How We Get More New & Repeat Clients Every Year
Business Development is something we think about strategically and often in our small business.
Business Development involves reaching out to others to inform them about who we are and what we do. There are some key philosophies we have in this type of work, along with a single piece of advice I learned when working in business development at Christie’s years ago, and I’d like to share them with you.
"Nice to See You" wall sculpture by Jade Rude. An apt message for a post all about outreach. Photo by Jane Beiles
First: Have patience.
Making new connections does not translate to having new clients immediately. It is a long game. Think about contacts as future opportunities for everything - friendship, business, ideas, and more. The more contacts you have, the more future opportunities you are setting up for yourself weeks, months, and years down the road.
Second: Keep at it.
I like to think of business development as a practice. It’s something I intentionally carve out time to do and prioritize, not something that happens only if I have “spare time” (and who has that). Making outreach a non-negotiable, regular, and structured part of my week helps lay the groundwork for future projects and business growth. I will add to that that “keeping at it” involves also reflecting on what you’re doing that works, and what you’re doing that doesn’t. Do more of what works, and drop what doesn’t, and continue to evolve as you see fit.
Third: Know your stuff.
It actually took me quite some time to figure out how to develop my art advisor elevator pitch. (Building a Storybrand helped tremendously with that.) Art advisory is not such a well known industry, and explaining what we do in a clear, concise way took practice. Now, I have that practice and I am ready to share who we are and what we do in any context. You never know who you’re going to meet and when you’re going to meet them. Be ready so you don’t need to get ready. (I stole that from this highly motivational podcast.)
All of this reminds me of a lesson I learned at Christie’s when I worked in business development over ten years ago. There were two executives of the company at a cocktail party I attended. One bee-lined for one of his closest business contacts and friends upon entering the event and stayed with that man during the entire party, certainly having a great time. The other said hello to someone he clearly knew well, then went around the room to speak to nearly every single other person in the room. I will bet that the second executive is the one who grew his rolodex and business and opportunities dramatically more in the long run. The mindset of constantly stepping outside my comfort zone and regularly reaching out to new people is the one I aim to embrace.
One last tip: Here’s how we’re thinking about clients differently and why it yields long term relationships and opportunty.