Join Neil Barrow, host of I Hope This Email Finds You Well, as he chats with Alissa Kolm, Relationship Manager and seasoned BD professional. Together, they dig into getting started in a new market, practical ways to add value when you have little to offer, and the activity-first approach that turns early outreach into long-term, six-figure client relationships.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• How to launch BD in a new market: cast a wide net, then refine to the referral partners that actually produce opportunities.
• Practical, low-friction tactics that create doors: joint prospect calls, COI introductions, event invitations, and old-school drop-ins.
• The systems and rhythms that make BD reliable: activity scorecards, calendaring, CRM/Excel tracking, and disciplined follow-up.
• And the #1 tip: focus on the activities you can control — the meetings and connections, and let revenue follow.

Whether you’re new to business development or a seasoned pro, this conversation offers practical strategies and real stories from the trenches.

Strategies and tactics edition:

• Target the referral sources that already feed your best clients (CPAs, bankers, other COIs).
• Use joint outreach and event invites to add immediate value and open doors for your network.
• Track inputs (meetings, outreach, follow-ups) not just outputs — then present that plan to leadership and execute.

Takeaway: Business development is a long game built on repeatable activity. Plant the right seeds — targeted meetings, COI introductions, consistent follow-up — and use simple systems (calendar + CRM or spreadsheet) to turn those seeds into meaningful, multi-year client relationships.

About your host, Neil Barrow: Neil Barrow is the founder of Enabled BD, a consultancy that helps businesses build no-fluff, repeatable business development systems. With over 15 years of experience in sales, business development, and consulting, Neil has guided firms and leadership teams through the challenges of building the machine that drives growth.

Known for his straightforward approach and practical playbooks, Neil launched the I Hope This Email Finds You Well Podcast to share the conversations he wishes he’d heard earlier in his career, insights from people who’ve done the work, made the mistakes, and found better ways to win.

When he’s not recording, you’ll find him dadding and working with firms on BD!

About the guest, Alissa Kolm: Alissa Kolm is a seasoned corporate banking professional with deep roots in business development and relationship management. Originally from Nebraska, she relocated to Fort Worth in 2015 and began her BD career growing the Fort Worth market for NOW CFO, a national fractional CFO and accounting services firm. There she learned to cast a wide net—attending many events, refining what worked, and focusing on the referral partners (CPAs, bankers, other COIs) who actually generated opportunities.

Alissa evolved her approach from broad outreach to highly practical tactics: joint prospect calls and drop-in days with COIs to make cold outreach less awkward, inviting prospects to events as a low-friction way to add value, and leaning on activity-based metrics to build a predictable pipeline. After moving into banking in 2018, she spent three years in dedicated BD roles before becoming a Relationship Manager serving middle-market clients—combining strategic growth thinking with hands-on client service. Alissa balances old-school tactics (cookies and drop-ins) with modern discipline (calendar, Salesforce, and spreadsheets), emphasizing that consistency and follow-up turn early interactions into long-term client wins.

Connect with Neil:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilbarrowdfw

Website: https://enabledbd.com

Join Neil Barrow, host of I Hope This Email Finds You Well, after his podcast with Chad Corley, Senior Relationship Manager at Armanino.

They discussed the internal and external components of business development, including tracking referral sources, building networks, and setting your firm up for success in private equity and accounting.

Welcome to the Strategies and Tactics Edition, where Neil unpacks:

• How to approach BD when you’re new to a firm
• Building a 30/60/90 (or 60/120/180) day plan that works
• Understanding your firm’s best clients and where they come from
• Internal BD: meeting partners, understanding services, and analyzing the client base
• External BD: identifying referral sources, setting meetings, and joining the right associations
• Setting activity goals, like 10 meetings a week, to fill your calendar and grow your network
• Organizing your plan and getting leadership buy-in before you “go attack”
• Staying consistent with tools like CRMs or Monday.com to manage deal flow and activity

Takeaway: Before you rush into networking and meetings, get organized. Know your firm, know your best clients, and know where your deals come from. Build a plan, get buy-in, and then attack, because consistency beats chaos every time.

About your host, Neil Barrow:

Neil Barrow is the founder of Enabled BD, a consultancy that helps businesses build no-fluff, repeatable business development systems. With over 15 years of experience in sales, business development, and consulting, Neil has guided firms and leadership teams through the challenges of building the machine that drives growth.

Known for his straightforward approach and practical playbooks, Neil launched the I Hope This Email Finds You Well Podcast to share the conversations he wishes he’d heard earlier in his career, insights from people who’ve done the work, made the mistakes, and found better ways to win.

When he’s not recording, you’ll find him dadding and working with firms on BD!

Connect with Neil:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilbarrowdfw

Website: https://enabledbd.com

Join Neil Barrow, host of IHTEFYW, after his podcast with Emily Ackerman, Director of Business Development for the Southwest at Bennett Thrasher.

They covered the qualities of a successful business development professional, including: having a high motor, LinkedIn tips, managing your referral networks, and the #1 tip for new BD folks.

Welcome to the Strategies and Tactics edition where Neil unpacks:

Authenticity

Mindset

• Professional vs friends
• This is the best way to build authentic relationships
• Takeaway - show your real personality to attract the right people into your orbit because not everyone is going to like you

Orbit

• Identifying referral relationships that can be friends - core nucleus - meet 1x quarter 1x1
• Moving those relationships to friends through events and common interests - concerts, music, food
• Driving referrals through friendship

Winning new business

• Qualifying through vibes
• If they are a client of a friend, they will probably get along with you
• Clients becoming long term relationships