Business Development Strategy

Session
 In this session, we will
be discussing two
points, keeping in
mind the current
economic trends and
conditions.
 Client Development
Strategy
 2009 Business Plan
Business Development Strategy
 Rewind 2008  Look Ahead to 2009
 Review Your Business
From Last Year
 What Did You –
 Focus On? (Niche)
 Do on a Partner
Basis?
 Bill?
 Cash-In?
 How much was repeat
business??
 From your review, do
you need to establish
(or reestablish) a niche
specialty?
 What trends have
emerged, and are
emerging, in 2009?
 Where could you ‘trim
the fat’ from your
rewind?
 Importance of a Business Plan
 Your Business Plan serves as the Compass for
the future direction of your business
 Sets Strategy
 Helps You Get Funding
 New Hires, More Tools – Business Growth
 Management Tool
 Daily Direction
 SWOT Analysis
 Be Specific
 Everything in your SWOT analysis should be
specific, quantifiable
 I.E.
– “The Market is Soft” is not sufficient for a
weakness or threat/risk
 “There is a softening in the market within HR as it relates
to functionally specific positions – there is a THREAT of
companies exchanging Recruiters and Benefits
Managers for HR Generalists with more rounded exp.”
 Market Sectors/Clients
 Rome Was Not Built in A Day – Your
Practice Should Not Be, Either…
 How are you establishing who you are
going to work with (target) in the next 12
months?
 How many have asked clients what
percentage of the client’s total recruitment
budget is allotted to them?
 What Makes a Key Account?
 What are 3 Things that Make an Account
a “Key Account?”
 If you don’t have any ‘key accounts,’ how
do you build one?
 Job Orders and Pricing
 Develop a Pricing Strategy Per Desk
 When You talk to a client about our fees,
there should be a method behind how you
work and what goes with each type of service:
 Partnered
 Contingent
 Looking at the Competition
 It is CRITICAL to know your major
competitors.
 Who are your top 3 competitors?
 What is their differentiation?
 What competitive information have you
surfaced?
 Do you ask your clients about their “other
firms?”
 Production
 Three Biggest Issues with the Plans:
 1. Achievable, yet aggressive goals
 2. Accountability with yourself to your plan
 How often do you review against your plan?
 If you get off plan, do you have measures in place
to get back on track?
 3. Really understanding your marketplace
 Have a viable niche specialty from which to grow
 Remember, flowers start as seeds 
 Knowing what level(s) you are going to target