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14 Essential Skills to Thrive as a Successful Seller-Doer

by Jim Rogers

In today’s competitive business landscape, the seller-doer role is becoming increasingly vital in professional services. As a professional in your field, whether accounting, architecture, engineering, consulting, or law, your ability to seamlessly integrate business development with project execution can set you apart from your peers. However, excelling in this dual role requires a diverse set of skills.

In this blog, I will share 14 essential skills that will equip you with the tools and insights needed to thrive as a successful seller-doer. Whether you’re just starting or looking to enhance your capabilities, these skills are the building blocks for your career success.

Skill #1: Relationship Building. 

While conducting research for my book, Becoming a Seller-Doer: Succeed at Business Development and Take Command of Your Career, I surveyed over 1,200 A/E/C professionals across various industries. Relationship building topped both our surveys (one quantitative and the other qualitative) as the most important skill for seller-doer success. 

With that being said, take the time to build rapport with your clients through verbal and nonverbal communication, active listening, social awareness, and etiquette.

Skill #2: Public Speaking. 

The fastest and most effective way to become a better speaker is to do it. A successful seller-doer understands how to deliver a range of effective talks, such as project presentations, technical education sessions, and webinars. Toastmasters is an organization devoted to developing public speaking and leadership skills.

Skill #3: Business Writing.

Our definition of business writing skill is “The ability, in a corporate setting, to write clearly to inform or persuade.” To achieve success as a seller-doer, you don’t have to become a stellar writer—it will suffice to write clearly and concisely. Currently, Grammarly is the best tool for improving your writing. It even explains it’s recommendations. If you’re using AI to help you write, beware: most generative AI tools are subpar at grammar, which creates clarity.

Skill #4: Storytelling.

Tell stories that engage and influence the listener. Storytelling is essential in marketing and business development. Can you tell your story and your firm’s at a networking event, during a business development call, or in a project meeting? These are all places where selling “happens.”

Skill #5: Market & Client Research.

Acquire Industry Knowledge: Stay updated on the latest trends, innovations, and challenges within your industry. 

Gather Client Intelligence: Gain deep insights into your clients’ businesses, needs, and pain points. This includes understanding their goals, strategies, and decision-making processes. 

Gain Competitor Understanding: Analyze your competitors to identify their strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge allows you to differentiate your services and highlight your unique value propositions.

Skill #6: Capture Planning.

Create a plan for acquiring client business. The key is to follow a process of inquiry that will help you decide whether to spend time and treasure in pursuit of a particular contract. When pursuing major accounts, an account pursuit plan is invaluable. If you want templates for capture plans, send me an email: [email protected]

Skill #7: Making Go/No-Go Decisions.

Distinguish worthwhile client pursuits from poor ones. Experienced managers will be expected to have the business acumen and self-awareness to use their understanding of the client, the industry, and the competitive landscape.

Skill #8: Internet Marketing & Networking.

Merriam-Webster defines networking as “the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business.” This definition works nicely because it is situation-independent and ignores the activity’s medium. You can develop productive relationships at business association meetings while “working the room,” but you can also build relationships by being active on LinkedIn. Use the internet to increase your visibility, build authority, and engage with prospects and clients.

Skill #9: Prospecting.

Find, qualify, and pursue leads for new clients. Think of prospecting this way: It’s your effort to generate leads for new clients through networking, referrals, and proactive phone calls.

Skill #10: Questioning.

Questioning is the process of discovering client needs and wants. Ask effective questions that uncover client needs and preferences. Don’t think of it as selling; think of it as discovery. The art and science of questioning also help a client feel heard and valued.

Skill #11: Positioning.

The act of positioning is to stake out territory in the client’s mind about your attributes and strengths and how they will benefit by working with you. Communicate your firm’s capabilities, markets served, accomplishments, and value proposition.

Skill #12: Proposal Writing.

While all business writing demands writing with clarity, proposal writing is sales writing. It is about convincing decision-makers that you are the best fit for a particular project. Write proposals and letters that close business.

Skill #13: Interview Presentations.

