Slow Down To Get Better Business Development Results
Business development is not always about doing more. Sometimes the best results come from slowing down, listening carefully and making more deliberate decisions.
Your business development results will improve the moment you slow down.
Sounds counter-intuitive to say you will get better business development results if you take a little time out to slow down and think things through. After all, aren’t all professionals supposed to be busy all the time? But when you think about it, how often do you hear partners (especially partners of smaller firms with less support resourcing) say:
“I know I should be doing more marketing and business development…but I’m just too busy today.”
Our instinct is to do more work and “find time” for business development between emailing clients and dropping the kids off at school. We then cross our fingers and toes and hope that the results will come in.
So for this BD Tips Wednesday post I’ll take a quick look at why your business development results will improve the moment you slow down.
Better conversations happen when you’re not in a hurry
When you're racing through your day, you rarely give a client or prospect the full attention they deserve. Slowing down gives you space to listen without distraction, ask more thoughtful questions and explore what the other person truly needs.
You’ll start to notice their hesitations, their priorities, their challenges and the opportunities. Importantly, you’ll have time to reflect before responding.
This depth of understanding is what helps build trust – and we know that trust is critical to the success of your business development endeavours as it’s what elevates you from a service provider to a trusted advisor.
The right opportunities present themselves when you hit the “pause” button
A fast-paced business development mindset pushes you to chase every opportunity. Any lead looks like a good lead when you’re in a rush. But when you slow down, you can evaluate an opportunity properly. You can see more clearly if it fits with your firm strategy. You can have an honest evaluation about whether the work is even going to be profitable. Crucially, you give yourself permission to say “no”.
Hitting the pause button on being busy will also help move you from being a price taker to the all-important price setter status.
Consistency comes from routine, not speed
Being busy means you're being reactive. And reactive business development is bad business development.
When you slow down, you create routines instead of relying on adrenaline. A simple 20-minute daily practice suddenly becomes achievable. You remember to reconnect. You take the time to personalise a message properly. You reflect on previous conversations and pick up threads you'd otherwise lose. You stop working from a sense of panic and start working from a sense of intention.
Slowing down reduces business development anxiety
The faster you go, the more overwhelmed you feel. Overwhelmed quickly becomes avoidance, and avoidance kills momentum.
When you slow down, the anxiety eases. You can separate what matters from what doesn’t. You can create a few simple priorities instead of twenty competing tasks. You can make space to prepare, reflect and plan - things that are impossible to do when you're sprinting.
Takeaway: How to slow down without losing productivity
Slowing down doesn’t mean doing less. It means doing fewer things with more intention. It means blocking a small amount of thinking time each day, choosing a manageable number of meaningful business development actions each week; and replacing generic “checking in” with moments of genuine value. It means taking a moment after each client interaction to reflect on what you learned and what the next step should be. It means ending the week with a brief review so you’re not starting Monday in a panic.
At the end of the day, you’ll also feel more in control once you stop trying to do everything at once.
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.
Toolbox: The 3-3-3 Method of Time Management to Super-boost your Business Development Efforts
The 3-3-3 Method is a practical framework for balancing deep work, meetings and business development activities. Discover how it can help you achieve sustainable growth.
In this BD Tips Wednesday post, I look at: 'The 3-3-3 Method'.
What Is the 3-3-3 Method?
Let's start with the obvious: What is the 3-3-3 Method?
The 3-3-3 Method is a daily time management framework built on three blocks of activity:
3 hours of deep work – Focused, uninterrupted time on your most important projects/client work.
3 hours for meetings/collaboration session/short tasks – Key meetings and/or to-dos that are necessary but don’t require deep concentration.
3 hours of personal and business development time – Things that keep you and your practice moving forward personally and professionally; such as exercise, learning, writing a blog post, commenting on LinkedIn or having a coffee with a contact.
Why Does It Work?
Firstly, the 3-3-3 Method helps you focus on your priorities for the day. By limiting yourself to three hours of deep work, you push yourself to decide what really matters for that day. This avoids spreading yourself thin across too many tasks.
