Breaking BizDev – Details, episodes & analysis

Doing great work isn’t enough to generate referrals.
In fact, relying on that alone might be exactly what’s holding you back.🤨

In this episode of Breaking Biz Dev, Mark and John take a diagnostic approach to one of the most powerful yet underutilized growth strategies in professional services: referrals 

Drawing from real-world coaching experience, they uncover why so many professionals fail to generate referrals despite strong networks and satisfied clients. From vague asks and inconsistent effort to fear of rejection and lack of process, the breakdown often isn’t the relationships—it’s the system behind them.

You’ll learn:

• How to identify the warning signs of a broken referral process 
• Why most firms don’t treat referrals as a true lead generation channel 
• The difference between passive and proactive referrals 
• How mindset, timing, and clarity impact your success 
• Practical steps to build a repeatable referral process starting today 

If referrals make up a small (or nonexistent) portion of your pipeline, this episode will help you rethink your approach and take control of a high-impact growth channel.

Start turning trust into opportunity.

Subscribe for weekly conversations on business development, growth strategy, and modern professional services leadership.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Why Referrals Get Missed
00:43 Show Intro and Listener Shoutout
02:49 Referral Process Reality Check
05:42 Common Referral Mistakes
08:09 Symptoms Your Process Is Broken
11:34 Root Cause No Process
12:19 Root Cause Unclear Ask
16:22 Root Cause Timing and Mindset
20:06 Tracking and Attribution Gaps
23:26 Rethinking Referrals Push and Pull
24:57 Action Steps Start Your List
28:20 Wrap Up and Next Episode


Link to A Referral Process Episode: https://youtu.be/zGNXNNoi2vc

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

In this episode of Breaking Biz Dev, John and Mark go deep into the mechanics of three option pricing tables—how to actually build and present them in professional services.

They walk through several practical frameworks for structuring options, including levels of involvement, entree engagements, compensation models, and payment structures. Along the way, they unpack the pros, cons, and real-world tradeoffs of each approach.

The conversation also dives into decision psychology—why multiple smaller decisions are easier than one big one, how anchoring works, and why the “middle option” isn’t always the recommended path.

On the tactical side, they cover how to name your options, design tables for clarity, and clearly communicate what’s included (and excluded). They also emphasize the importance of presenting these options live in conversation rather than sending them over email.

The episode wraps with a powerful insight: when done right, these tables shift the dynamic—clients stop resisting and start collaborating, often leaning in to shape the solution themselves.

If you’re looking to make your pricing conversations more effective, structured, and client-centered, this episode delivers a practical blueprint.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Recap and Setup
01:58 Why Tables Work
02:43 Level of Involvement
03:34 Pros and Cons
05:43 Entree Engagement
08:07 Decision Psychology
10:33 Entree Tradeoffs
12:18 Compensation Options
14:48 Risk and Incentives
16:26 Compensation Risk Tradeoffs
18:04 Payment Options Framework
19:11 Upfront Versus End Payment
20:17 Risk And Cashflow Realities
21:59 Name Your Three Options
24:24 Show Inclusions And Exclusions
25:34 Design For Fast Decisions
27:57 Present Live Not Email
29:29 Anchoring The Price Order
30:18 Value Based Options And Practice
31:55 The Magical Client Lean In
33:04 Wrap Up And Next Time

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

Everyone knows trust is the currency of professional services—but most firms are trying to earn it in the slowest way possible: one lunch/coffee/zoom chat at a time. 

In this episode, John and Mark break down how to scale trust using the Trust Equation, parasocial relationships, and modern content channels that build credibility, reliability, and intimacy long before a prospect ever speaks to you. If you want more pipeline without doubling your lunch budget, this one’s for you.

Special guest appearance from Melina Palmer, host of The Brainy Business podcast, with perspective on parasocial relationships.

00:00 Welcome
01:20 Trust
02:48 The Trust Equation
10:00 Parasocial Relationship
14:24 Reaction to Melina
21:49 Next Steps
22:15 Organize Your Thoughts
23:05 Find a Vehicle For Your Authentic Voice
25:23 Build A Habit Of Creating And Publishing
26:59 Expand Beyond Your Core Channel
28:35 Social Evidence
30:54 Engage With Your Audience In Scalable Ways

Connect with Melina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinapalmer/
Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhwainwright/
Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johntyreman/

Learn more about the Trust Equation from Trusted Advisor Associates: https://trustedadvisor.com/

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

Most consultants say they’re “too busy doing the work” — as if that’s a badge of honor. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: you never stop to ask “are we still doing the right work?” 

