Biz Dev Essentials

From Kohn Communications

About Larry Kohn

• Coaching lawyers for over 30 years• Conducted over 31,000 coaching sessions

with lawyers• Co-Author, ABA best-selling book

Selling in Your Comfort Zone• For free tools, publications and seminars visit

www.kohncommunications.com

Assess your interest in improving• When we are not interested in improving…– Change may feel like a burden– We don’t invest time, so we don’t get new ideas– Failure alienates– We defend avoidance– Old habits are not challenged

• We repeat less effective activities• We blame others

• When we are interested in improving…– We invest time and we get new ideas– Failure motivates– We fight for improvement

Elevate your interest

• Interest is sparked by– Worthwhile benefits

• Financial security, Power, Community

– Accessibility • Safety, Skills, Resources

– Immediate gratification• Fun, Intellectual rewards, Income

Identify your obstacles

• “Lack of time” is usually a smokescreen– You make time for the things you want to do– The most important technique takes an instant

• Post-It note - “Biz Dev Ops?”• Use the Capture Your Observations form

– You will learn to slowly weave biz dev into your day

• There are 2 primary obstacles– Fear of futility - a waste of time and money– Fear of humiliation - needy, greedy, seedy

My goal is to introduce a process that works that you will be proud to implement

• Good news: You already have the personality and the resources you need for meaningful improvement

• There are two fundamental components:

Research• Identifying the people you want as clients• Identifying better ways to serve them

Reliability• Demonstrating that you live up to your commitments

Get organized

• Create a folder - Keep it in plain view

• Update your contact data base– All your contacts - current, past– Your wish list of strangers - future

• Identify your “Top ten” target list– End users (current, potential)– Referral sources (internal and external)– Use the Relationship Development Worksheets

Understand the value you offer

• Value is a benefit/cost ratio “The most for the money”

• When you list your benefits…– You will have a larger inventory – You will be more confident– You will be more inclined to reach out– You will be more skilled at revealing benefits– You will continue to innovate

Create your inventory of “Offers”

• There are 5 categories of offers– Service– Lead-generation– Introductory - From you and from your colleagues

– Low-barrier closing– Relationship-maintenance

• Keep innovating– Post-It note – “Is there a better way?”

Build a larger, well-targeted community of allies

• Follow the Biz Dev Process:– Meet - Introductions, Organizations, Invitations– Build Trust - Capable and Compatible– Clarify needs - Known and Unknown– Get approved - What is the procedure?– Close - Low-Barrier offers

Success is not built on superficial conversations, false friendships and manipulation. Rather…

Success comes from

Communicating value to the right people

Best practices

• Increase incubation• Keep aiming higher– Better organizations– More profitable, delegable targets

• Negotiate the follow-up before you exit– If you don’t… there are 3 reason to connect:

• Social• Research• Value

– Call first, then e-mail

Start right now

• You don’t need to change your personality • The benefits are worthwhile• The risks of avoidance are significant– Dilution is real– It takes time to find your formula– The sales cycle is long– Deferring gets easier

Please accept our offers:

1. Let us help you with some free guidance– We’ll provide a free consultation via telephone– We’ll customize what you just learned– We’ll help you accelerate the process– The only way to judge coaching is to try it– What is your alternative catalyst?

2. Let us send you the Biz Dev Toolkit– These tools are only available by request

Thanks. Best of luck!

Call or e-mail for yourfree coaching session and the

Biz Dev Toolkit310 717 0998

larry@kohncommunications.com