You achieve progress without burnout. Three hours of deep work is substantial, but it’s also sustainable. Instead of marathon days that drain you, you get consistent, high-quality progress.
You have structure without rigidity. The 3-3-3 Method provides guidance but leaves room for flexibility. Your “3 shorter tasks” could be emails, calls or admin. Your “3 maintenance activities” could be as simple as a having lunch with a colleague who refers you work.
Remember, the 3-3-3 Method is not about perfection. Some days, your deep work might stretch to 4 hours, or you may only tick off 2 maintenance activities. The power lies in the framework; it guides your attention without being a straitjacket.
Final Thoughts: Sustainably Growing your Practice
Making time for business development in your busy day doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, implementing simple frameworks in to how you structure your day can provide the most powerful ROI on your efforts.
Further Reading
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.
Toolbox: How the Pomodoro Technique Can Transform Your Business Development Productivity
The Pomodoro Technique is a simple productivity framework that helps professionals focus on high-value activities, reduce distractions and build sustainable business development habits.
For this BD Tips Wednesday post I’m doing a quick walk through of the Pomodoro Technique and some tips on how utilising this can super boost your business development efforts.
What Is The Pomodoro Technique?
Let's start with the obvious question: 'What is the Pomodoro Technique?'
The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo (circa late 1980s) who named it after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer he used as a student (something I did not know till doing reseach about this: pomodoro means 'tomato' in Italian).
The beauty of Cirillo's concept is that it is really easy to understand and follow. You break your work into focused intervals (of 25 minutes) followed by short breaks. These intervals are what is known as Pomodoros.
After completing a spin of four Pomodoros you can take a longer break, giving your brain a chance to rest and recharge.
The rhythm is designed to help you maintain mental agility throughout the day, without feeling overwhelmed.
Why Does It Work?
As I have mentioned already, the real genius of this technique lies in its simplicity. By committing to just 25 minutes of focused work, it becomes easier to overcome procrastination. There's no need to worry about completing the entire task, just start the timer and work until it rings. Knowing that a break is coming, makes it easier to resist the urge to check your phone or get distracted (at which point, feel free to check that phone, LinkedIn update or soccer score!).
Over time, this technique should help you improve your ability to estimate how long tasks take, build momentum through visible progress, and makes it easier to stay focused. It should also give your brain regular opportunities to rest, thereby reducing the risk of burnout (one for the bids and tenders experts out there to take-away!).
Getting Started
All you need is a timer. You can use your phone, a kitchen timer, or any number of Pomodoro apps.
Start by choosing a task and setting a timer for 25 minutes.
Work with full attention until the timer goes off
Take a five-minute break.
After four sessions, take a longer break -15 to 30 minutes
Start the cycle again.
Making It Your Own
While 25-minute intervals work well for most people, don’t be afraid to adjust the technique to suit your working style. The key is not so much the focus time, but to find a happy rhythm that keeps you engaged and productive without draining your energy.
The breaks are just as important as the work sessions. Use them wisely: step away from your screen, grab a glass of water, stretch, or simply breathe. These pauses help reset your attention and give your mind the clarity it needs to stay effective.
Final Thought
The Pomodoro Technique isn’t just a time management hack, it’s a mindset shift. It reminds us that focus is finite, that rest is essential and that progress comes in small, consistent steps.
Further Reading
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.
5 Tips On How To Overcome Business Development Fatigue
Business development fatigue can affect even the most motivated professionals. Discover practical strategies to stay focused, energised and consistent.
In this BD Tips Wednesday post, I share 5 practical real-world ways to reset your energy, sustain momentum and overcome any BD burnout you might have,
1. Reconnect With Your Purpose
Business development fatigue often isn’t caused by “doing too much,” but by forgetting why you're doing it.
Step back and ask yourself:
Who am I helping when I win new work?
What real-world problems am I solving for clients?
What kind of people do I love working with — and how can I find more of them?
Rather than chasing budget targets, realign with your purpose. Revisit client impact stories. Think about the wins this year that made you feel proud.