Mastering interview presentations is crucial for winning over clients during short-list interviews. Customize your presentation to address the client’s specific needs and concerns. Clearly articulate your value proposition and highlight the benefits and outcomes the client can expect from working with you. Present your ideas confidently and clearly. Use compelling storytelling techniques to connect with your audience and make your message memorable.

Skill #14: Negotiation.

When closing contracts with clients, much of that responsibility will fall on the principal, who must put their imprimatur on the contract; however, they will rely on the other senior project members to help. Agree on mutually beneficial terms to be formalized in a contract.

Mastering these 14 essential skills will not only equip you to thrive as a seller-doer but will also position you as a key player in your firm’s business development efforts. The ability to build relationships, communicate effectively, and strategically navigate the business landscape is what sets successful seller-doers apart. 

By focusing on these skills, you can take command of your career and make a significant impact on your firm’s growth and success. Embrace the journey of continuous learning and skill development, and watch your career soar to new heights.

Interested in learning more about becoming a successful seller-doer?

Purchase my book on Amazon!

7 High-Impact Ways to Activate and Energize Seller-Doers in Your Firm

by Jim Rogers

In the professional services industries, empowering your team to embrace the role of a seller-doer is essential for driving business growth. However, keeping these professionals motivated and engaged requires thoughtful and intentional leadership. 

Today, I’m sharing seven high-impact strategies for you and other leaders in your firm to help activate your seller-doers and keep them actively contributing to your business development efforts.

1. Be a sherpa. 

The Sherpas of Tibet are the best mountain climbers in the world and get hired to help climbers make their way to the top of Mount Everest. But they don’t just lead you up the trail and carry the load—they ensure you’re fully equipped for the climb and have the resources and guidance you need, especially if you get into trouble. As a leader, you must adopt the same mindset. Equip your seller-doers with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to navigate the challenges they’ll encounter on their path to success.

2. Spark their desire using the 5 Rs of leadership.

Regard: Notice and take an interest in what they’re doing.

Recognize: Give them a public shout-out for stepping up.

Reward: Think beyond advancement and financial rewards. Rewards proven to motivate employees include access to training, job rotation, or supporting a fundraiser for the employee’s favorite charity.

Reinforce: Stress the importance of their work for the firm. Schedule a one-on-one to give them a quick pat on the back. 

Remind: Renew the idea that they’re taking command of their careers and get to choose what they want from it. Whether they want to ascend within the firm or remain an independent contributor, they will grow their influence if they can help bring in business.

3. Build their belief.

To succeed as seller-doers, your employees must believe in themselves—which means that you have to believe in them first. Demonstrating your confidence in their abilities helps them build the self-assurance they need to succeed in their roles.

4. Develop their ability.

Training is part of building seller-doer skills. However, training is an event; learning is a process. Commit to longer timelines for skill development to reinforce training and learn skills unsuitable for the classroom. Utilize experiential learning, feedback, delegation, shadowing, and sending them to industry conferences.

5. Foster their perseverance. 

To foster perseverance, allow people to fail. When we ignore our own selfish desire for convenience and help others learn and grow, it enriches their lives, our lives, our companies, and the world… a thousand times over.

6. Remove a barrier of perception. 

One barrier to activating more seller-doers may be the “doer’s” perception that advancement is the primary reason to be a seller-doer. To activate more seller-doers, you’ll need to find ways to decouple success at business with career hierarchy.

7. Help them take command.

Show your people that the opportunity to become a seller-doer exists. Then, encourage and enable them to acquire the desire and belief to succeed, offer support and resources for them to develop their ability as a seller-doer, and allow them to stumble and make mistakes so they will continue to persevere in their quest to add greater value to your firm — and find greater fulfillment in their careers.

Activating and sustaining the energy of your seller-doers is a continuous process that requires dedicated leadership. Embrace these strategies, and watch your team — and your firm — reach new heights.

Interested in learning more about becoming a successful seller-doer?

Click here to get your copy of “Becoming a Seller-Doer” on Amazon!

