The Mindset Shift That Makes BD Easier

Business development isn’t rocket science.

But it is brain science.

One of our clients said that once, and it stuck with me. Because when it comes to BD, the hardest part isn’t the strategy, it’s managing your own mind.

Your brain wants to keep you safe.

It tells you things like:

“Do they even remember me?”
“What if they think this is awkward?”
“I don’t have time right now.”

And then… you don’t reach out. You don’t follow up. You don’t take the next step.

Here’s what helps me more than anything else:

FEO — Focus on Exciting Outcomes.

It’s something I learned from my friend Stefan Falk, author of Intrinsic Motivation. And I think about it all the time.

When I don’t feel like going for a run, I don’t focus on the run. I focus on:

Beating my goal for an upcoming race
Feeling amazing afterward
Eating more guilt-free later

I apply the same mindset to business development.

If I’m feeling stuck, like I don’t know what to say, or I’m worried someone won’t respond, I stop thinking about the task, and I start thinking about the outcome.

The future relationship
The momentum I’ll feel
The confidence from doing something hard

Sometimes the exciting outcome is big: Like building a client relationship that lasts years.

Sometimes it’s simple: Like knowing I did the hard thing today and can check the box.

Either way, it works.

So here’s your reminder:

When you’re stuck, don’t focus on the task.

Focus on the exciting outcome.

That shift in perspective can get you moving again and when you move, you grow.

You build relationships.
You make a difference.
You become someone who does the hard things.

And that’s where the magic happens.