News

Webinar: Resuming face-to-face contact with clients and contacts

13 October 2021

With the easing of lock-down restrictions and more professionals returning to the office, many are looking to resume face-to-face contact with clients and contacts.

The business landscape, however, is very different to what it was before the pandemic. While some businesses continue to work remotely; others are adopting a hybrid approach which blends remote and on-site working.

Most professionals recognise that strong business relationships are built on in-person interactions and are keen to…

Keeping in touch in the hybrid business world

16 June 2021

As a result of recent years’ events, virtual communications platforms such as Zoom and MS Teams have helped many organisations to reshape their working practices.

There has also been a recognition of the benefits that being ‘on-site’ with colleagues can have on an individual’s wellbeing and effectiveness.

Subsequently, and as many countries ease their restrictions in response to the pandemic, organisations are now planning for and adopting a hybrid approach. This is one…

How to significantly increase the referrals you receive

18 April 2019

For many professionals investing time in cultivating relationships with colleagues and contacts is time well spent.  One individual can, over time, send many business opportunities your way. Indeed, for some professionals, their referrers are effectively their key clients.

And like a good client, your relationship with a referrer needs careful management.  You want to ensure that they think of you when an opportunity arises, and this requires that you keep in touch with…

How to ‘professionally’ keep in touch with clients and contacts

27 March 2018

Ideas to keep in touch with clientsMany professionals we work with recognise the need to keep in touch with clients and contacts, even when they are not currently working with them.  The challenge for some is how to do this in a way that comes across as positive and not ‘salesy’. In some cases it puts professionals off reaching out to their contact altogether.

 

The risk of not keeping in touch

But by failing…

Gaining your contact’s commitment to move forward

28 February 2018

Gaining a contact's commitmentIn a typical working week professionals conduct several discussions, some of which hold the potential for new work opportunities to be identified and won.  Such conversations include those with clients, potential clients, colleagues, intermediaries/referrers, past clients and other people in a professional’s network.

Spotting the potential new work opportunity is just one part of the journey though.  To ensure it does indeed convert into an instruction, it’s crucial that both…

Making the most of Autumn’s networking opportunities

01 September 2017

Networking tipsThe return to work after the summer holidays often coincides with a flurry of invitations to networking events.  The Autumn networking season is traditionally a good time to reconnect with existing contacts and forge new ones.

Networking has long been a key facet of professionals’ Business Development activities. Not only does it help you to get some valuable face to face time with clients and contacts (both current and potential ones)…

8 ways to make social media support your business development

12 December 2016

wbd-social-media-2016-updateSocial media can be a great help to professionals in keeping in touch with their network and raising their professional profile.  We are often asked, however, how best to harness social media’s benefits in an individual’s business development approach.

 

Some professionals feel they have a limited knowledge of social media’s potential and, as a result, don’t utilise its full capabilities.  Others struggle to devote time to social media and worry they are…