Do you conduct business development primarily through scattershot, "one-to-many" promotional approaches, such as newsletters, speeches and websites?
Do you conduct business development primarily through scattershot, "one-to-many" promotional approaches, such as newsletters, speeches and websites?
In the most recent issue of Edge International Communiqué, my colleague Michael J. White argues that "brand-building" activities such as these, which attempt to reach prospective clients "from the outside," can be less-than-effective ways of expanding a firm’s client base.
Instead he suggests working through insiders at prospect companies. He says that through this approach, client developers "learn information and context that are not publicly available…," and are able to find work that may become a first engagement, focus on their knowledge of issues and specifics, and gain the support of persons of influence at the prospective client company.
Mike provides some excellent concrete suggestions regarding how to build a successful promotional strategy with an "inside" approach. I encourage you to have a look at this and the other excellent articles in the August issue of Edge International Communiqué.
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