2. Shift to a Sustainable Cadence
Most BD activities assumes you have unlimited time and energy. You don’t. You’re also delivering work, managing teams and meeting deadlines.
Instead of trying to “do BD every day,” create a weekly rhythm you can sustain. For example:
1 client check-in (past, current, or potential)
1 insight post or article shared on LinkedIn
1 introduction or value-add email sent to a contact
Just three meaningful touches each week — that you can repeat, track, and improve. This approach avoids overwhelm while still building momentum.
3. Prioritise Your Warm Network
BD fatigue gets worse when you’re constantly trying to chase cold leads, pitch to people who don’t know you, or push uphill. Instead, focus on who already knows, likes and trusts you:
Former clients who might return or refer
Colleagues and referral partners in adjacent fields
Warm prospects who’ve engaged with your content
Reconnecting with your warm network is more energizing, more enjoyable and almost always more effective. A simple “thought you’d find this interesting” message can open the door to real conversations and work.
4. Repurpose, Don’t Reinvent
Creating from scratch every time is exhausting. So don’t.
Turn your daily work into BD fuel:
That advice you gave on a client call? Turn it into a LinkedIn post.
A detailed proposal you wrote? Repurpose it as a whitepaper or service brochure.
An FAQ you always answer? Record a short video or write a blog.
When you learn to see BD opportunities in your existing work, it no longer feels like a separate, energy-draining task. It becomes part of how you serve.
5. Celebrate Small Wins — Especially the Invisible Ones
In professional services, the “sale” often comes months after the first conversation. That makes it easy to feel like nothing is working.
So celebrate:
A positive comment on a post
A “thanks, this was helpful” from a client
A new referral from someone in your network
Don’t measure success only by revenue. Track conversations, connections, compliments and content engagement. These are the early indicators that BD is working — even if the work hasn’t landed yet.
Final Thoughts
BD fatigue is real and nothing to be ashamed of.
But it’s not a sign to quit. It’s a sign to shift:
Shift your strategy from hard-selling to helpful connecting
Shift your expectations from instant results to long-term growth
Shift your focus from doing more to doing it smarter
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.
The 15-Minute Business Development Checklist
You do not need hours every day to improve your business development results. Discover 20 practical actions that can be completed in just 15 minutes.
For this BD Tips Wednesday post I thought I would share with you a checklist of 20 business development activities you can do with just 15 minutes of your time!
20 Quick Business Development Wins To Build Your Practice Without Taking Up All Of Your Day
Use this checklist when you have 15 minutes and want to make it count. Print it, pin it, or save it—then start checking things off.
🔗 Relationship Builders
Call a client just to say hello—no agenda, just connection.
Email 5 contacts to check in or share something useful.
Follow up after a recent meeting, event or conference.
Send a thank-you email or handwritten note.
Invite someone in your network to coffee or a virtual catch-up.
🌐 Digital Presence Tune-Up
Refresh one page on your website (bio, services, testimonials).
Update your LinkedIn profile (headline, summary, recent experience).
Connect with 5–10 new contacts on LinkedIn.
Comment on 3 posts from your network with insight or encouragement.
Share a relevant article with a personal message to a client or colleague.
✍️ Content and Visibility
Brainstorm 3 blog or post ideas for future content.
Outline or begin writing your next article or client update.
Read one marketing or industry blog for inspiration.
Read client-specific industry news and forward something valuable.
Record a quick tip or insight you could turn into a post or video.
🛠️ Marketing Foundations
Progress a current project: article, pitch, seminar, or newsletter.
Research a potential lead and add them to your CRM or outreach list.
Improve a frequently used template, checklist, or form.
Delegate a task to a freelance writer, designer, or VA.
Use AI to brainstorm headlines, social media copy, or keywords.
⚡ Pro Tip:
Fifteen minutes each day adds up to over 90 hours of marketing a year. Consistency beats intensity—so pick one and start now.
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.
Timeblocking: Mastering your day, one block at a time
Timeblocking is one of the simplest ways to improve focus, reduce distractions and ensure business development activities receive dedicated attention.
