5 Tips for productive Bus.Dev. in Europe

Business development – if done properly – can be an engine of success for any company. Most companies believe that business development is easy. They couldn't be more wrong. Proper business development is more than just running around trying to drum up new business & attending industry events.

It's more than attending fairs & meetings, shaking hands and having conversations over coffee. You must be highly focused and have the ability to both open doors and close deals.

You need to be creative, have a thorough understanding of the company’s product, technology, market sector, competition and, most importantly, posses knowledge about your market and have a solid network of contacts.

Solid business development people collect information, collect contacts, keep close network relationships and build libraries of technology know-how. Ready tools to be employed when an opportunity presents itself.

Because of the vast diversity of Europe in terms of countries and cultures, business development is even more critical for companies wishing to lever specific knowledge and information.

Here's my 5 top tips for productive business development in Europe:

1. Have a clear understanding of your market.
Like trying to navigate unknown waters without charts, Europe is filled with uncharted business reefs waiting for your ship to crash upon. Do your homework and build European market insight if you haven't already done so. If you can't, then partner with someone who already possesses it.

2. Don't fight the market or where it is in its lifecycle.
In Europe there is no Wild West, therefore cowboys who believe they can turn around market opinion like a herd of cattle are liable to find themselves on the wrong end of the stampede. Move with the market & identify where its going.

3. Develop and nurture your partners and contacts.
Like an extended family of uncles, aunts and distant cousins, the extended European family has a relative everywhere. Keeping in touch with them on a regular basis and keeping updated will keep you informed and in the forefront of any opportunities that can go both ways.

4. 50 flavours to choose from!
Often overlooked by most non-European companies, Europe does not come in 1 flavour. The most common factor all European countries have is their pride in being different. Fail to recognise or ignore those differences and your business will fail to establish and seed roots.

5. Think outside of the (music)box
Good European business development is about thinking creatively outside of the box. It's about recognising an opportunity and then conducting the right orchestral pieces into place to create a solutions symphony. Music that customers like the sound of.