 

6 Key Attributes of Successful Seller-Doers in Professional Services: Insights from Industry Leaders

by Jim Rogers

Professional success in professional services industries is often attributed to a combination of technical expertise and personal attributes that set certain professionals apart. After interviewing over 40 highly successful individuals in professional services, some common traits emerged as critical to their achievements. 

These attributes aren’t just buzzwords; they are qualities that shape how these professionals approach their work, build relationships, and ultimately thrive in their careers. Let’s delve into six of these key attributes.

Attribute #1: Passion

“Clients like passion. They want to be around you when you’re passionate, so find something that you’re interested in. Whether it’s the social aspect, or whether it’s the equipment, or whether it’s the technical papers, get into it. Stop dwelling on stuff that you don’t like and find something that you do like.” -Jeff Berk, PE, principal at engineering firm GHD

Attribute #2: Caring

The Oxford English Dictionary defines caring as “to feel concern or interest.” You can’t become a successful seller-doer without building lasting client relationships. 

“My father and my mom used to say, ‘In order for you to succeed, we want you to be an A-student in society, and it’s okay to be a B-student in schooling.’ Be good with people.” -Saiid Behboodi, PE, principal of PBS Engineering & Environmental

Attribute #3: Ownership

With an owner mindset, you assume responsibility for finding opportunities to learn, sell, partner, and help clients. You take ownership of client relationships and the business’s success no matter what.

This sense of ownership and responsibility is why Dave DeLizza of Pennoni once traveled several hours through a severe snow and ice storm to meet with a potential client and his team. Almost 30 years later, Pennoni is still working for that client.

Attribute #4: Confidence

Confidence is the quiet assuredness that you know your stuff, can build relationships with people, and can win them over. Confidence begins with self-respect and authenticity.

People can tell the difference between authentic confidence and bravado. It was a lesson Laura Wernick at HMFH learned early: “I was trying so hard to be this perfect salesperson that I wasn’t perceived as being genuine.”

Attribute #5: Persistence

If you are never faced with fear or doubt in your career, then you’re not pushing through your barriers. If becoming a seller-doer were easy, then every engineering professional would be one.

“I remember a statistic from SMPS that said it takes seven outreaches before you finally connect with somebody new. And most people give up after the first one. Until they say, ‘Quit bugging me,’ keep calling.” -Judy Nitsch, retired founder of Nitsch Engineering

Attribute #6: Assertiveness

Being assertive is vastly different from being aggressive. Assertive people look for opportunities rather than waiting for opportunities to be presented to them.

“We were opening Florida offices, and our executive team was going to walk the halls and study org charts to figure out who to send. I offered another way to select those who want to help us expand and said, ‘Why don’t we put out a call and ask? Let’s see who raises their hand.’ Similarly, when it’s time to look for our next business developers, I watch for those who raise their hands. They tend to have their antennae up for opportunities”. -John Mick

The road to success in the A/E/C industry is paved with more than just technical and communication skills. Personal characteristics and attitudes matter. By cultivating these traits, you enhance your personal development and position yourself as a key player in the industry.

Interested in learning more about becoming a successful seller-doer?

Click here to get my book on Amazon!

Understanding the Client Life Cycle from THEIR Viewpoint

by Jim Rogers

Understanding the nuances of client relationships is crucial for business development. In training programs at the Seller-Doer Academy, a recurring theme is: It’s not about you (the consultant); it’s about them (the client). Participants learn to recite the mantra, “It’s not about me; it’s about you.” 

When we think about seller-doer activities, we use the terms marketing, business development, and perhaps even (gasp!) sales. Those terms reflect our perspective of what we need to do to gain clients. However, it is useful to consider the client lifecycle from their perspective of what they need- a demand-side view rather than a supply-side view. 

Let’s explore the five stages of the client life cycle from the demand side and how to strategically align your activities with each stage to maximize your business development success.

Stage #1: Awareness

At this stage, potential clients are just learning about your firm. Your goal is to increase visibility and establish your presence in the industry. Activities include networking, social media engagement, and thought leadership. You establish thought leadership by writing articles or blogs and delivering presentations at conferences or private lunch-and-learns. 