In this episode, John and Mark break down the concept of the engagement meeting; a deliberate, structured conversation designed not to move a project forward, but to make sure everyone is aligned with its direction. It’s where you zoom out, recalibrate priorities, and turn reactive “fire drills” into proactive strategy. In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why most client relationships fall apart between meetings, not during them
• How to use engagement meetings to surface red flags before they become infernos
• The subtle difference between being a vendor who delivers and a partner who steers
• How this simple practice can increase client retention, expand accounts, and raise your lifetime value per client

If you’ve ever felt like a client relationship is fine but something’s off, this episode will show you how to fix it before your client ghosts you for the next shiny firm.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Welcome
01:46 Listener Feedback Survey
02:24 Engagement Meeting
04:13 Being Proactive Instead Of Reactive
08:01  Meeting Regularity
09:19 Have A General Set Agenda
11:30 Balancing The Scorecard
12:55 Ideal Meeting Length
15:12 Practical Tips
20:03 Next Steps?
21:36 When To Introduce The Concept
23:36 How Many Participants?
24:20 Conclusion

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

Saying yes feels good. It’s helpful, it’s human—and it’s how your firm quietly bleeds to death. 😵

In this episode, John and Mark dive into the real power of saying NO: qualifying hard, protecting your pipeline, and choosing clients and marketing efforts that actually move your firm forward. Plus, they explore the cognitive traps (hello, sunk cost fallacy and FOMO) that keep you from doing it.

00:00 Introduction
02:06 Welcome
03:21 Qualification
08:16 Cognitive Biases
10:48 FOMO
14:25 No Keeps The Buyer's Interest In Mind
15:31 Saying 'No' To The Wrong Types Of Clients
22:36 People Over Projects
27:38 Saying No To Marketing Overload
34:27 Wrap Up

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

Your CRM is haunted. Not by ghosts...but by cold leads, stalled proposals, and “maybe next quarter” conversations that never saw the light of day. In this episode, John and Mark take you on a guided tour of the Pipeline Graveyard—where dead deals lurk, and second chances await.

Despite the Halloween theme, this one’s evergreen. Because let’s be honest: deals go dark year-round. We’ll show you how to diagnose the truly dead, spot signs of life, and—when the timing’s right—resurrect opportunities without looking desperate.

It’s part sales therapy, part post-mortem, and part playbook for turning silence into closed-won. So grab your flashlight and a shovel. We’re digging in.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:48 Welcome
01:16 Introduction
02:57 Common Causes of Deals Failing
06:29 Diagnosis
11:17 Signs There Is Still Life In The Deal
13:27 New Information
15:03 Reflection
18:19 How To Raise The Dead
24:50 Digging In The Graveyard
34:43 Segmenting

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

Go ahead, put all of BD on the shoulders of your most expensive asset. What could possible go wrong? 

In this episode, John and Mark explore the pros and cons of partner involvement in business development. They look at the benefits and drawbacks of a firm partner's role in both marketing and sales. Identify actionable strategies for helping your firm's partners engage in the right kind of business development efforts.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome + Listener shoutouts
03:18 Episode Rundown
04:49 Marketing and Sales Continuum
05:16 Pros of Partner Involvement in Marketing
08:39 Cons of Partner Involvement in Marketing
13:12 Pros of Partner Involvement in Sales
18:01 Cons of Partner Involvement in Sales
27:31 What Good Look Like
30:33 Rapid Fire: Who's the Bottleneck?
35:16 Takeaways and Conclusion

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

"You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you." - Dale Carnegie

In this episode, Mark and John explore the importance of understanding clients better than they understand themselves. The conversation focuses on how actively listening to understand client needs can transform your business success, highlighting key concepts such as the empathy gap, the empathy map, and how this level of understanding serves as a significant competitive advantage. 

Want actionable advice on how to understand your clients better? Listen to this episode today and jot down some notes!

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
01:20 Two Years of Breaking BizDev
02:41 Episode Rundown
03:38 THE Empathy Gap
11:20 The Empathy Map
15:11 Competitive Advantage
19:19 Competitive Insulation
20:36 Learn What Matters to Your Clients
27:26 Create Feedback Loops
32:31 How to Turn Empathy Into Action

The Empathy Map: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/empathy-map-why-and-how-to-use-it

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

Before you pitch slap that prospect, listen to this episode.

John and Mark tear down some terrible 'pitch slaps' from their LinkedIn DMs and offer a better way to approach social media. Shift your social media marketing from spammy sales tactics to authentic relationship-building. Listen to this episode to learn more.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Welcome
00:59 Origins of the Pitch Slap
03:20 Social Selling
10:47 Pitch Slap Examples
19:50 A Different Way to Do Social Selling
30:48 Connect Instead of Create
35:54 Final Thoughts

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7

What kind of buyer did you talk to on your last sales call?

When it comes to buying professional services, there is usually more than one buyer. Some refer to this as a 'buying committee.' So what different roles do each of these buyers play? How should you engage them? What should you watch out for? These are the kind of questions that John Tyreman and Mark Wainwright will answer in this episode of Breaking BizDev. 

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
03:00 The Buying Committee
04:32 The Three Different Buyer Roles
05:17 The Visionary
08:28 The Operator
13:32 The Risk Mitigator
16:54 Stories and Examples
28:24 How to Take Action
34:08 Summary

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7