Here are a few lessons from building biz dev strategies to land 6 & multi 7 figure deals…
Fact: most BD strategies are built backwards
they start with tactics before defining the right target
• chasing “hot” industries without asking if they actually fit
• offering services without knowing what problem they solve
• writing emails hoping one will “stick” instead of aligning with real pain points
feels like throwing darts blindfolded hoping something lands
(the worse thing is, when you throw the dart you can harm a potential future relationship)
Instead of starting with random tactics or tools, start with a framework.
Here’s my simple 3 step framework to address this:
1 – focus on 1 segment at a time
2 – hone in on their pain points
3 – craft messaging & offers based on their journey
1. segment: who are you actually built to serve • not just “who has money” but who fits your business model AND culture
• do you actually like working with them
• do they align with your long-term strategy or are you chasing trends
2. pain points: what are they struggling with right now
• how can you factually find that data online?
• what problem do they already want to solve?
• what’s making them look for a solution today not six months from now?
3. messaging & offer: what can they “buy” today (doesn’t have to always have a price tag, “free” is also a purchase)
• message: what can you infer about their situation?
• offer: what’s easy to say yes to that will actually serve them
• even if they never hire you, they should feel like they got value
With this framework, you just have to put in the work and then test the tactics you want to run against it.
The beauty is frameworks (like workout plans), WORK.
You just have to put in the work to develop your strategy (use the framework), test the angles you want to go after, the tactics, channels and messaging and find what will work for you.
Do Good Work.