Stage #2: Interest

Once you have a potential client’s attention, the focus shifts to sparking their interest in your services. Share case studies, success stories, and insights that showcase your expertise and how you can solve their problems. When they see that you have helped other firms like theirs, they will comprehend that you can help them, too. 

Stage #3: Consideration

At this stage, potential clients evaluate whether to work with your firm. Perhaps they invite you to talk to them in detail about a particular project or ask you for a proposal so they can weigh you against their other options. 

Stage #4: Selection

Congratulations! They’ve selected you to help them achieve their project goals. 

Stage #5: Commitment

Once working with a client, it’s your job to keep them. Deliver exceptional results, maintain regular communication, and seek feedback to ensure satisfaction and continuous improvement. Commit to the care and nurturing of the people within the organization because organizations don’t make decisions; people in organizations make decisions.

Understanding the client’s lifecycle from the client’s perspective and what you need to do to satisfy their needs at each stage helps direct your activities to build and sustain the relationship.

Interested in learning more about becoming a successful seller-doer?

Click here to purchase my book on Amazon!

Four Ways Effective Listening Helps With Business Development in Professional Services

by Jim Rogers

 

 

 

 

 

Effective listening skills 

Effective listening skills are crucial for any consultant looking to provide exceptional service and build a successful practice. When consultants actively listen to their clients, they can better understand their needs and tailor their services to meet those needs. This blog post will explore how effective listening skills help with consultative selling.

1. Build Rapport

Building rapport with the client is the first step in any successful consulting engagement. When a consultant actively listens to their client, they can build rapport by showing genuine interest in what the client says. Active listening includes asking open-ended questions and following up on the client’s responses. By doing so, the consultant can build a relationship with the client, increasing their chances of being hired for future projects.

2. Identify Needs

One of the most critical components of effective listening is identifying the client’s needs. When a consultant listens actively, they can pick up on the client’s pain points and offer solutions to those problems. Understanding the client’s needs can help the consultant position their services as the solution. This can lead to a more targeted consulting engagement and a higher chance of delivering value to the client.

3. Overcome Objections

Every consulting engagement will have complaints from the client, and effective listening skills can help overcome those objections. When a consultant actively listens to the client’s complaints, they can address them directly and offer solutions to alleviate any client’s concerns. The consultant can build trust with the client and increase their chances of delivering successful outcomes.

4. Improve Client Experience

Active listening doesn’t stop after the consulting engagement is completed. When consultants listen to their clients, they can gather feedback and use it to improve their services. Client feedback can also help consultants identify new opportunities for delivering value. By actively listening to their clients, consultants can create a better overall experience and increase client loyalty.

In conclusion, effective listening skills are crucial for any consultant looking to provide exceptional service and build a successful practice. By actively listening to clients, consultants can build rapport, identify needs, overcome objections, and improve the client experience. If you’re a consultant looking to strengthen your skills, focusing on active listening is an excellent place to start.

Level the Playing Field with Strategic Alliances

by Jim Rogers

 

Photo of Steve Osborn

Steve Osborn, P.E.
Founding Principal, CE Solutions

One of the 44 executives I interviewed for the book, Steve Osborn, Founding Principal at CE Solutions, Inc., struck out years ago to create his own firm. In the early years, he faced some limitations deriving from the size of his startup. He shared how he overcame that obstacle and landed a dream client by creating a joint venture with several small- and mid-sized firms. This post is an excerpt from my interview with Steve. 

Jim: Can you tell me about a pursuit that you had – whether it was a dream project or client – and what you did to win it?

Steve Osborn: Sure. The first one that comes to mind was when CE Solutions was probably seven or eight years old – so we were a lot smaller and probably had five or six people. We had a relationship with someone who was a project manager for the city because when I worked at a larger firm previously, we did a big project with this individual. Indianapolis was getting ready to expand the existing convention center, which was a fairly significant project – around $275 million. This gentleman I’m referring to was assigned the project manager role and led the selection process. He worked with advisory councils of notable city officials and outside consultants that were assigned by the mayor and the governor.

