Mo asks Sandy Lutton: What is your personal definition of business development?

We think of business development as a necessary evil way too often, but it's simply human interaction. Think of business development as an opportunity to get to know someone, understand what they need from you, and how you can bring value to them.
Sandy is a firm believer in having a reason to pick up the phone and call a prospect. You need to understand what value you can bring to the other person and then deliver on that.
Sandy created an informal CFO network for prospects she was working on building relationships with. This kind of value group is a great resource for the prospects and naturally leads to the prospects wanting to do business for you.
If you have value to add, that gives you license to reach out.
Put yourself in the potential client's shoes. The people they take the time to connect with are the ones that are bringing their uniqueness and value to the relationship. It can be as simple as a book recommendation.
Once you start to invest in a relationship, it's much easier to find ways to add value. Sandy and Mo list a ton of different ways you can help a prospect and add value to their life.
Everybody makes the assumption that technical expertise is all the same (even if it's not), but they always pay attention to the people that care.

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