“Believe it or not, you are a salesperson.” So begins The Snowball System with the truth about any of us in professional services. The good news is selling can be learned, and Mo Bunnell has documented how to excel at it in this book.

Mo draws on his vast experience to break down each of the steps of successful business development, enhanced by research in behavioral psychology and supplemented by a raft of online worksheets. The scope is comprehensive, covering prospect targeting, positioning, lead generation, client planning, meeting preparation, and more. The process is scalable to a sole proprietorship, small business, or large corporation. You can use it to bolster BD skills for yourself, for your client/prospect team, or for any large group with revenue responsibility. Mo walks you through each step of the system, stating the purpose and describing what to do — and what not to do. Most steps have an associated worksheet you use to customize the process to your circumstances, support execution, and measure progress. As I was reading the book, I found it helpful to have the relevant worksheet open (by smartphone or computer). For me, the worksheets are a great asset because they provide the framework for practical application of the system.

The conversational style of the book makes it easy to read, understand, and apply. And the text is sprinkled generously with anecdotes, humor, practical advice, and nuggets of wisdom. (An example: “…real, sustainable business development isn’t about selling as it’s traditionally understood at all. It’s about being strategically helpful.”) So when it comes to knowing what to do to be successful at business development, there are no more excuses! Mo Bunnell has done the research, provided the process, and built the tools. Now it’s up to you to act on it.