Kelly Kennedy started his company, Capital Business Development, five years ago, and he hasn’t stopped since. As an expert in business development, he has the itch to talk about it—like so many of us podcasters, he started his own, the Business Development Podcast.

What is business development, though? Kelly says that it strategically brings in new revenue to your business by first focusing on the right opportunities. As he explains, it’s not the same as sales, which includes closing. It’s that valuable relationship building that comes before the sale.

In this episode, we also touch on getting ghosted. As small business owners and entrepreneurs chasing growth, we’ve all been there. Kelly says it’s all about the conversations with the right people - that, and follow-up, is what will open those opportunity doors.

Kelly goes over the art of the LinkedIn request. First, identify the industry, then connect with the right people. After that, keep up the consistency of your connection requests. Connection is the name of the game for online growth.

Kelly is also a coach and started his own program, which, through some incredible connections, became what’s called the Catalyst Club. As he and I both know, leadership is lonely, and we welcome any space where leaders can help leaders.

There are so many golden nuggets in this episode – two that Kelly drives home are to manage your time and do a critical once-a-week follow-up with connections. Business owners, you won’t want to miss this incredible episode.

Connect with Kelly here:

Website: kellykennedyofficial.com
Business: capitalbd.ca
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kellykennedyofficial
Podcast: businessdevelopmentpodcast.ca

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I’ve seen business owners throwing a lot of money at their marketing. But when prospects come to their door, their systems aren’t there. The experience doesn’t measure up to what was advertised.

So how can we wow our customers SO much that they come back over and over again?

The people and systems that create the experience hold so much weight. If you’re pushing out marketing without the processes or customer service, you’re throwing your money away. Not only that, your revenue just won’t increase, your business won’t grow, and you’ll stay stuck.

My daughter and I recently had a “wow” experience at a Hilton Garden Inn in Edmonton. She had jaw surgery, and her healing involved applying ice to her face 8 times a day. No freezer in the room, so I was constantly switching out ice packs (you’re never done being a dad.) I ended up apologizing to the front-end staff each time, thinking I was putting them out.

But at one point, something switched. The front-end staff really showed concern. They asked how she was doing. The restaurant team adapted their menu for her. They showed that they truly cared.

I want to give them a shoutout because the way we were treated, with such incredible care and concern, was such a “wow.” It was a memorable experience because of that care.

I want to ask, are we doing that with our own clients? Do we really care about them? Are we showing them empathy when we need to? After this episode, I encourage you to go back and listen to these episodes. They go more into what I’ve talked about today, including what not to do:

Ep. 2 The Stern Truth: Why Marketing Can Fail You: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453923/episodes/16770813

Ep. 14 The Stern Truth: Business & Life Lessons from a Lifeguard: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453923/episodes/17197255

Ep. 34 The Stern Truth: Are You Making It Easy for Your Clients to Do Business With You?: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453923/episodes/17784578

My question to you is, are you and your team showing up once you have your client? Are you wowing them or caring for them? The most powerful marketing that you can have is your exceptional customer service.

The ONtrepreneur Inner Circle is a group that gives you mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game. Achieve your goals this year with the support you deserve: https://marshallstern.net/landing/innercircle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
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Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

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It’s been a while since our last Business Therapy Thursday session, but we’re back. Our guest on this episode is Hanan Alameh, who’s looking for guidance on where to take her business next and the steps to do it.

Hanan has a luxury charcuterie board business she runs in Ottawa called Pretty Eats by Hanan. And she knows exactly where she wants to go—by the spring of 2028, she wants to have her own location, a café, while still catering.

I kick off our conversation by reminding Hanan that she actually knows more about business than she thinks. Pretty Eats also had its one-year anniversary, so it’s an ideal team for Hanan to be here and get the guidance she needs for her business.

As we go deeper into our session, Hanan reveals even MORE goals, like eventually turning her business into a franchise and writing a book. I love the big goals and vision Hanan has. And this is exactly the type of passion great business owners have, where they fall in love with the goals. But growth happens when you fall in love with the process.

Hanan opens up about how fear has held her back throughout her life and how, at 42 years old, she's finally ready to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams without a backup plan. We tackle the concept of "doing it scared" and taking action despite fear, but not recklessly.

One of the biggest challenges we uncover is Hanan's perfectionism. She's detail-oriented and creative, but she admits that hiring employees terrifies her because she feels like "an artist letting someone else draw a painting. " I help to explain the critical difference between perfectionism and having high-quality standards.

If you're an entrepreneur struggling with fear, perfectionism, or feeling like you're not good enough, here's something I told Hanan that might resonate with you: the business will grow as much as you grow.

See more about Hanan’s Ottawa and area business here:
Facebook: facebook.com/prettyeatsbyhanan
Instagram: @prettyeatsbyhanan

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Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net