How Can I Keep Up With Business Development During a Pandemic?

This is a scary question that we have all been asking ourselves for almost a year now. The answer is simple, but the path to get there takes work. Yes, we can maintain good business development practices in any situation, but it’s important to get creative and mold your methods to what is happening right now.

The first step is to assess what you are currently doing and ask yourself some questions. What are your goals? Do you have an online presence? What business development tactics worked for your firm pre-COVID, and how can you translate them to the digital sphere?

HLB recently completed an internal workshop focused on “building our business development muscles” that was geared towards the entire firm – from accounting, to IT, to HR, to designers, and marketers across the board. The goal was to promote the idea that business development comes in many forms, from any source – there is no one size fits all. With this concept in mind, it’s important to map out your opportunities and maximize all of your resources to make the most of this trying time.

Here are some tips and tricks that can help revamp your outlook on business development:

• Build and maintain relationships – People like to work with people they like, so make your conversations about more than just the tasks in front of you. These interactions will build your connection and lead to trust, which is the most important part of any relationship.
• Stay connected with your contacts – Schedule a Zoom meeting to catch up and remind your industry peers that you’re still here, or send them an email to ask how they’re doing. At the end of the day, we’re all facing similar challenges and need support from one another.
• Be active on social media – Put yourself out there! Update your LinkedIn page and get connected with cold and warm contacts, or scan for articles and updates on topics and companies that are critical to the success of your business.
• Do your job well – A huge part of business development is simply putting your best foot forward with every project, client, idea, and interaction.
• Attend online events – Learn and connect with others! Email the panelists and/or attendees to continue the conversation and show interest. Make it your goal to build one new relationship from each event you attend.

You don’t have to be a rainmaker to get involved in business development – any contribution, no matter how small, can blossom into something significant over time. Business development is a team sport now more than ever, so make the most of your depth and get in the game!