Every company looks for business development professionals primarily for the growth of its operations and profits. This career is a demanding one, and you need to be flexible and alert all the time. To work in business development, you should have strong English, Math, communication, and information technology skills. It is an added advantage if you have work or academic experience in sales, business management, and marketing.
Sharon Deflorio – Gearing up for a lucrative career in business development
Sharon Deflorio is an esteemed business development professional from Norwalk, CT, known for her proven track record in boosting lead generations and building valuable client relationships. She has worked with respected names like Xerox as an Executive Compensation Analyst, served Terex Corporation as a Senior Paralegal, and Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal as a corporate paralegal in New York City.
Nurturing your communication skills
According to her, if you are keen to establish yourself as a successful business development professional, you should focus on your communication skills. You will interact with clients daily and need to focus on follow-ups and keeping long-term relationships with them.
At the same time, you will be sharing information with the company’s stakeholders, so you must write and speak clearly. Simply having communication skills is not enough; you should also have active listening skills and be empathetic to your client’s needs with an open mind.
Collaboration skills
In any work environment, collaboration with teammates plays an integral role, and business development is no exception. As a business development professional, you should have good collaboration skills, as you need to work with others. You should have good skills when understanding a wide range of perspectives, managing the group’s key priorities, and meeting their expectations as a dependable team member.
To be a successful collaborator, you should always sport a cooperative spirit to foster mutual respect. Employers look for candidates that can function effectively as a team and attain a balance between their group goals and personal achievement targets.
The importance of non-verbal communication
Non-verbal communication is essential for business development success, including your tone, body language, and personal grooming to a large extent. For instance, you can deliver the exact words in two different ways to convey two meanings. Here, it would help if you choose your words wisely and later embraced the tone that will sound appropriate for the occasion. In case of any queries, feel free to ask the experts. They will provide you with all the details.
According to Sharon Deflorio, you should be prudent with your words at all times and sport a positive attitude. Business development is very demanding, and you should always be mentally and physically alert. She suggests that you invest in your mental and physical health to have the stamina and energy to manage workplace affairs easily. Keep yourself updated on the latest trends and developments so that you can invoke positive first impressions wherever you go!