Why my absolute favorite BD practice reaps big rewards

This post is part of our Monthly-ish Tips series.

Think about the number of meaningful relationships you’ve had with clients over your career. There are likely hundreds. Now think about how many you’ve reached out to in the last year. Probably considerably fewer, and probably not enough—especially since they’re your best and easiest source of leads if you’re in a services business. Read on for a simple and important way around this relationship problem.

Reprise: 10 easy ways to make time for BD

This post is part of our Monthly-ish Tips series.

It’s been nearly six years since I wrote about easy ways to make time for business development (BD). I reprised my Top 10 list with a workshop group the other day and it occurred to me I should do the same here. While I’m at it, I’m merging what was two lists of five into one for easy access, and adding some prioritization that creates a dramatic lead-in to my favorite (#1).

Here are my top 10 tips for making time for BD:

How to stay in touch without completely burning out

This post is part of our Monthly-ish Tips series.

I got an email from a client-turned-colleague-now-also-friend not long ago. It was a spontaneous reach-out and she really nailed it in terms of balancing competing priorities, like how to stay in touch in a genuine and meaningful way without inflicting more video call fatigue—or just plain fatigue—on either of us.

I’ll call her “PJ.” Here’s what PJ wrote:

Katya Staples

Katya Staples

As a financial manager, I work with the numbers and I make sure that they are sensible. I always look to improve and streamline existing processes in the financial operations.

My finance career started in banking and progressed into corporate accounting and business management. I have supported a variety of industries performing a multitude of accounting and finance functions. I stepped away from corporate accounting to form my own finance company with a specific goal to work with small businesses and to be a part of their success story.

I consider myself an advocate of entrepreneurship with a passion in supporting businesses grow and succeed through management of their finances.

I enjoy working with clients that value teamwork and appreciate the multicultural and multitalented diversity of their human capital. Years ago, I defended my MBA thesis on virtual organizations as I strongly believed that the concept of such is viable and will drive the future of business. Therefore, I am particularly excited to make this a reality and to focus my work around organizations who make virtual collaboration a reality and who by doing so are re-defining the borders of the professional world.

My Get Real Services

I supervise and handle all financial operations for The Get Real Project.

My Trust Temperament™

The Professor

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My Get Real Story

Over a decade ago, a company that I worked for as part of the accounting department had decided to split into two separate firms. My supervisor at the time and I were asked to part our ways and each to work for one of the newly formed companies. My supervisor and I had a tremendous professional relationship, one that we valued highly as we could identify with each other’s work ethic and integrity. We stood up to the challenge and rejected the offer and the employment opportunity and instead formed our own company to stay and work together, to find our clients and a market niche. My former supervisor is now my business partner of over 10 years and we proudly serve many of our clients as an independent accounting firm by providing our best services while enjoying our partnership. I consider this the most valuable decision in my professional life and the most rewarding by far.

Getting a Little More Personal

Words people often use to describe me

Steadfast, meticulous, fun.

What inspires me

Driven people.

What brings me joy

Spending time with my family and friends, travelling, playing tennis, snorkeling, doing house projects, eating good food, working.

What anchors me

My family, cats.

What drives me nuts

Complacency, laziness, selfishness.

My guilty pleasure

Shopping for unique, one of a kind items, whether it is clothing, household items, gifts or vacations.

A favorite quote

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself” —Leo Tolstoy

What I can’t do without

My family and friends. Sense of humor.

My secret ambition

To inspire my son to become the next tennis phenom.