In the coming days, I'll be sharing some tips based on my participation in Targa Tasmania - a car rally being held in April on some of that island's most amazing roads. I'm sure I'll learn a few things along the way and be keen to share the insights of being an amateur enthusiast in a high-stakes sporting event. It's one of the things I love doing in life - testing my boundaries in a physical sense and then applying the thrill of the moment into my business life where relevant.
But in the lead up to any undertaking like this, my navigator and I have had to prepare ourselves. Given we'll be doing up to 130 kmh in some sections of the race using both sides of the (closed) roads, we clearly can't do that IRL. But we have been able to have track days where we've tried to learn the art of accelerating and braking, and turning at just the right moments to maintain speed and direction safely. And we have had the car checked out mechanically to ensure it is ready to do its part in ensuring our safety. I have also done the race once before as a navigator and look forward to taking that experience to the next level by being a driver this time.
So what's the lesson for business developers? Isn't BD a little bit of a risky venture too?
What preparation do you undertake for your BD?
How much quality time goes into preparing for your next client or prospect call? Have you, firstly, chosen the right person or people to be meeting? Are they likely to be authorised to appoint you? If they do, are they likely to be a once-off client or regular clients? Are they likely to (often) have problems you can solve?
Secondly, have you and your colleague (because you should ALWAYS go to meetings in pairs) sat down at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting and worked through your plan for the meeting? [All puns ahead are my own, sorry!]
Have you determined what role each of you will play (who's driving and who's the co-driver/navigator)? Have you decided what the agenda might be, providing a roadmap for the trip? Have you anticipated potential roadhumps that you can avoid or deal with positively? Have you decided what a best-case destination would be and how to steer the conversation towards it?
And finally, are you practicing often enough? Are you making BD meetings a regular part of your weekly routine? Because it is only with practice that you can get better at it, become more comfortable in the driver's seat and feel confident you can handle the twists and turns that will come your way.