Demystifying Business Development Is The First Step With Craig Budner

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I had the pleasure of interviewing Craig Budner, the Global Strategic Growth Partner at K&L Gates, one of the largest law firms in the world. He has been a huge part of their growth over the last several decades.

Mo asked Craig:

“How do you advise other to think about business development

Craig responded:

“You know, you’ve helped me so much along this journey, I would say demystifying it and recognizing that the same characteristics that led them to be good friends, parents, children, listeners, you know those are the characteristics that make up a good business developer. Really demystify it. Don’t think about it as, “The end game is money and the door, and I make more money,” but the end game is learning, growth, and getting better at putting yourself in the shoes of somebody who has a budget to spend to get a job done. How do they interface with their superiors who they report to at their companies. When people see it that way, they see it as just making connections with others. I actually do a lot of individual mentoring within the firm and outside of the firm where I talk people through that and they say, “Oh you mean I’m not really asking for anything in the first instance?” As my friend Mo would say, you are taking a relationship that is already there or would like to be there turning them into a raving fan.

Dive deeper into the conversation with Craig Budner here.

Demystifying business development is the first step. The characteristics of good parents, friends, and listeners are the characteristics that make a good business developer. It’s not about the money at the end of the line, it’s about growth and learning, and getting better at putting yourself in the shoes of someone else.

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Thanks for reading!

-Mo