Savvy Business Development

"When sales are weak and the pipeline is down, eTime Solutions can turn it around"

A successful business development campaign accelerates sales volume and fuels pipeline growth. Unfortunately, for every successful campaign, there are many with negligible results. So what can you do to make your next business development campaign a success?

The savvy campaign clearly delivers the company's value proposition to targeted clients who are interested in this value proposition. A crucial component is to understand why customers do business with your company rather than with your competitors. Do you clearly know why clients want to do business with you and what these customers have in common as a group?

The answers to these questions can be likened to a kaleidoscope that produces a unique "snapshot" from an identical group of colored stones. Every company has a number of basic fundamentals (colored stones) to work with such as size, industry, company assessment, sales channels, existing customers, competitors, etc. but the resulting picture is different for each.

The answers to be mined from these common ingredients are the foundation from which to create your unique snapshot. The effective value proposition effectively differentiates your business and clearly identifies your target customer. A winning campaign conveys this value proposition to your target customers.

The specific process begins with an honest SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis of your company. It will take some soul searching, focused thinking and third party validation. The second step is a careful analysis of your customers. Why do they value your company's products/services and what do they have in common? These two steps will reveal your company's unique value proposition and the weaknesses that are holding the company back from more fully delivering upon its value proposition.

The third step is to formulate appropriate campaign strategies, goals and action plans which demonstrate the best features and benefits of your value proposition. The fourth step is to showcase your value proposition to target customers. The final step is to roll out your business development campaign. The rollout consists of clear messaging, creativity, sincerity, tenacity and accountability.

By effectively conveying your unique value proposition to your target customers, you are ensuring that the right message goes to the right audience. This is savvy business development at its finest.

By: Leslie Ann Horton
Managing Partner

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