Wow, where did summer go? I have been getting a lot of business development questions lately, so I thought I would share some of the tips I've passed on to folks who have asked. Here are your Things You Need to Know for this week:
Question 1: How can I be most efficient with my few BD hours?
The short answer is: Talk to your clients. The longer answer is: Make those conversations with your clients meaningful for them. In general, your client is bombarded with requests to meet to talk about upcoming projects. They may get very little from those conversations. It might even be painful for them to take the time for those meetings because of other deadlines and their own workload. Put yourself in their shoes, and offer them something when you meet that they need/want/like. Here are some suggestions to provide meaning and engagement.
A) What does my client need to know right now to make their job easier, better, safer, smarter, more compliant, more efficient, etc.? Do I have that knowledge/resource available to share? Can I summarize it in 5-10 minutes and have a conversation about it with them? Can I bring an expert (from my company) with me to talk about that and to introduce the client to an additional company member?
B) What is my client's biggest concern/worry today? Would my client talk to me about it if I offered to listen without judgment or offering solutions? Can I be a good sounding-board for their issues, and take some time to offer a helpful solution at a later date (not offer a solution on-the-fly at the moment of the conversation)?
C) What do I have in common with my client outside of work? What committees/organizations are they involved with? Where can I help?
D) What does my client do for fun? Would my client go with me to try our a new restaurant I've heard about, but have not been to before? [Side note - sharing a low-risk adventure like a new restaurant/coffee shop can make some amazing memories and build instant rapport. And everyone needs to eat...]
E) What am I working on right now that would be of interest to my client? If I took them to the job site, what would I point out? Or if I brought them to the office, who would I introduce them to and why?
F) What funding sources are available for my client's type of work/projects? What information could I find to share with them? What services could I offer to help them secure the funding?
Question 2: I don't have a lot of interaction with the decision-makers. Where can I help?
Short answer: Keep your ears open. Long answer: The people you work with at the client and on the team are"in the trenches." They may not know what is coming down the road, but they know what they are worried about, the rumors, and the whispers. Pay attention to what they say and share that with your marketing/BD folks. Similarly, some of the consultants you work with on a regular basis can become your company's best teaming partners. You can help your company make an assessment on which firms might be a good fit.
Question 3: I think my client wants us to work on a project, but they feel obligated to put it out for open competition. Is there anything we can do to get a direct appointment?
Short answer: Get smart on Quality Based Selection (QBS) and the contracts your company has in place already that the client might be able to use. Long answer: Many states, like Oregon and Washington, have a QBS process which emphasizes firm qualifications instead of price as the selection criteria. More importantly, the QBS system often allows the public entity to direct appoint projects up to a certain dollar cap to firms already "pre-qualified." Your public client/project managers might not be aware of that, so it is an excellent piece of information to know (confirm it is true for your state!) and have ready to share.
Additionally, your company may already hold a contract that your client can draw from, using whatever procurement system is available for them. For example, you might be a subconsultant on a multidisciplinary team. Your client might not realize that they can access you through that team's contract. Often, clients can use an on-call contract to direct appoint projects up to a certain dollar amount. For other projects that are too large to direct appoint, they can select a few folks from the on-call to compete for the project, instead of holding an open competition.
I hope these help you interact in meaningful ways with your clients. Your strategies in pursuing work are only as good as your knowledge, so talking with your clients is always a good thing. And please be sure to share your information with your marketers/BD folks. They can often "connect the dots" internally between projects, people, and clients.
Make it a GREAT week!
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