What does it mean to “develop" business? Do all business development managers do the same thing? Is there some sort of secret code to being successful in a sales/marketing/business development role?
[Viewpoint: Welcome to the AV Renaissance]
I am here to tell you that these roles, much like others, are what you make of them—and they also bring me back to a familiar friend: the Comfort Zone. Given what we already know about our careers, we could look at the job description that our companies provide and get a vague understanding of how to do the job. However, I think that's just scratching the surface. To really understand what it means to differentiate yourself from others, I submit to you five ways you can develop business in the New Year.
Never Settle
I start with this because it is more of a behavioral change that needs to be adopted before anything else is considered. The concept of “settling” has been debated for years, and it's one that I try my hardest to avoid. The job descriptions I referenced earlier are a great way to highlight this point.
To me, a job description provides a framework of the core responsibilities of any given role. Communicating with the sales team, client visits, proficiency with Excel—those are typical elements in a job description. To develop new business means to search outside this proverbial box. Why settle for the job description when you can find greater success?
All those elements I listed are essential to my role, but I don’t view them as my role. Thus, I never settle for that. I find ways to evolve my role and develop it in a way that can be adaptable with time and other variables.
Don’t Remain Calm
No, that isn’t an error—I really mean do not remain calm. I have found that the calmer things are, the easier it is to fall into the trap of settling.
If 2023 has taught me anything, it’s that the more irons I have in the fire, the bigger the payoff has been.
Think about that when you find yourself going through the motions each day, answering emails, making calls, and working on reports. You are absolutely getting work done and being productive, but are you maximizing the day and setting yourself up stronger for the future? If 2023 has taught me anything, it’s that the more irons I have in the fire, the bigger the payoff has been.
Certainly, we need to remain calm in the face of adversity or obstacles, but outside of my play on words, I am a big proponent of “creating the crazy." This means manufacture your own opportunities. It’s OK to feel like your head is spinning, so long as you know how to attack it in the proper way to achieve the desired results.
Find Comfort in the Uncomfortable
One of the best ways to develop new business I've found is to come up with new ways each month to challenge myself. One personal example is constantly being on camera. Whether it's daily videoconferences or contributing to media blogs or video posts, I was not as comfortable in front of the camera as others.
I credit a good friend of mine, James Calandrillo, for helping me overcome this. He shared a video on LinkedIn helping to drive awareness of an upcoming event, and I was really drawn to the ease with which he spoke. It dawned on me that the more authentic you are on camera, the better the results will be. From there, the idea of doing frequent short videos where I share ideas and thoughts was born.
[On Your Business: Let's Get Together]
Another example of this could be prospecting for new business opportunities. I worked with a salesperson in Fall 2022, and she told me she was not comfortable about the lighting category. I recommended that she identify a handful of her customers that focused on the house-of-worship vertical and “remind” them she could help with a lighting manufacturer. Literally within 12 minutes, she received a reply asking for several SKUs—and by end of the day, she closed the sale. I give that salesperson a ton of credit because she closed a new opportunity by moving away from her Comfort Zone.
More Reps = Success
Take it from a die-hard Philadelphia sports fan: A player needs reps to find their groove. If you have a batter in baseball who typically sits on the bench and never swings the bat or gets in the game, how can you expect them to succeed when they finally get to the plate? That repetition of swinging the bat will help the player find their balance in their stance, rhythm of their swing, and their timing.
Developing and closing new business is no different. To peel back the proverbial curtain, I’ll admit that any given video I record and share normally requires me to go through at least 5-10 practice takes. These practice takes allow me to find my timing, review my posture and facial expressions, and attempt to perfect the piece.
Whether your reps involve video takes, new marketing/media pieces, or cold calling prospective clients, don't be worried about hitting a home run on your first attempt. Practice every part of your process, so by the time you have several attempts under your belt, you will come off so natural and confident that your chances of success will increase.
No Bad Days
My final suggestion is a “no bad days” mantra. At the end of the day, when it is time to recharge, hang your hat on the work you’ve done and make plans to improve on that the following day.
To me, there is always a way to improve. If you close a $100,000 display project, I'm sure you will be celebrating (and rightfully so). However, ask yourself what you could have done to win the audio portion of the project as well. This question would cause me to reexamine the ways I managed my opportunity and find ways to include audio in the conversation, potentially leading to new opportunities in the short and long term.
[Editorial: The Power of Corporate Culture]
Another way could be to take an actual “bad” day and learn from it. Very early on in my Pro AV career, I worked with an ISP to supply internet bandwidth to a particular job site. The job went sideways due to the amount of construction that was required. While there was no way of determining that in advance, it fell on my shoulders to come up with a solution.
While the day itself seemed bad, I worked through the process and came up with a viable backup plan for the customer. In the end, I learned steps to take to hopefully avoid those cases in the future. Again, no bad days does not mean be perfect and watch jobs come flying in. It is the mindset that you can learn from adversity and improve for the future.