I’ll be honest, when I worked in-house I didn’t practice Timeblocking. Since going out on my own though, I’ve experienced the very real benefits that Timeblocking can provide.
So for this BD Tips Wednesday post, I thought I would share with you the wonders of this productivity tool and show why I have become such a big fan!
What Is Timeblocking?
Timeblocking is a proven time management strategy where you divide your day into dedicated blocks of time, with each block focused on a specific task or category of work. Rather than working from a never-ending to-do list, Timeblocking gives each task a defined slot in your calendar.
Think of it as creating a personalised schedule that aligns with your daily client management goals.
Example of a Timeblocked Day:
8:30–9:00 AM – Respond to emails
9:00–1:00 PM – Deep work (no interruptions)
1:00–2:00 PM – Lunch & walk/exercise
2:00–5:00 PM – Meetings (internal and external), calls, business development /pipeline follow-ups
5:00–5:30 PM – Wrap-up and plan for tomorrow
Key Benefits of Timeblocking
Here are some of the many benefits I have experienced from Timeblocking:
1. Boosts Focus and Efficiency
→ Timeblocking eliminates the chaos of the dreaded multitasking. By committing to one task at a time, your brain can focus deeply—leading to better results in less time.
2. Reduces Stress
→ A cluttered to-do list can cause stress and indecision. Timeblocking breaks your day into manageable parts, giving you a clear roadmap for what’s next.
3. Encourages Better Work-Life Balance
→ By intentionally scheduling breaks, personal time and non-work priorities, you can avoid burnout and ensure your personal life gets the attention it deserves.
4. Minimises Procrastination
→ When your calendar tells you what you should be doing, it’s easier to stay on track. Timeblocking builds accountability into your daily routine.
5. Aligns with Your Priorities
→ Have big goals? Timeblocking allows you to allocate dedicated time for high-impact projects, learning and self-care—without them getting lost in the day-to-day grind of daily life!
6. Reduces Decision Fatigue
→ Planning ahead means fewer in-the-moment choices. With less mental load, you can channel more energy into actually doing the work.
7. Improves Time Awareness
→ We often underestimate how long tasks take. Timeblocking helps you become more realistic about your schedule and teaches you to plan smarter.
Tips on Getting Started with Timeblocking
✅ Start small: Focus on blocking time for your top 2–3 tasks each day.
✅ Review and adjust daily: Audit your schedule at the end of the day and make changes as needed.
✅ Leave buffer time: Life happens. Build in space for the unexpected.
✅ Batch similar tasks: Grouping tasks (like emails or admin work) reduces mental switching and boosts efficiency.
✅ Use your favorite tools: Google Calendar, Outlook, Notion, or even a physical planner—pick what works best for you (I use a piece of paper that has the day at the top and the time down the side).
✅ Evaluate regularly: Keep refining your blocks to match your workload and lifestyle.
Bringing it all together
Timeblocking isn’t about rigidity—it’s about intention. When you control your schedule, rather than letting it control you, you create space for meaningful work, rest and growth.
Keep in mind though that Timeblocking is more than just a scheduling technique: it's a mindset shift. By treating time as your most valuable asset (and who doesn’t in professional services!), you can regain control over your day and focus on what truly matters.
Further Reading
Toolbox: How the Pomodoro Technique Can Transform Your Business Development Productivity
Toolbox: The 3-3-3 Method of Time Management to Super-boost your Business Development Efforts
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.
The Two-Day Rule
Consistency matters more than intensity. The Two-Day Rule helps professionals maintain momentum and avoid losing focus on important business development activities.
If you've been following the BD Tips Wednesday posts to-date, you'll know that business development is as much, if not more, about being consistent with your BD endeavors as it is anything else.
Successful business development doesn't happen overnight. It's more like a daily gym schedule than buying a Hail Mary lottery ticket!
So for this post I thought I would walk through one of my favorite BD Tips: 'The Two-Day Rule'.
What is the 'Two-Day Rule'?
