There are five steps you need to do for effective business development action planning.

The five steps most useful to generate leads and win new business are really quite simple and form the basis of a very powerful Business Development (BD) Action Plan.

Active listening is a skill that I am always trying to improve upon. It's one of the most valuable skills to learn in life and in business.

Being a talkative, outgoing extrovert I always have to be conscious that I don't dominate conversations and enthusiastically cut people off from what they're saying.  Letting people finish their sentences and not second guessing their views can sometimes be a challenge.

LinkedIn is a great BD tool.  It is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to present your talent and expertise to the market.  If you're new to LinkedIn or feel you could be getting more from it, the first thing to do is check your LinkedIn profile is up to date, looks professional and showcases your true value.  Here is a Checklist of 20 things that will complete your Profile.  The next step is to schedule 10 minutes each workday to connect, post an update, make a comment and keep an eye on what's happening in your space, so that LinkedIn becomes a useful way to help you grow your business.