CRM platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot were designed to sell SaaS products. Not professional services.

And yet you find yourself face-to-face with a tech salesperson who presents a glimmer of hope: with a new CRM system, you'll grow revenue, your team will be rowing in the same direction, and you'll close deals faster.

The reality? You're left with bloated operating expenses and sales pros who don't want (or know how) to use it.

On this episode of Breaking BizDev, Mark explains why CRMs absolutely SUCK at relationship management, and what you can do about it.

www.breakingbizdev.com

Your decisions are influenced by natural psychological forces.

Whether that's deciding on which coffee size to select, or which firm to work with... cognitive bias is at play.

On this episode of Breaking BizDev, John and Mark share 7 cognitive biases that shape new business development, and share how you can use them to help buyers make better, more informed decisions:

1. Anchoring
2. Messenger Effect
3. Loss Aversion
4. Social Proof
5. Decoy effect
6. Pain of paying
7. Optimism Bias

Here are some additional resources mentioned on this episode:

• Daniel Kahneman and his book Thinking, Fast and Slow.
• The team at The Decision Lab and their extensive library of cognitive biases, heuristics, and insights.
• Melina Palmer the host of The Brainy Business podcast and consultancy.
• Katelyn Bourgoin 🧠 author of the Why We Buy newsletter and nearly endless other bits of wisdom.

www.breakingbizdev.com

We're not the only ones who think BizDev needs a smack-down.

For several months now John and Mark have beaten up and broken down various business development topics like prospecting, content marketing, pricing, events, proposals, referrals, and even job descriptions.

A while back, we had this idea to go out and ask some friendly contacts what *they* believe is broken in business development. Their responses spanned nearly the entire marketing <> sales continuum referenced on the show:

🔸 Krystn Macomber on what's broken about the go/no-go process
🔸 Florian M. Heinrichs on what's broken about lead generation, especially on Fridays
🔸 Patrick Johnston on what's broken about the sales/marketing feedback loop
🔸 Joe Pope on what's broken about channel selection and deployment of resources
🔸 Perryn Olson on what's broken about branding and firm websites

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How should experts and busy doer-sellers approach prospecting?

On this episode, John and Mark share three specific examples of multi-channel prospecting sequences that your firm can put into practice right away using LinkedIn, email, and the phone:

1. A two-week cohort-based prospecting sequence
2. A 120-day, podcast-led prospecting sequence
3. A post-conference follow-up prospecting sequence

If you found this episode valuable, please subscribe to the show and leave a rating or review on Apple and Spotify.

www.breakingbizdev.com

Whether you believe it or not, lead generation is possible for your firm.

On this episode of Breaking BizDev, John and Mark break down 7 content marketing frameworks that can be used to generate leads in professional services:

1. The Email Newsletter
2. The Podcast Flywheel
3. Original Research
4. Influencer Co-Creation
5. Content Darwinism
6. Demand Capture Funnel
7. Content Recycling

Read more detail in this blog post by John:
www.redcedarmarketing.com/blog/content-marketing-frameworks

www.breakingbizdev.com

Do you really need to hire a full-time role for sales, marketing, HR, finance, or other internal business functions?

In this episode, John and Mark break down the benefits of working with fractional consultants in professional services. They discuss the different scenarios in which it makes sense to work with a fractional consultant, and examples of fractional consulting engagements.

- Scenario 1: Diversifying into a new area without a full-time hire
- Scenario 2: Filling a skills/expertise gap temporarily
- Scenario 3: Accessing consultant networks for additional expertise
- Scenario 4: Fast-tracking training without long-term commitment
- Scenario 5: More efficient use of capital vs. full-time salaries/benefits
- Defining fractional consultants vs. freelancers vs. contractors
- Examples of fractional consultant engagements

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In this episode, John & Mark explore the variety of roles and skills needed for professional services firms to develop new business today. Having strengths across both marketing and sales is essential for driving business growth. This conversation covers:

• Key marketing roles like digital marketing specialist, web developer, graphic designer, and marketing director
• Examination of sales roles like closers, sales managers, and doer-sellers
• "Messy middle" roles like proposal managers and researchers that straddle marketing and sales
• Review of necessary sales skills like curiosity, process leadership, emotional intelligence
• Marketing skills like analytics, networking, emotional intelligence

www.breakingbizdev.com

John and Mark provide an in-depth look at effective prospecting targets, tools, and techniques for doer-sellers in professional services firms—a critical part of the lead generation toolkit. Here are the key points covered in this conversation:

• Prospecting involves proactive outreach to uncover new opportunities and lies on the sales side of marketing.
• Mark uses an iceberg analogy to explain market segments: actively buying, passively buying, and satisfied with their status quo.
• Prospecting objectives are to schedule follow-ups, gather information, or increase familiarity.
• Prospecting outcomes include determining fit, wrong timing, or qualifying an opportunity.
• Mark walks through an example 14-day sequence for busy doer-sellers

www.breakingbizdev.com