One of the most common mistakes a company can make in their in business development model is to assign one single individual to hold all responsibility. Statistically, only 5 to 7 percent of professionals in the business development community are natural “rainmakers,” capable of being the driving force behind continued sales and growth. Those few were born with the natural style, tendency, contacts, and negotiation skills that most others lack. For the rest of us, it takes strategic planning, long nights, and early mornings to acquire those skills, and for a company, it takes teamwork and utilizing the strengths of each employee, rather than just one individual.

With an increase in competition, simply getting your one business development specialists out there is no longer enough. Having employees of all levels attend luncheons, seminars, and industry-oriented social events is great for recognition and for creating the basis of a strong professional network. In addition, make sure that you aren’t relying on one person to handle the depth of networking required for your business. Encourage your employees— from top to bottom—to get out there and make the connections that could strengthen your business.

Many studies have shown that Americans change careers seven times throughout the course of their professional career which means that the chance of finding a rainmaker that will ride out their career at your firm is slim to none. What this means for many companies, is that when that business development employee leaves, the company is  faced with having to starting over, or at the very least, a very significant time investment in acquainting a new employee with the company’s existing book of business and allowing time for exploration of new markets.

A more strategic model may be to approach your business development plan from a tiered personnel approach. Get your executives and staff involved and plugged in – CEO to CEO, Project Manager to Project Manager, Controller to Controller, Superintendent to Superintendent, etc.  Get acquainted with, and make an investment in your customer as a cohesive company rather than individually. 

This paradigm lays a solid foundation that won’t crumble when the nearly inevitable department of a single individual occurs.

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Scott Cox is a member of the ABC National Young Professional Committee and works for Cox Fire Protection out of Tampa, Fla.