Are Street Smart people better Business Developers?

In this era of cut throat competition where every company wants to increase their client count and lead its competitor’s, business development plays a very important and strategic role. The companies serving the same segment or industry have almost everything in common apart from one or two USP’s but one factor that differentiates them from each other is the way they approach their prospective customers. The initial contact point for the customer or a client is a business development person who is an interface of the company and educates the client about the company and its services. It entirely depends on his communication and convincing skills whether the client would be in or not.

Business Development is one profession that requires a lot of patience, dedication, detail industry knowledge and good convincing and negotiation skills. But the most important aspect of this profession is the art of listening and digesting a “NO” from the client without being discouraged. There are people in this field who have been in the market for a very long time but have been mediocre performers while there are some who have become star performers in the short span of their careers. The only difference they have is in the attitude and the way they tackle the clients. These are street smart people who know what is just right for that moment; they go for it and get it. Having an eagle’s eye for details and prompt in their actions these people are capable of identifying and converting prospective clients. In this case their negotiation and communication skill gives them an edge over the others. In the short run these people can be a plus point for the company, growing the business and reaping profits with the increasing client base but this should not be forgotten that their street smart attitude makes them think and act smarter when it is for their personal growth. One more aspect of their personality is that they are self motivated people who might not be good team players.

The go getter attitude often leads to a “Me Myself” theory that leaves behind the team spirit and the organizational vision and goal at times. According to the day today visible human psychology pattern street smart people are impulsive and quick at decision making which can be dangerous for the growth and image of the company. There is a very fine line between being smart and over smart.  There can be times when these smart people come across smarter clients who if not handled tactfully and with maturity would be lost forever. To sustain in the corporate world in the long run companies have to build strong and stable relations with their clients and cordial relations with their competitors as well.

 Goodwill is the backbone of any company and the business development people carry the brand name of the company to their clients. It is very important for them to be good at interpersonal skills apart from being dedicated and ethical. It is not that street smart people are not ethical or dedicated to their job but at times they might not compromise on anything for a good opportunity and would want to make the best out of it. For them  winning is important and probably that is why they are called street smart because they are smarter or may be smartest in the lot and aim at converting opportunities. So yes, Street Smart people are better business developers but an employer should analyze the permutation combination of their personality traits and decide because for a successful business to sustain in the market it is important not only to attain new customers but also to retain the existing ones maintaining the legacy and goodwill of the brand.