Watch our video from our Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series”Business Development – Don’t Confuse Activity With Progress”

Have you ever fallen into the “I’m so busy” trap? I’m so busy with my business or my life or my kids or everything in combination. We all do that sometimes. Moreover, when we’re not exactly sure how to get something done, we’ll often fill our time with “busy work” so we feel like we’re making progress. Business development, ie sales and marketing, is no different. It’s a very common problem. A business owner isn’t exactly sure how to proceed with how to acquire new customers so they’ll fill their time with a bunch of stuff. Whether it’s random social media posts, some networking events, an ad in the local paper, or a host of other things, we’ve seen business owners just try various marketing tactics without any idea how it’s working.

Here’s what you need to remember though, with business development, things are either working or they’re not. Over time, you need a business development system in place to tell you if you’re actually making progress or not.

When it comes to business development, don’t fall in the “I’m so busy” trap. Here are a few ways you can make sure your activities are leading you to new customers.

Don’t engage in activities that don’t directly help you connect with clients and prospects.

Use your time very wisely. Make sure that everything you do is directly related to the right audience hearing from you.

Persistent behavior in the right activities.

You don’t need to try every marketing tactic under the sun. Find a few that resonate with your target audience and do them over and over. You need consistency in order to figure out if you’re progressing or not.

Have a plan that you’re measuring against

To get the most out of your business development activities, you need both a marketing plan and a sales plan. Without them, you can find yourself wasting a lot of time.

Avoid shiny objects

A lot of people will present you with a lot of different marketing tactics and ideas. For example, people will try to sell you advertising, billboards, paid search and all sorts of other things. Some might be appropriate for your business and some will not. Don’t spend lots of time chasing a bunch of ideas. Simplify as much as you can.

Communicate, Communicate, and Communicate

Regularly communicate with your clients and prospects. Understand them, why they do business with you, what’s important to them and how they want to be reached.

If you follow these suggestions, you’ll ensure that your business development efforts are not wasted energy.

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