“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

Henry Ford

These days, I encounter fewer New Business Careerists, many often coming from other areas of a business. In actuality, and as a careerist myself, there are very few new business tasks that can be performed solo without input from other departments in the business or people with specialist skillsets.

Of course, someone needs to be in the driving seat and be made accountable but the scope of new business is vast. It covers areas that every single person in your company could, and should, get involved with. For a new business programme to thrive, it needs to be embraced by everyone.

This is why it is important to share the new business and marketing plan with your whole business, even if it’s just the edited highlights. Everyone needs to know the goals you are working towards and get behind them. It also means that you can start to spread the load, giving people specific objectives that they can be measured against.

By involving more people you are also likely to get a fresh perspective on various aspects of your strategy such as client intel, prospecting approaches and agency marketing.

As Henry Ford so well-articulated, getting everyone on board is probably easier than keeping them there. Giving people a meaningful role in the future of the business, particularly if this is something that they are not specifically responsible for, is a way to do this. However, that means communication is vital, and regular status updates communicating progress and results, good or bad, must be shared.

The jfdi® New Business Academy assesses new business strategy, evaluates past performance and creates a new business and marketing plan fit for the future.

The day will give your team a chance to redefine and revitalise your New Business and Marketing strategy and tactics with an emphasis on jfdi action and continued momentum following the day.

A shared goal in the business means that you give everyone their own vested interest in the on-going success of your business.

Amy Robinson – April 2014