For Solopreneurs, Business Development = Relationship Development
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The biggest stress for self-employed professionals is business development: how to cultivate meaningful regular work. It's vexing for at least three reasons. First, solopreneurs are experts who are good at helping clients solve problems or achieve certain goals, but they are not usually trained in sales or marketing. Second, when knee-deep in actually doing "the real work," solopreneurs are hard-pressed to find time to publish thought-leadership articles or create and manage marketing campaigns. Third, although they have the confidence to be self-employed, many solopreneurs just aren't comfortable selling themselves or doing any sort of self-promotion.
To tackle the challenge of business development, change your frame of reference. If you look up any definition of the term business development, you won't find the word "sales" because there's no selling involved. It's literally developing relationships with potential clients and--not to be overlooked--potential sources of referrals. Therefore, don't think of it as sales! Change the language in your head and instead think of it as relationship development, building awareness, or outreach instead of sales prospecting, cold-calling, or rustling up new business.
You'll find it easier if you model the behavior of other self-employed professionals. Instead of thinking of how large companies or consulting firms typically handle business development, use an approach more like how we work as individuals and micro-businesses. For example, real estate agents are experts at keeping their names fresh in people's minds. They're always sending things:
Postcards listing recent home sales in your neighborhood
Memo pads with the Realtor's name, photo, and area of expertise
Postcards of upcoming social and sporting events in the city
Emails with an interactive map showing which homes nearby closed escrow and at what price
Realtors realize that name recognition and timing generate opportunities. Being a self-employed professional is no different.
When I ask independent consultants and executive coaches how they found their two most recent projects, 80 percent of the time they credit personal referrals. The other 20 percent of the time work came through an agency, online platform, or a professional network.
Think of it from your target client's point of view. It's a little like finding a good dentist--most people ask someone they know for a recommendation. This is especially true if the prospect is going to spend a significant amount to get the help they need.
This is why being known for something is so important as well as keeping your name top of mind. Sure, you can send regular postcards and emails like real estate agents, but a better approach is to nourish your professional network. Instead of thinking of business development as some strange and overwhelming task, think of it as continually taking small actions to build and sustain relationships.
Small actions can be easy to do
It sounds easy but life gets hectic and it's easy to get distracted doing "the real work." Here are my favorite tricks:
Schedule time in your calendar. For example, set an appointment every Monday at 9 a.m. to reach out to people, even if it's for only 30 minutes. The key is to do something every week.
Forward helpful articles. Identify a topic area that interests them, such as innovation or virtual team effectiveness, then find a recently published article and share it with them. "Hi Joe, I saw this and thought of you. I hope all is well. Let me know if I can help with anything." Or forward articles you see on LinkedIn or Twitter with a note like, "I saw this and thought of you." Consider including a short snippet from the article to make it relevant to them.
Schedule work anniversary reminders. Nearly 20 years ago I worked on a difficult system implementation for a company. Rather than forget the anniversary amid the predictable distractions of work and home, I set an annual reminder in my Outlook calendar. When it pops up, I send a quick note to some former clients and colleagues. "Hey, can you believe it was 18 years ago today we had our go-live at XYZ Corp? Time flies! I hope all is well with you. I'm still doing the same kind of work; let me know if you hear of any good projects."
Have breakfast, coffee, or lunch with someone at least once a week. Whether in person or on Zoom, make this a priority, no matter what. The point is, take time to get to know someone better or reconnect with someone on a personal level. It's easier for clients and colleagues to remember you if they know more about you.
Use a birthday list. Whenever I hear about someone's birthday or see it in their LinkedIn contact info, I add it to my list. At the beginning of every month, I print it and pin it on the bulletin board near my desk. As I go through the month, I send quick emails or notes on LinkedIn, e-cards, or even actual birthday cards. Some people may think birthday greetings are too personal. Not so. I just sent one to a former colleague via LinkedIn. I said, "Happy birthday, Susan! It seems like a lifetime ago we worked together at NetApp. I hope all is well with you."
Leverage LinkedIn and make it personal. The notifications icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage is full of suggestions for ways to keep in touch with your network. (Hint: Promotions and work anniversaries are a terrific excuse to say hello.) Make your interaction more personal though; don't just click Like or use the suggested text that's provided.
As a solopreneur, you're likely to build your business by creating awareness of the expertise you provide and by generating referrals. Keeping your network "warm" is an easy way to do that, so whenever you think about business development, simply change the words to "relationship development." This makes the task much less daunting.
Keep it simple. Make it personal. Do it often. Don't become one of those people who only reach out when they need help or are looking for business. It's as easy as "saw this, thought of you." Remembering to do it is the hardest part.