As its name suggests, the 'Two-Day Rule' is a habit-forming principle that recommends you never skip something important - like your business development - for more than two consecutive days.
Tips on how to apply the 'Two-Day Rule' to your Business Development success story
Identify Core Activities: Start out by identifying core activities that drive your Business Development. These can include prospecting, meeting potential clients, attending industry events or engaging on social media. Make a list of these activities and prioritise them based on their importance and impact.
Set Realistic Goals: Understand/acknowledge what you can realistically achieve each day. For instance, if your goal is to grow your network aim to reach out to a select number of people every day of a prolonged period of time (say 3 months). Setting achievable goals that require consistency over time helps ensure you maintain momentum without burning out.
Create a Schedule: The biggest hurdle to implementing a successful Business Development plan is time! Adding the 'Two-Day Rule' into your schedule lets you block-out time for specific business development activities and stick to it.
Stay Flexible: While consistency is key to the success of your business development, it's also important to stay flexible. If an unexpected opportunity or challenge arises, adapt your schedule accordingly. The 'Two-Day Rule' is about maintaining regularity, not rigidity.
Reward Yourself: Who doesn't like a little reward every now and then! So make sure you take the time to celebrate your business development achievements, no matter how small (personally I like to get myself some chocolate from Haig's).
Bringing it all together
Business development is as much about execution as it is about strategy [we l-o-v-e to talk about business development, but we are not so good at actually doing the business development!], so applying the 'Two-Day Rule' can be a real game-changer. While all your competitors are talking, you will be doing!
Remember, the key here is to be consistent. So make a plan, stay committed, track your progres, and remain flexible.
And remember, the brilliance of the 'Two Day Rule' is much the same as a workout at the gym - allowing you to accept you came up short today, but knowing tomorrow you'll need to put in some extra Hard Yards [think Medicine Ball]!
Further Reading
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.
Toolkit: The Ivy Lee Method
The Ivy Lee Method is a simple productivity framework that helps professionals focus on the most important tasks each day and maintain business development momentum.
In this BD Tips Wednesday post I take a look at: The Ivy Lee Method.
The Ivy Lee Method
Named after the productivity consultant who came up with the concept in 1918, the Ivy Lee Method is a simple 5-step task management tool that aims to boost your daily productivity:
At the end of each day, write down the 6 most important things you need to do/achieve/accomplish tomorrow.
Prioritize those 6 items in order of importance.
When you start work in the morning, start with the task you ranked #1 in order of importance. When that task is finished, and only when that task is finished, move to task #2.
As your day progresses, move through your list. At the end of the day, if you haven't finished all 6 items on your list, throw them back in the pot for tomorrow and select a new list of 6 tasks to do/achieve/accomplish tomorrow (which may, or may not, include those unfinished items from today, depending on their residual importance against the new tasks).
Repeat process - every [working] day.
Pros and Cons of the Ivy Lee Method
What I like about the Ivy Lee Method is this: your business development activities need to be pro-active.
What I dislike about the Ivy Lee Method is this: your business development activities need to be pro-active, so you cannot react to opportunities that might arise during the day.
That said, I find the Ivy Lee Method helps me stay focused on what business development activities are important to me at any moment in time.
Staying focused on short-term and longer-term goals allows me to move the dial - to get that 1% better every day that eventually will get me to where I need to be. And,
If the opportunity is going to break my daily routine, then it had better be a very good opportunity and not just chasing another rabbit down a hole.
What's with the number 6?
Sorry to disappoint those in professional services who bill by the hour in six minute increments, but nobody - other than Lee, and good luck asking them - knows why Lee selected 6 tasks per day and not 5 or 7.
Fate?
Further Reading
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.
Useful Tool: The Eisenhower Task Matrix
The Eisenhower Matrix helps professionals focus on high-value activities rather than distractions. Learn how to prioritise business development tasks for maximum impact.
If you've ever been overwhelmed with your business development 'To Do' list - and frankly, who hasn't? - you could well find yourself chasing [inset: "easy"] opportunities that might not be the 'right' type of business for your practice.
