The Seven Biggest Barriers to Business Development for Professionals and How to Overcome Them

At Breath of Fresh Air, we specialise in helping professionals and professional service firms to grow through helping them to retain existing clients and attract new ones. Over the years, we have identified the most common and biggest barriers that get in the way of successful growth and work with our clients to overcome them.

The market for professionals is becoming more and more competitive with some firms and individuals becoming very effective at winning new work, leaving others lagging way behind. There is a danger in these uncertain economic times of focusing on the bottom-line and on reducing costs rather than the top-line and on increasing fee-income.

This article is aimed at highlighting the key reasons why professionals shy away from this top-line focus allowing competitors to pick up more work. We suggest solutions to these hurdles, just click the links to read more.

  1. Lack of a vision, clear sense of direction or a goal
  2. Time
  3. “We are professionals not sales people”
  4. Not managing the business development activity
  5. Fear of selling
  6. No understanding of what activity is needed as a firm and as individuals
  7. Lack of confidence

These seven barriers are not the only ones I have come across but are the most common. The key solutions are:

  • Develop a clear vision or goal
  • Factor in time for business development
  • Adopt a team approach
  • Make business development part of the professional’s role rather than an ‘add-on’
  • Recognise and reward business development and sales success
  • Adopt sales management practices
  • Develop a professional, consultative approach to selling
  • Develop sales and pipeline activity plans for the firm and for individuals
  • Learn the skills for sales and business development

By removing these barriers bit by bit, you and your firm will grow your business in the way that you want, you will achieve your goals, turn your dreams into reality and achieve results beyond dreams.

For further information or for help in implementing some of these solutions please contact Jacqueline Harris of Breath of Fresh Air on 0118 969 0783 or at j.harris@breathoffreshair.uk.com.

JacquelineAuthor – Jacqueline Harris has extensive experience of helping professionals and professional service firms to grow and increase their fee income. Her work focuses on business development, sales, client relationship management, leadership skills and executive coaching.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *