I'm talking to all those Business Development executives out there right now. I want to give a gift to you in the shape of some excellent guidance which will help you close more business. The gift comes in the form of my five favorite questions to ask when I'm talking/meeting with someone I want to do business with. Some of you might know all of these but if just one person takes away a gem and it helps them to close business then I'm happy!
These questions are ideally suited for initial discovery calls and specifically structured so that if there are concrete next steps then you're well positioned to make a strong proposal. Most of these questions are aimed at marketing, agency and partnership conversations but can be included in other sectors.
What are the main objectives for your division/company this year or in the next quarter or two?
What are you main challenges right now?
What's worked and what hasn't? Relative to the topics you're discussing?
What type of budget do you have for a project like this?
What does success look like in 3,6,12 months?
There are many more probing questions which are typically used in the discovery phase but in an effort to create conversation, assist others in the field and share wisdom which was passed on to me and I've found works I thought good to share. Now go execute!