Large businesses with multiple departments and many technical disciplines need to be smart with their marketing and business development activities. We help our clients move away from being transactional providers of single services and move towards becoming the trusted advisor or the ‘solutions architect’.
We bring together groups of people from different disciplines and get them to share what their market proposition is, with a view to identifying new opportunities.
It’s not enough to say, “Yes we do all this and we’re really good at it.” The way to differentiate yourself from competitors, is to say, “We understand your world and the issues and challenges you face. And we can apply all our disciplines to help you achieve your overall goals faster, more efficiently, and more profitably.”
Now more than ever in Business Development, we need to listen to our clients to gain the insight that will help provide competitive advantage and close the deal.
Try our Espresso Shot Learning – Our 30 min live webinar to give your team the key points and latest thinking in Business Development and Client Relationship Management.
“The best marketing or business development tool anyone ever has is referral. If you create a strong reputation in a narrow marketplace – by being disciplined and focused, and demonstrating to the market that you understand their world – you will get referred.”
From our blog
Working together for better KAM: harness the power of collaboration
Collaboration is a word used more in business now than at any other time in our careers. Management teams use it when they want their organisations to break down so called ‘silos’ and employees use it when they need the help of others to achieve their objectives.
Lack of ability or experience leading a ‘client-centric’ business
Our approach
We work with people to recognise what it really means to be client-centric. To really understand your client’s world, the way they like to work, their unique issues and challenges. It’s all about client intimacy, and it’s how you will become a trusted advisor. We use the metaphor of an iceberg. Above the waterline is the information that’s easy to know because it’s in the public domain or it’s what the client is telling you. But the 80-90% that sits under the surface is the why, the context, the inside information. Taking the time to find these things out – without going into delivery mode or ‘selling mode’ too soon – is how you become truly client centric.
“Those that go deep beneath the surface will find that when they put their proposal in, it’s a perfect fit. They’ve understood the inside information like budgetary issues, internal politics, timing and so on. They make themselves really easy to buy. That’s what being client-centric does.”
From our blog
Seven steps for a successful first business meeting
Ensure that your first meeting with a potential client is as effective as possible. Follow these steps to success.
Upskill your team in how to win more work with our series of live webinars aimed at delivering the key points and latest thinking in Business Development and Client Relationship Management.
‘Selling’ can be a dirty word for some of our clients, but without the ability to sell we will struggle to be successful. Our sales training has been developed over years into an approach designed for our technically-minded clients. Courses include presentation and pitching, sales conversations and negotiation skills.
Bids & tenders
Learning how to write a winning bid is one of the most important business skills you can acquire. The layout, language and style you use may make the difference between a successful bid and one that comes close. See Courses
Existing clients pay your wages. Proactive client management ensures that you deliver services on time and on budget while meeting their expectations and nurturing a positive working relationship.
Client development
Delivering projects well is the first step in developing further opportunities, but it’s not enough. We need be proactive in building relationships, understanding our clients and their objectives, and positioning ourselves as trusted advisers.
Raising up leaders
Questas offers both one-to-one coaching and leadership training courses. This both embeds newly learned skills and establishes a culture of strong, skilled leadership. See Courses
CREATE
Reputation
According to research, your reputation – and that of your organisation – is the most important factor for clients when choosing who to consider for projects.
Relationships
People matter. It’s people (in most cases!) who make decisions. A strong network of relationships with clients, influencers and referrers will go a long way to helping you create opportunities for work. See Courses
