What makes a good new business generator?

I suspect that opinions will vary enormously – but my definition is as follows:
Entrepreneurial flair – being able to identify new business opportunities is vital. If you cannot see where to go or find new business then you will need to be directed.

I am a great believer that the very best new business generators have such independent and tenacious personalities that they do not like being told anything – empowerment is the key.

If you instruct a brilliant marketer to find new business and tell him where to go he/she will likely do it begrudgingly? If on the other hand you can interest the individual in finding their own ideas and creating new business opportunities they are far more likely to go for it!

So it does require a good deal of clever and very careful man management – and it does require the right raw material in the first place i.e. someone with the ability to do it from day one – which is a combination of aptitude, determination, thick skin, excellent communication skills, good listening skills and excellent persuasive ability.

But my advice is be careful - as if you allow a talented new business person too much rope i.e. allow them to do what they so wish – things may go wrong. Experience tells me that they often go off at a complete tangent – perhaps examining things that could never make money or ever work for the business concerned.

There are many other personal attributes required - one of which needs to be financially motivated – trying to make a success of an individual who does not really care about his or her lifestyle or standard of living will prove extremely difficult.

Quite often the most successful new business generators have “a chip on their shoulders” – they are driven to succeed no matter what the cost.

If the person concerned does not consider their wealth and career as more important than almost anything else they are also unlikely to succeed.

It is the reason why Pulse spend so much time with the recruitment, training and development of all our staff. We deliberately interview at least three times and check virtually everything we are told..