It was a pretty interesting and high-profile group of folks. Through SMPS and other activities over the years, I developed relationships with quite a few of those individuals. It just kind of happened that they were the ones involved with this process – but I had a really good relationship with the individual who was leading the selection process.

There was no way CE Solutions would get selected by themselves to provide structural engineering on a $275 million project. We just didn’t have the portfolio developed yet – didn’t have enough staffing capacity to do it. However, it was a project that fit really well into our core mantra of making a difference in the communities where we live and work – so we were looking to get involved somehow.

The governor, at the time, was really promoting Buy Indiana – wanting to keep it local by helping firms that wouldn’t ordinarily get projects like that and find creative ways to get them involved. I put the old thinking cap on and started kicking it around with some of my fellow clients and folks that were also pursuing this architecturally – and came up with the idea of putting together a joint venture with a couple of our competitors of like size and mind. I reached out to other competing structural engineering firms of similar size and a geotechnical engineering firm, and the four of us put together a joint venture called Structural Alliance.

I laid the idea out in front of the individual who was spearheading the selection process, and he said, “You know, this looks really interesting. You’re making my job really easy. This is exactly what the governor is talking about – helping firms like yours and others who wouldn’t get the job on their own and creating a way to maybe be involved.” He said, “I can’t guarantee anything. There’s a lot of people involved in the selection process.” All I was looking for was, “Does this make sense? Is this something we should pursue before we go and invest a lot of money in the formation process and everything else?” He gave me the encouragement to go ahead and do it without any guarantees, and we knew we were at risk.

Lo and behold, we were selected. We didn’t get the master structural contract, which would have been a really long shot for us – but we had people pulling for us for that role. In the end, they said even though we were all established firms, we hadn’t worked together as a joint venture, and this would be our first project, and it’s a fast-track project. It’s a high-profile project. They didn’t want to put us out there and stretch us too far – but they gave us an associate role, which they really didn’t have to do. It was an extraordinary achievement, in my opinion, and a huge success. It was nice to have the JV partners all sitting in the room that day when the selection happened, and it was announced publicly. It was a great day.

The Importance of Networking

by Jim Rogers

Joe Viscuso, SVP and Director of Strategic Growth

One of the 44 executives I interviewed for the book, Joe Viscuso, SVP and Director of Strategic Growth at Pennoni, discussed starting his own company early in his career and how networking positively impacted his success. This post is an excerpt from my interview with Joe. 

Joe: After I left college in ’73, I went to grad school and took night classes. Six years later, once I had completed my graduate degree and had my PE license, I started my own company – so I was relatively young at the time.

One of my early decisions was that I wanted my own business. For six or nine months, I left consulting and worked for a fast food restaurant called Gino’s, which at the time had even more restaurants than McDonald’s.

The economy was not in good shape. I saw that they were trying to shed potential sites rather than build restaurants. I decided I would form my own business – and it was right in the middle of a recession, which was probably even crazier.

Many of my peers were members of ASCE, ASME, and several other trade organizations — and to me, as a business developer, that never made sense. How would I get business if I was in a room full of people just like me, looking for the same kind of business?

I decided that I needed to take another course of action to develop my business. I joined the Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Council — business associations where people might be looking for people like me. That early career decision turned out to be one of my best because I was in a room full of like-minded people who, when you peel the onion,  are all looking for business and to make connections. Rotary was another great one for me.

It’s like going to a high school dance. It’s tough to ask that first girl to dance, right? It felt similar because I was the rookie in the room. A lot of folks were older and obviously more seasoned than me — I was a little intimidated. It took me a year or two to realize that age wasn’t a factor because we all shared a common element — everyone was looking to grow their business.

Something that can be frustrating is not having instantaneous results. But then six months later, “Joe Brown” would call me and say, “Hey, I met you at a Rotary luncheon. My brother is building a building. He’s going to need some civil engineering services, and I thought of you.” Then all of a sudden, the connections start to happen. I learned that you don’t necessarily get instantaneous gratification.

