David Ackert > Quotes

“Musicians are some of the most driven, courageous people on the face of the earth. They deal with more day-to-day rejection in one year than most people do in a lifetime. Every day, they face the financial challenge of living a freelance lifestyle, the disrespect of people who think they should get real jobs, and their own fear that they’ll never work again. Every day, they have to ignore the possibility that the vision they have dedicated their lives to is a pipe dream. With every note, they stretch themselves, emotionally and physically, risking criticism and judgement. With every passing year, many of them watch as the other people their age achieve the predictable milestones of normal life – the car, the family, the house, the nest egg. Why? Because musicians are willing to give their entire lives to a moment – to that melody, that lyric, that chord, or that interpretation that will stir the audience’s soul. Musicians are beings who have tasted life’s nectar in that crystal moment when they poured out their creative spirit and touched another’s heart. In that instant, they were as close to magic, God, and perfection as anyone could ever be. And in their own hearts, they know that to dedicate oneself to that moment is worth a thousand lifetimes.”
― David Ackert

“Connectors bring you new ideas, referrals, resources, clients, or other business opportunities. They may be partners at your firm or external referral sources providing adjacent services to your industry.”
― David Ackert, The Short List: How to Drive Business Development by Focusing on the People Who Matter Most

“Another way to activate connectors is through an advisory roundtable. This mastermind forum allows you and your connectors to deepen your relationships, exchange valuable information, and boost referral activity.”
― David Ackert, The Short List: How to Drive Business Development by Focusing on the People Who Matter Most

“Certainly, it’s crucial to share information that demonstrates your subject matter expertise, but too often presenters pack their presentations with facts, case studies, and takeaways, trying to show off how knowledgeable they are. The audience leaves with all the information they need, and the presenter feels like they gave away their content with nothing to show for it. Better to engage your audience, giving them just enough information so they are compelled to talk to you afterward. That should be your primary objective for every presentation: a follow-up conversation with the prospects in your audience.”
― David Ackert, The Short List: How to Drive Business Development by Focusing on the People Who Matter Most

“One mistake I often see people make is to end their emails with closing statements rather than closing questions. Closing statements don’t necessarily warrant a response. When you close your email message with a thoughtfully crafted question, you encourage more engagement. You also position yourself as a more proactive, responsive communicator.”
― David Ackert, The Short List: How to Drive Business Development by Focusing on the People Who Matter Most

“Every day, on numerous occasions, you are asked some version of the question: “How are you?” “How are things going?” “How’s business?” “What are you up to these days?” A generic response such as “Nothing much,” or “Crazy busy,” or “Same old, same old” squanders the opportunity to bolster your reputation within your network. Instead, answer with an update about a current project or an interesting client engagement. It is a much more authentic response to say, “Thanks for asking. I’m working on an interesting new project for a client in the energy sector and it’s going really well.” Even if the other person doesn’t inquire about the details, you will have promoted your expertise, your work ethic, your enthusiasm for what you do, and your willingness to engage in a real conversation.”
― David Ackert, The Short List: How to Drive Business Development by Focusing on the People Who Matter Most

“Unfortunately, most business development occurs in our imagination. We have a meeting with a prospect. We feel the meeting went well. We imagine they are going to engage. But they often don’t. We have a great conversation with a client. The client implies they will call us when they are ready to engage additional work. We imagine they are just waiting for the right time, only to learn a year later that they hired a competitor.”
― David Ackert, The Short List: How to Drive Business Development by Focusing on the People Who Matter Most

“Prospects are in a position to engage your services or work at companies that can hire you but haven’t yet. You’d like to work with them, but you still need to persuade them to do so. They represent the opportunity to expand the scope of your existing business.”
― David Ackert, The Short List: How to Drive Business Development by Focusing on the People Who Matter Most

“Your Short List should include only the people to whom you assign an influence score of three or higher. That’s because the more you surround yourself with people whose influence scores are equal to or higher than yours, the more exposed you will be to the kinds of deals, projects, and opportunities that drive your upward progress.”
― David Ackert, The Short List: How to Drive Business Development by Focusing on the People Who Matter Most