Pipeline Tips

Dirty Words: "Business Development"

david@ackertadvisory.com (David Ackert) — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 18:39:53 GMT

“Business Development.” Ick. The very term sounds dry and cold and heavy. No wonder so many service professionals resist it. “Marketing” isn’t much better. I prefer “Friendmaking” because new business comes from people who know, like, and trust you enough to handle something important. When I have a referral to give out, my friends always get first consideration. If I don’t have a friend who’s a good fit for the opportunity, I’ll send it to someone whom I at least like. So if you’re looking for ways to grow your practice, consider adding friends to your life.

How to Build Rapport with a Prospective Client

david@ackertadvisory.com (David Ackert) — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 23:48:07 GMT

Making a good impression on a new prospective client can be challenging, especially if you have only a few minutes to build rapport. Typically, an initial meeting begins with small talk. When it’s too generic (“can you believe this weather?”), it doesn’t create a meaningful connection. When it’s too intimate (“have you considered working elsewhere?”), it can be off-putting. Most of us try to get through the perfunctory chitchat so we can get down to business. But that creates a weak foundation of trust, which in turn limits our ability to ask probing questions and learn all we can about the client’s problems.

2 Business Development Myths Dispelled

david@ackertadvisory.com (David Ackert) — Tue, 22 May 2018 18:56:27 GMT

Myth #1: If I reach out to a client or prospect with the intention of securing more work, it will appear as though I'm not successful.

3 Tips for Better Client Satisfaction

david@ackertadvisory.com (David Ackert) — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 16:20:10 GMT

You can satisfy your clients' expectations as long as you deliver excellent service. But you won't earn their appreciation until you focus on how they feel. To illustrate this point, consider a study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology in which researchers tested the effects of generosity by examining tipping behaviors at restaurants.

In each of the three test groups, the waiters provided excellent service. They delivered the food their customers ordered in a timely manner and with a positive attitude.

How to Deal with Unresponsive Prospects

David Ackert and Will Pieschel — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 21:04:39 GMT

We all experience bedrock—those stubborn obstacles where it simply isn't possible to "power through.” Whether it's exhaustion, burnout, an endless document or a difficult personality, sometimes the only approach that works is to step away and come back to it later.

4 Leadership Qualities for Better Business

david@ackertadvisory.com (David Ackert) — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 19:08:34 GMT

If you were part of a large organization with a formal leadership development program, you would receive training on the principles that would empower your stewardship of the company’s future.

But as a service professional, you mostly have to figure it out for yourself. These four concepts will help you do just that:

How Much Time Do You Really Need to Spend on Business Development?

olivia@ackertinc.com (Olivia Watson) — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 21:22:24 GMT

Any professional who is tasked with selling the service they provide has to contend with the opposing forces of developing business and servicing their clients. How do you strike a proper balance between doing existing work and bringing in guaranteed revenues versus venturing into your network to pursue opportunities that may or may not work out?

3 Steps to a Meaningful Connection on LinkedIn

David@ackertinc.com (David Ackert) — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 17:00:00 GMT

Sure, LinkedIn is useful if you want to network broadly, but as a business development platform, it's kind of like McDonald's: fast, cheap, and forgettable. In just a few minutes you can add a dozen strangers to your pool of connections and endorse them for skills you've never seen them demonstrate. You can join their cluttered discussion groups and add your opinions to the fray. But if you're interested in a substantive interaction that deepens a professional relationship, there is only one LinkedIn feature you will find useful: recommendations.

Are You Trusting Your Gut or Your Gutlessness?

david@ackertadvisory.com (David Ackert) — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 18:33:30 GMT

Learn the difference between your “gut” and your gutlessness. As you are hunting for new business, it will occur to you to take actions that are beyond your comfort zone. In most cases, your survival instinct will take over and dissuade you from "going there." You will tell yourself it's not reasonable. You will convince yourself that your instincts are guiding you wisely. But chances are, it's just your fear talking. Here's how it will sound in your head:

How to Become 40% More Productive

david@ackertadvisory.com (David Ackert) — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 19:36:18 GMT

While the human race has made significant advancements in the last few centuries, I think we still have a lot of evolving to do. I’m reminded of this whenever I pull up to a stoplight and see the driver next to me texting. "What an idiot,” I think, until I get to the next stoplight and feel myself unconsciously reaching for my own phone. I would guess that many of us grapple with this powerful compulsion to fill every moment with a productive activity, but it’s a ruse. It actually makes us less productive. It also makes us crappy drivers.