Revenue generation is part of everyone’s job functionality, no matter whether you work in a business development function for an engineering service company, sell technical solutions, or are part of the technical team for that company.
Everyone you know is a extra set of business development hands for lead identification, business development, project management, and execution. Have you ever thought about your colleagues in this manner?
1. You can educate each other to identify business development opportunities, even if your colleagues work in technical roles. In order to educate, you should be open to collaborate. Does your company promote this mindset? If not, work on a plan to get them closer to where they need to be in today’s globally competitive marketplace.
2. If you feel you could be doing so much more to fulfill your business development role, remain involved in the project. As it is managed by others and moves through toward completion, observe and learn about your own company’s true core competencies.
- Is your leads-identification system yielding the types of projects and customers your company is best-suited to deliver on?
- Are you over- or under-selling?
- Is your company capable of delivering so much more, or, alternatively, should they downshift and focus on their true sweet spot?
Your observations can assist your company in aligning strategic fantasy with tactical reality.
3. Collaborative relationships start at home. How can you poke holes in traditional corporate silos which separate departments and divisions?
Are there folks in your company with whom you can development a hybridized approach to business development? Why not seek them out and move towards creating win-win solutions, one at a time. You will both grow more business development antennae in the process, as you build more productive and profitable project outcomes.
Babette N. Ten Haken, Founder & President of Sales Aerobics for Engineers, LLC, brings entrepreneurial mojo to small and mid-sized businesses in the manufacturing and service sectors. She builds vibrant revenue-producing business strategies for startups.
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