Anytime I joined an organization, I usually made it through the ranks. I became very involved. I have been on executive committees and eventually became the board chair of quite a few organizations.

Participating In Professional Societies

by Jim Rogers

Photo of Steve Osborn

Steve Osborn, P.E.
Founding Principal,
CE Solution

One of the 44 executives I interviewed for the book, Steve Osborn, Founding Principal at CE Solutions, Inc., discussed his involvement in professional organizations. He credits these organizations for attributing to his professional development. This post is an excerpt from my interview with Steve. 

Jim: Thinking back to the early part of your career, was there something that you were intentional about in terms of developing skills that later helped you in sales, business development, and marketing?

Steve Osborn: The first company I worked for after I got out of school was very supportive of my participation in ASCE. I was pleased that they supported that. A lot of it was on my own time, but a lot of it was on company time. I learned so much from a leadership standpoint – how to run meetings, communicate, manage, and organize events. I went through all the different leadership roles up to the president and got to experience it from each position, including committee activity.

As my career developed, I reached a point where I was with a different firm, and my responsibilities included managing and overseeing the production of the vertical market. The company I went to was primarily focused on the horizontal or transportation business, and the owner wanted to expand their business into the vertical or building side of things. I came on board to do that. All of sudden, my role changed. I was responsible for finding business, as well as helping grow and manage a division of business for a firm. I had no formal business education – I have a degree in civil engineering.

So I looked for ways to get smart quickly and for mentors. Through ASCE, I got a chance to build relationships with some of the business owners of civil engineering firms around the city. I took advantage of those relationships. I met with them, asked questions, and considered them mentors. During that time, I got introduced to an organization called SMPS (Society for Marketing Professional Services) and immediately saw that it would be a target-rich environment for me as a consultant. There were client opportunities and relationships within that organization.

There was also great educational programming for exactly what I needed, which was marketing professional services. I got involved in SMPS and went through the leadership structure. I’m still active today and also an SMPS Fellow. I go to their national conference every year. It helps me build the business. I learned a lot about how to do business development and marketing in our profession and also how to build a network. It was really important to me at the time of starting my own business because I built it around the knowledge and relationships that I developed through the SMPS organization. I have grown my business by continuing to stay active in that organization – learning and gaining knowledge.

We’re also a member of ACEC and have been for years – ever since I started the business. The difference is ACEC is a firm membership or company membership, whereas SMPS is an individual membership. I was active in ACEC before I started my firm, too, but I really needed to build a client network, and I didn’t see that in ACEC as quickly as I did through SMPS.

Jim: At what point in someone’s career do you think it might be of value to join SMPS?

Steve Osborn: It makes sense for anyone who has a responsibility to develop and maintain client relationships to be a participant in SMPS meetings and learn their best practice in that regard. If you have marketing professionals in your organization that are active members of SMPS and have that body of knowledge close at hand, there can be internal training without the engineers having to go to those meetings. But every once in a while, it certainly doesn’t hurt to expose them to that sort of thing, especially if there’s a good webinar or session on a particular subject about client relationship management – even technical writing.

We talk about SMPS a lot in our organization, and our marketing professionals share knowledge internally. Our senior-level folks are the ones that have a lot more front-line client relationship responsibility – but every once in a while, we’ll take one of our young people to a meeting. We encourage them to participate as well. They aren’t necessarily members, but it doesn’t prevent them from going to a meeting here and there.

Creating a Service-Driven Culture

by Jim Rogers

Steve Osborn, P.E. Founding Principal, CE Solutions

One of the 44 executives I interviewed for the book, Steve Osborn, Founding Principal at CE Solutions, Inc., discussed how he has created and continued to sustain a service-driven culture within his company. This post is an excerpt from my interview with Steve. 

 

Jim: What do you do within your firm to instill your values within your employees? 

