mbdi, Author at MBDi

After You Know Everything, Act Like You Don’t Know Anything

Business Development Professionals know that credibility is established by the questions you ask, not the statements you make. They know that the questions they craft rather than the presentation [...]

Why the Postman Has No Call Reluctance.

“…neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change, nor a nation challenged, will stay us from the swift completion of our appointed rounds. Ever.” [...]

Practice. Drill. Rehearse.

“It’s not necessarily the amount of time you spend at practice that counts; it’s what you put into the practice.” … Eric Lindros (professional ice hockey player) One [...]

We’re Not Happy Until They’re Not Happy

This brilliant insight was offered by one of our attendees during a recent training event and it really makes a strong point about the role of Business Development. People buy, organizations do [...]

You Will Work Harder on Your Goals than You Ever Will on Someone Else’s

“In absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia.” – Author Unknown This is a great insight, but it makes one large assumption [...]

Pick the Role, Set the Goal and Pay the Toll.

To thrive in the “new normal” of Business Development, every component of your individual BD process must be both efficient and effective. What may have enabled you to win [...]

Questions or Statements?

Stop and take a moment to think about the kinds of questions you ask your Prospects. Is your tendency to ask long, overly focused questions or short, open-ended questions? As a Business [...]

C3 (Credibility, Confidence & Courage) = Success in Business Development

Credibility, Confidence and Courage are three interwoven factors that are essential to an individual’s success in Business Development. These key elements make us powerful, efficient and [...]

Know that you have value in the relationship

The distinguishing factor in many business development situations is you as an individual. Know yourself, your principals, your purpose, your values and your ethics. Have confidence in your [...]

Conceptually – Stay outside your comfort zone

In Business Development, it's never about you. It's all about the client and their needs, their concerns, their perspective of the problem, and ultimately, their decision about the solution. In [...]

Your Purpose Statement

Leadership in Business Development is about character. Being a leader, rising to the top 3% in your profession, is anchored on your principles, ethics and values. Your purpose... what you do for [...]

Always have a goal; activity is not accomplishment

Do your homework the first time and on every call. Focus it around the Four Cornerstones of Business Development. Pay special attention to people knowledge; what has changed about the individual [...]

To Be Successful in Business Development … Know Your 3-Cs

The 3-Cs, Credibility, Confidence and Courage, are three interwoven factors that are essential to an individual’s success in developing business. These key elements make us efficient and [...]

Is your firm positioned for both Strategic and Organic revenue growth?

HUNTING VS. FARMING IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Hunting and farming for revenue growth require two different mind-sets, but the same process. Starting out, many technical professionals build [...]

Is your Business Development team fit to tackle the revenue growth challenges ahead?

Would you rehire your business development team? If you’re asking this question, it’s indicative that something has gone wrong, whether it be a miscommunication between your capture managers and [...]

Use Early Engagement to Secure Leadership Buy-In and Company Investment to Influence Your Probability of Win

If you serve in a BD role for any length of time, you will learn that the earlier you identify a qualified opportunity in the acquisition cycle (i.e. Pre-Milestone A or even sooner), the more [...]

Are you confronting the new reality of developing business in the federal government arena?

In the current business climate in federal government contracting, many companies are evaluating their strategic marketing efforts. Firms are taking a hard look at their results and making the [...]

Are you embracing a proactive strategy or a “wait and see” attitude to changes in the Defense Industry?

Would you believe that in this day and age, some organizations use crystal balls in their decision making? We have found this to be true, especially as it relates to Opportunity Identification [...]

4 Strategies of a Business Development Make-Over

Faced with the storm of change, firms in many industries are confronting some challenging economic times and are making major adjustments to survive, compete and ultimately thrive. Doing business [...]

The 7 Deadly Sins Of Business Development

Sell, Be Sold, or Be Gone There’s a significant transition taking place with the small business community in the defense industry … with new rules for doing business, fewer opportunities and more [...]