Business development tips in Forbes

Earlier this week, Forbes published an article featuring eleven tips for business development leaders. The article was appropriately titled 11 Skills To Hone As A Business Development Leader. I provided one of the tips to Forbes and it is one I often share: people like doing business with people they like.

As stated in the article in Forbes: “Business development leaders have complex jobs. There’s a lot to consider when evaluating the best steps and directions for a company, and the stress can feel daunting at times. However, the right skills can ease some of the hardships.” The purpose of the article was to to explain “which skills leaders should hone in themselves and their team to succeed in the current business climate.”

Here was my tip in full:

“I am a strong believer that people like doing business with people they like. The person doing the selling is just as important as the product they are selling. It is important for business development leaders to hone their people skills in any business climate: You will always need to be good with people to attract, retain and get the most of out of top talent and to close big deals.”

Sometimes the best advice is also the most intuitive.

Here were a few of the other tips provided in the article:

From George Donovan of Allego: "In today’s rapidly moving climate -- where changes occur daily, if not hourly -- it’s impossible for one exec to know it all. Business executives must be able to establish a team they trust implicitly and motivate them to work well together. Encourage an openness where all members share ideas and aren’t afraid of making mistakes.”

Very well said. Great leaders are humble and self-enough to know what they don’t know.

From Christian Valiulis of Automatic Payroll System: “Business development leaders need to be able to analyze and associate with opportunities before trends hit the industry. They should have the experience and knowledge to adapt to fluid industry trends and develop an effective strategy early in the game. They need to have the mindset of looking past the current momentum of the industry and spotting upcoming opportunities before the competition does.”

So true. Vision and flexibility in thinking are core attributes of resonant leaders.

From Wayne Elsey of Elsey Enterprises: "We have to remember that humans are buying products and services in the digital age, so follow-up and effective communication are essential. People have forgotten that sitting in front of a computer is not the complete answer. It's still crucial to pick up the phone or to have one-on-one meetings, which should not become a lost art."

Picking up the phone is becoming and has already become a lost art in many circles and those who know how to do it will become increasingly more valuable.

From Casey Jacox of Kforce: “As a sales leader, you must always instill curiosity in your reps. Challenge them to always prepare for each call or meeting. Never get comfortable. Always push your sellers to keep the pipeline full. Always hunt for new business.”

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it is an important attribute among successful people.

Check out the full article on Forbes for the rest of the advice.