Steve Osborn: I’ve been lucky because I started the firm from scratch by myself and have been able to grow it organically. The hiring process is probably the most important thing we do since we’re a service provider. It’s important to have that culture — that foundational philosophy and those principles instilled in people when they come on board here. Our recruiting process is very intentional.

During the interview process, we talk a lot about what our firm is like, what’s important to us, what our foundational principles are, what our brand attributes are, and how we deliver service. We can tell by listening to people if they align with us. We look for the character values and attributes that we want. We’ve had really good success with that.

We create a lot of opportunities for those individuals to grow quickly. We involve them in client contact and give them all the responsibilities of project management upfront. The only thing that they don’t have is experience — but they have all of the other qualities that we’re looking for in a strong project manager. So we allow them to manage their own projects under the supervision of an experienced senior professional.

They can then be responsible for their work. We develop and prepare them. By the time they’re ready to take their PE exam, they’re very comfortable, prepared, and have a high success rate of passage. Then they get their own projects and fly solo after that.

Our clients have complimented us on that approach. They think it’s pretty unique that we give young individuals that many opportunities at an early age. They enjoy working with them as well. The young professionals are the point of contact, but they know they’ve got the senior guy next to them. Our young people get excited about that opportunity.

Perseverance Builds Confidence

by Jim Rogers

One of the 44 executives I interviewed for the book, Laura Wernick, AIA of HMFH Architects in Boston, shared her experience building confidence as a seller-doer. This post is an excerpt from my interview with Laura.

 

 

Jim Rogers: The middle game of business development is the hardest part of this, in my opinion. If you can think of a time when you first took ownership of that middle phase and led a potential client or a potential project through to fruition – how did you learn how to do that?

Laura Wernick: I don’t think my path was a particularly easy one. I can remember very clearly talking to a potential client and then feeling very crushed when we weren’t shortlisted for the project. But maybe what I did is a useful tip for others. I followed up and said, “Geez, you know, I was disappointed. I was excited about this project.” And I remember very clearly the person saying, “Well, Laura, you’re a nice person but you seem kind of awkward. And I wasn’t always comfortable talking with you.” Whoa, that was a tough one.

Jim Rogers: Wow. Unvarnished honesty there.

Laura Wernick: I was trying so hard – And it can take a while for many of us to be comfortable, to find ourselves, and to speak as ourselves. You’re trying so hard to be this perfect salesperson that you’re not perhaps perceived as being genuine or true to yourself. It was a bit of slow learning perhaps. It takes a little while and maybe some maturity for many of us to become ourselves.

It’s hard to be a good marketer if you’re not comfortable in your skin and comfortable with who you are. I think that’s something that people can learn – And it takes time. It takes encouragement, trial and error, and learning what your natural voice is.

Jim Rogers: Trial and error yield wisdom and confidence.

Laura Wernick: Absolutely.

Jim Rogers: I think it takes care of itself over time. You can’t just tell somebody, “Don’t be nervous when you’re talking” – It doesn’t work.

Laura Wernick: I believe the key to all business development is being persistent over time, trying to learn from your mistakes, and sticking with it. That’s always the hardest thing because often the gratification is long delayed. When you finally make that sale and close a deal, it’s a wonderful feeling, but there are a lot of dead ends and sowing a lot of seeds before that final contact can be made sometimes. And I think that persistence and sticking to it is really hard.

Jim Rogers: Beyond just building the gravitas and confidence that comes with experience – Was there anything that you did intentionally to study some of the skills that you needed to acquire? Such as training or finding the right coach or mentor to help you learn and develop those skills.

Laura Wernick: I was always looking to others as role models. Fortunately, one of my partners loves doing business development, and it always helped me to talk, connect, and ask questions. I found that partner to be my greatest role model. My greatest learning technique was seeing others do it and then doing it myself over time. You become more sophisticated in how you spend your time, what works, and what doesn’t work for you. I’m very active in a range of professional organizations now, and when I see other people, I study how they reach out to people and what they are involved with. That’s been my pathway – Learning from my peers or from people who have been doing it for a while. I study their approach and what works for them – And then try to make it work for who I am.