Build you business Development around the rhythms of your day

As COVID-19 continues to impact both our practices and our working patterns, more and more professionals are struggling to figure out how to keep up their Business Development (BD) efforts. After all, traditionally most professionals rely on face-to-face contact to drive new work. And I don’t just mean the coffee meetings, seminars and social gatherings that are deliberately designed to catch up with clients and start the new work conversations. In more normal times, much of the best BD groundwork comes from merely bumping into someone - the chance encounter at school sports, the restaurant or even when we’re just walking about the city.

If you want your BD efforts to succeed in today’s reality, you need to base it around the new rhythms of work. Here’s how to do it right.

1. Acknowledge that the 9-5 (or 8-7) is no more

In the glory days, we could safely anticipate that between the hours of 9 and 5 (or 8 to 6 if you’re with a big firm ) people were going to be at work. That’s not the case anymore. Many of us have been forced to work at odd hours just to beat the chaos of working from home and become more productive. We’re just as likely to be at our desks in the evenings or early mornings or weekends, as we are at midday.

My experience is that this means people have become less prompt at answering emails and phone calls. When they’re with the kids or in the garden they’re not always going to give you the kind of immediate - or even timely - feedback you once expected. Speaking from personal experience, I’m much more likely to answer your email at four in the morning than at four in the afternoon.

So, even though you should be staying in touch, don’t get all worried when someone doesn’t respond. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re on the outer. Chances are they’re just waiting until it’s in their prime time to respond.

2. Make it formal

With less consistency between people’s working hours, it’s also more difficult to get hold of people. With less separation between work and home, scheduling has become more critical than ever. So another thing you should be doing is scheduling formal calls or Zoom meetings.

This might sound counter-intuitive given the world has become more informal (it can be quite a shock the first time you’re on a video call with a boss who’s wearing a tracksuit). But finding blank space in someone’s diary is often the key to getting hold of them and continuing to build rapport.

Another thing you might want to do is to reach people via their assistants. They’re often easier to get hold of during the working day.

3. Mix up your media

For older professionals, picking up the phone is usually something of a habit; for younger ones, it’s often email that takes its place.

But if you’re relying only on these to stay in touch and put out the BD feelers, you’re missing a trick. Now’s the time to mix up the media through which you communicate and to start doing it more effectively. Fire up that semi-abandoned Twitter or LinkedIn account and connect with your clients. Be prepared to publish (more on that later) and also to comment on and like other people’s posts.

Too many professionals I know don’t use social media at all - or when they do, they use it as ‘lurkers’. That is, they hide in the shadows, refusing to let anyone know what they think about anything. Simply by being active, you’re more likely to stay top of mind with clients.

And don’t forget the old school ways of sending an article or an ‘hello’ by post. When we’re overwhelmed by digital noise the quiet delivery of something in the mail really stands out. Off-screen, asynchronous communication cuts through.

4. Keep up the publishing

Successful BD is built around consistency. And one of the most effective ways to be consistent in your marketing efforts is to keep publishing articles or newsletters on a scheduled basis.

Interestingly, however, I’ve noticed that publishing has been one of the first things that’s dropped off when people started working from home. The number of professional emails we’re receiving seems to have halved and then some. And yet, the number of changes to the law, to tax and other regulations has increased.

If you’ve stopped writing during COVID-19, now is the time to pick it up again. After all, there’s probably less competition for eyeballs than there has been in some time.

5. Don’t die wondering

Finally, it’s worth noting that a lot of professionals go into their job guns a blazing but then get all shy and anxious when it comes to getting in touch with clients. I think this has been amplified in today’s reality.

My view is that you usually have nothing to lose getting in touch. The worst anyone can ever say to you is no. So if you want to find out where you stand with a client, where they stand and whether there will be any work coming anytime soon, you could always ask them. Just go about it the right way and don’t hassle. You’re supposed to be their adviser, not their stalker.

And remember …

As I said right at the start, COVID-19 has driven a whole new way of working. The separation between professional life and personal life has evaporated. We’re trying to get up our billable hours and maintain a professional practice. And yet, at the same time, we’re working from our bedrooms, juggling homeschooling and trying to come to terms with our life partner’s annoying work habits.

With so much stress in our lives already, you don’t need the added anxiety that comes from banging your head against the wall when it comes to BD. But by matching your efforts to your new rhythm and the reality of today’s workplace, you’ll find it easier to keep things ticking over.

Want more?

As always, if you’d like to know more, get in touch.

Why You Should Build Your BD Around the Rhythms of Your Day