Erin Braford and Rebecca Hnatowski talk about why business development is a long game, and how to build relationships that last.
Three Things You’ll Learn:
Why business development feels scary, and how to reframe rejection as muscle-building
How to spot the super-connectors in your network and keep those few relationships warm
What a clear “I help” statement does for you at a barbecue or a soccer game
Show Notes:
Business development scares a lot of capable people. Rebecca Hnatowski has spent 20 years helping lawyers get past that fear and build the relationships that bring in work.
Rebecca is a business development consultant and coach. In this conversation with Erin, she names the part that stops people: a one-to-one relationship where the other person could say no. Her answer is that no single conversation is wasted. Each one trains the muscle you’ll use with the next person, and the people who don’t hire you often refer you later.
[00:05:35] “You’re training your muscles to build relationships with people. If that wasn’t the right one, that’s fine. If you’ve done a good job, that person will remember what you do.”
She also covers the people worth prioritizing. The super-connectors who seem to know everyone can point the right clients toward you, so you don’t need coffee with the whole world. Rebecca is honest about the timeline, too.
[00:27:33] “It’s a long game. Right now people are saying like 15 touch points from when you meet someone to when you maybe get the business. So anticipate that that could take years.”
Connect with Rebecca Hnatowski, business development trainer and coach, and the founder at her website, Edwards Advisory, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