That's why I always suggest you start your day or week by pulling out your Eisenhower Task Matrix!
What is the Eisenhower Task Matrix?
Named after the famous US president and 5-Star General, the Eisenhower Task Matrix (which is also known as the Eisenhower Box or Eisenhower Decision Matrix) (Matrix) is a productivity tool used to help you prioritize your tasks. In this case your business development tasks.
Done right, the Matrix based helps you focus on your most critical business development task(s), while delegating or eliminating less important ones; under the following four quadrants of the Matrix:
Urgent and Important
These are tasks that need to be done immediately as they may have a significant impact on your business development goals/responsibilities.
Example: A tender - that you actually have a chance of winning - with a deadline today!
Not Urgent, but Important
These are tasks that are important to the long-term success of your practice, but don't require immediate action and can be postponed to a later time.
Example: Having coffee with a referrer.
Urgent, but Not Important
These are tasks that need immediate attention, but can be handled by someone else.
Example: Project managing a capability statement response that a Senior Associate can manage.
Not Urgent and Not Important
This is the one we all want to keep, which takes up most of our time, and should actually be referred out - either to another practitioner or you in-house support team, as these tasks are a massive distraction sucking up your time and don’t contribute significantly to your business development goals.
Example: Twitter/X posts!
How this can help!
The goal here is not to identify the 'low hanging fruit', but to spend more time on tasks that are going to give you the greatest Return on your Investment (ROI).
The reality is, you don't have much time in your day/week to be doing business development, so make it count!
Eisenhower Matrix adapted for business development
And so here is my adaption of the Eisenhower Matrix, which I use at the start of every day!
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.
Using Microsoft's Outlook And To Do To Supercharge Your Business Development Efforts!
You don't need expensive CRM software to improve business development habits. Learn how Microsoft Outlook and To Do can help you stay organised, consistent and proactive.
[First posted to LinkedIn 28 August 2024]
Success is the product of daily habits - not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.
- James Clear, Atomic Habits
Just as James Clear wrote in his best selling novel Atomic Habits, success in business development is the sum of your daily habits and not a once-in-a-career pitch win!
To this end, while most professional services firms employ sophisticated Client Relationship Management (CRM) platforms, my experience has been that the greatest success in building daily business development rituals and habits comes from utlising the existing tools you have and are already familiar with - namely your Microsoft 'Outlook' and 'To Do' apps.
So for this BD Tips Wednesday post I thought I would take a very high-level look at how you can be using Microsoft's Outlook and To Do apps to advance your business development efforts:
Tips with using Outlook for your Business Development
Block-out 15 minutes each morning in your Outlook diary to post and comment on social media platforms, such as LinkedIn.
Block-out 15 minutes each lunchtime to call or email 1 client, prospect or referrer to catch-up and see how they are doing and whether there is anything you can be doing for them.
Use your Outlook email scheduling function to write marketing emails at a time more convenient for you (in my case 11pm!), but to be sent when they are more likely to be read by your target audience (say, 8am the next day!).
Use the email 'categories' function to organize your business development and marketing emails by campaign, client or project. This should make searching for emails in the future much easier [trust me, Future You will love Present You if all you do is do this!].
If you are working as part of a team, sync your Outlook calendar with the other members of your team so you can easily see when team members are free.
Schedule time each month in your Outlook diary to review and assess how your business development activities are fairing and determine if you need to make adjustments to your strategy/methodology.
Tips with using To Do for your Business Development
Schedule To Do reminders for re-occurring tasks, like writing and scheduling your social media posts.
Set To Do reminders ahead of time for important dates and events. An example here might be to schedule a reminder in your To Do app that the birthday of a client is coming up next week and you need to send them a handwritten card!
Use your To Do app to schedule follow-up reminders for people you meet at events, emails you have sent that have not been responded to, or actions you have promised to complete.
Used properly, your Microsoft Outlook and To Do apps can be very powerful business development tools. Ones which are typically very much under utilised by most professionals.
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.