Mo asks Katrina Johnson: If you could tape a message to your younger self about business development, what would it say?

It would simply be one thing: Learn to walk the dog.
When someone walks a dog, we assume that the person is in control, but that’s not always the case. Our brains work in a similar way.
The dogwalker is the prefrontal cortex, and the dog is the limbic system that responds and detects threats. The big question is who is in control?
The truth is that the dog is in control most of the time. Everytime we stick to known associates instead of unknown prospects, or when we expect every email to get a response, the dog is in control.
The sooner you can learn to walk the dog, the sooner you get to do the work you care about on your own terms.
Even with the best tools and strategies at our disposal, most of the time we are only half as effective as we could be because we are being dragged around by our limbic system.
It’s not an issue of ego, as much as it is the part of your brain that has evolved to perceive threats. Threats aren’t always tigers, they can also be getting rejected, feeling embarrassed, or losing status. The first job is to get out of your own way so the tools and strategies can do the work.
Katrina focuses on awareness first about her emotions and experiences. A quick, simple label can be very effective in reducing the limbic system’s response. Reframing it and considering other reasons something may or may not have happened makes it less emotional.
Give your emotions context, label them, and reframe them. The more you do it, the better you will get at it. This is a foundational skill in business development.

Mo asks Cyril Peupion: If you could record a video around business development and send it back to your younger self, what would it say?

Cyril describes a restaurant in Paris that is the best in the world in delivering a ribeye and has a queue lined up every single day no matter the weather conditions. Cyril would tell himself to become the master of one trade and become extraordinary at one thing.
Follow your heart and become the expert in that area.
Habits are what build expertise and world-class skills. There is a lot of joy in embracing the boring excellence that makes you great.
Cyril does one thing and does it very well. He’s more than happy to refer work that’s not in his wheelhouse to other experts he knows can take care of it.
If you can find something that you are passionate about, that the market will pay a premium rate for, and you are good at, you have found something worth pursuing.
Cyril would also recommend never stopping learning. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” -Gandhi
Block time to read every day. Set aside time every quarter to attend new training. Surround yourself with great mentors and a supportive community.

Mo asks Mark Harris: If you could record a message around business development for your younger self, what would it say?

The first thing Mark would say is that business development is a marathon, not a sprint.
The second thing is that the role is a learned skill. People are not born great sales, it’s something you can learn and master.
The third thing is to help others when you can. You’ll be happier helping others with their success than you will ever be with your own success.
When people first get into sales they often sprint towards their first sale, but when they do that they forget about the long-term marathon of relationship building. When you build relationships on that level, the tiny sprints toward each sale become easier over time.
Sales didn’t come naturally to Mark, but when he realized that he was getting better each day that became a big motivation and opened the door to becoming excellent at it.
Helping others when you can helps you be happier, which cycles back to building trust and reinforces the first three lessons.

Mentioned in this Episode:

GrowBIGPlaybook.com

katrina@kcjconsult.com

wslb.com

Mark_C_Harris@glic.com

linkedin.com/in/mark-harris-9ba1b53

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