The Top 5 Mental Skills Every Government Business Development Professional Should Be Great At

Asher Government Business Development & Training is dedicated to seeing you build your business and garner those government contracts you need for success. With our combined decades of experience, we know what works and what doesn’t. One thing we’ve learned, and stress in our training workshops, is that often what’s in a business development manager’s head is far more important than the tools in their toolbox.

A highly successful business development professional must have their head in the right place to generate new business year after year. There are some similarities to golf and staying in the flow of the game. Maintaining your mental attitude and stamina are half the battle. Here are our Top 5 Business Development Mental Skills to master for success.

Control of emotions and attitude is everything

A BD professional who allows their emotions to control their behavior is one who is headed towards burnout or at least less success than they are capable of. They must be cool and collected at all times, and in control of themselves. Pros at this will accept a bad client interaction or negative comment as new information, process the opportunity it brings, and end up with a smile. Self-control and staying positive make a world of difference in business development success.

Not every bid leads to a sale

Winning and making profit on government contracts is a slow-but-steady process in a field with many competitors. Sometimes other competitors will simply be able to deliver a better proposal, or have a product better-suited for the requirements of the project. This is unavoidable in government contract bids. A true BD pro shakes off the failures and focuses on the next win, always learning along the way.

A “greatest” sale only happens occasionally

There is no easier way for a BD professional to send themselves into a tailspin than to consistently expect performance equal to or greater than their greatest success. To hold themselves to such impossible standards will always backfire. Every win should be celebrated, and when a new all-time high is achieved, it should be understood as a rarity – not a standard. Consistency of performance and always giving it your best will result in long term success. Demanding unreasonable expectations will probably not work over the long term.

Give it everything, even on long shots

A BD professional never does anything half way in terms of effort. Once you have made a “bid decision”, give it your all even if you know the odds are stacked against you. Those proposals can be the most fun because they let you try out new messaging, or stretch your team to beat the favorite’s solution. Always be focused on the customer’s needs, looking for better ways to show your value. If it doesn’t work, learn from the effort and move on.

Never make excuses

Excuses are a shrugging off of responsibility. Even if some failures are inevitable, that does not mean they should be excused. Instead, they should be learned from. Excuses prevent learning.

Boost Your Government Contract Success Rate

Asher Government Business Development & Training has a top-tier team of highly experienced government industry professionals who can teach the skills your team needs for success at government contract work. With Asher coaches at your back, you will sell more tasks, write more winning proposals, and grow your business like never before.