Attitude is everything in business development

To become a successful Business Development Manager (BDM), you must have the right attitude towards yourself, the team, the product and your clients. These four areas are a must. It only takes one to fall apart and the effectiveness of the BDM will diminish.

The establishment of the right attitude in a Property Management Department begins at the very top. As a BDM, you are a leader and your attitude reflects on your entire team. Even if you miss a listing, or an owner has a change of heart, you must find a way within yourself to stay positive and refocus on your next challenge.

I would love to be able to say that a day in the life of a BDM is stress-free and full of excitement, but I can assure you it is not always that easy. Some days your patience will be tested, but it is important to find a way to remain positive. When the chips are down, do your best to stay true to yourself and to your beliefs. Yes, this can take a bit of work. But if you give in to fear and negativity, you will end up destroying your positive attitude without even realising it.

At the start of the day, focus on your most important and challenging tasks. Mark Twain wisely advised: ‘Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day’. As you carry out your day-to-day duties, capture the good times and celebrate when you achieve a great outcome for the client. Learn and develop from the negatives and always remember, if you don’t find the solution the first time, take the time to reassess and have another go.