairly) stable plan in place to win consulting enterprise from two teams of resolution makers:
1. Your present shoppers who may interact your consulting agency for extra initiatives.
2. Completely new shoppers who may rent your consulting agency for the primary time.
Securing observe-on work with present shoppers is comparatively simple, whereas lassoing completely new shoppers might be downright difficult.
There are, nevertheless, two further teams of resolution-makers you may goal.
Including a BD technique for all 4 forms of potential shoppers will maximize your odds of profitable consulting initiatives, enhance income and create a extra steady consulting agency.
You’ll reveal the 2 teams of resolution-makers you might be ignoring in the event you decouple people from organizations.
As an example, let’s say your contact database contains Madeline Dorr, the CEO, of Appalachian Misadventures. You even have contact entries for Mattie’s sister, Corrine (“Corrie”), who runs the Paranom-Asia division and their brother Maurice (“Mor”), who runs a group out of Calembour, France.*
Usually, you consider the Dorr siblings collectively, as a part of one group: Appalachain Misadventures.
If Appalachian is at present a consumer, you try to win further initiatives.
If Appalachian is just not but a consumer you goal them together with your advertising actions.
You might have a pair extra choices, although.
By contemplating folks (a.okay.a. contacts) individually from their employers you reveal two further lessons of resolution-makers and 4 BD success methods.
Technique: Go Deep
Goal: Present Determination-Makers at Present Shoppers
Objective: Seize each obtainable greenback your contact may spend on consulting.
Techniques:
- Ship excellent work that warrants repeat enterprise.
- Hold an eye fixed out for further alternatives and phases.
- Strengthen your relationship together with your contact.
- Doubtlessly embody your contact in your advertising efforts.
BD Focus: 10-40%.
In case your shoppers don’t have a number of shopping for factors and also you’ve solely scratched the floor of potential initiatives, then focus extra effort on Going Deep.
Technique: Go Broad
Goal: Present Determination-Makers at Present Shoppers
Objective: Create relationships then win enterprise with each resolution-maker in your consumer’s group, throughout teams, divisions, features, geographies, and so forth.
Techniques:
- Embody a broad, consumer viewers in your initiatives’ kickoffs, info gathering, and report outs.
- Ask for inner introductions.
- Consumer-particular lunch ‘n learns, webinars and thought management publications.
BD Focus: 0-30%.
In case your shoppers have a number of shopping for factors, then prioritize this technique over Going Deep.
Your consulting agency’s place might be rather more steady when you may retain key shoppers regardless of your preliminary resolution-maker’s departure or your shoppers’ organizational shakeups.
Technique: Go After
Goal: Present Determination-Makers at Potential Shoppers
Objective: Observe your contacts once they transfer to new organizations and leverage the relationships you’ve constructed to win enterprise from solely new firms.
Techniques:
- Actively assist your contacts advance their careers.
- Emotionally assist executives who’re between jobs.
- Keep on high of latest hires and counsel a “First 100 Days” providing.
BD Focus: 5-10%.
This group could seem solely opportunistic; nevertheless, in the event you deal with Go After as an specific technique that you just’ll commit time to, you’ll discover a stunning variety of alternatives to place it into observe.
Technique: Go Fish
Goal: New Determination-Makers at Potential Shoppers
Objective: Win a gentle stream of latest shoppers with contacts and organizations that haven’t labored with you beforehand.
Techniques:
Constantly construct visibility by way of relationship-constructing, writing/publishing, public talking, digital presence, and commerce associations/partnerships. (See extra element on this e-book.)
BD Focus: 60-100%.
Even you probably have a full portfolio of present shoppers with whom you may Go Deep and Go Broad, dedicate at least 60% of your new enterprise efforts to a Go Fish technique.
Fishing for solely new shoppers is rather more troublesome and time consuming than pursuing present shoppers, and is vitally essential to your consulting agency’s long run well being.
Which of the 4 “Go” methods has been most profitable for you and your consulting agency?
Textual content and pictures are © 2025 David A. Fields, all rights reserved.
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