In this employee spotlight Q&A, we sit down with a Business Developer in the Cincinnati area to learn about her experiences at Centric Consulting and where she loves to dig into work.
Business developers need to always have one eye on the future and the present. In future mode, they’re alert and scanning the horizon for new opportunities and trends in business and society. In the present mode, they must focus on the current business environment and building relationships with prospective clients every day.
Centric Business Developer Christian Dreisbach has lived this dual life her entire career, from her start in IT sales straight out of college to her first year in Centric’s Cincinnati/Louisville practice. We sat down with Christian to find out how she got here and how she balances living in today while thinking about tomorrow.
How did you find Centric?
I’ve been rubbing the same elbows as Dion Dunn, now a Centric vice president, for 15 years. When I was consulting for an app/dev company before Centric, I met a client who thought their project was buttoned up—but we learned otherwise. We sent them to Dion to organize their requirements and align their strategy. Over the years we talked about many angles to work together, but the timing finally worked out when Cinciville decided that Louisville needed a dedicated relationship maker all for itself.
What do you think makes you a great business developer?
A combination of persistence and friendliness with a sprinkling of willingness to say “no” when I’m not the right fit. I’m grateful to Centric for giving me that freedom.
In fact, I think that saying “no” is the best way to build trust. We have a team in Cincinnati now that’s helping move a utility company from enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to systems applications and products (SAP) software. Now, Centric does not provide SAP services, so we had to tell them “no” up front—but we quickly pivoted by offering to guide them through the process by leveraging our many other capabilities.
That’s what’s great about working at Centric. There is no end to the expertise. Whatever the subject matter, someone can identify an expert who can help. It’s great to have such a range of capabilities in my pocket so that if I do have to say, “I’m sorry, we can’t do that,” I can quickly tap those other resources. Our honesty and that deep bench of skills and expertise quickly build trust.
Also, I will really stretch my comfort zone and stick it out for at least seven holes of golf when needed.
How do you help clients invest in the future while helping them manage their current workloads?
I live in future-mode a lot, and I have always struggled with that balance. I often find myself telling people my amazing ideas for the next big thing and then reminding them that “my robot has no wires in it” just when it sounds exciting. Technology is so fast-paced, and it’s easy to grasp on to shiny objects.
However, it’s also crucially important to realize that internalizing your current clients’ problems, professional or personal, really means internalizing their problems. It almost becomes like therapy, and you must maintain that status with equal parts urgency, empathy and importance—just as you would with any fun new deal with cool new tech and tools. When you get the right balance, you’ll know because you’ll start getting invited to baby showers and retirement parties along with the requirements meetings. BD is really great!
Were you a problem solver as a kid?
My problem-solving methods have historically been a little unorthodox and I have always found myself volunteering to try and personally solve other people’s problems. One unique case from childhood is when I took German classes to help my great-grandfather communicate with his caretaker once he had forgotten English in his very old age. As an adult, I repeated this method to learn enough Hindi to help one of my colleagues fight an employment claim from his previous employer—which he won!
What’s your favorite part of working at Centric?
The most unique and enjoyable part of Centric from a BD perspective is the willingness of technologists and industry leads to chip-in on the BD process. I have never met such willing participants to attend breakfasts, lunches and happy hours with me (and new friends) as well as all the events, conventions, speaking engagements and industry-focused shows. It’s a rare collaboration style that allows me to take advantage of so much thought leadership early in the BD phase.
Many people dread cold calls, but you enjoy them. Can you share why you love them and offer any tips for those who don’t?
I have my mom to blame for that. She never let me go by any girly nicknames, and that made cold calls much easier because when I got the prospect on the line, I’d immediately say, “Surprise! It’s a girl!” to break the ice. It turns out that when you have a good icebreaker that can establish a comfort level, it’s easier to realize that we’re all just people at work calling other people at work. Then it becomes easy and fun. Plus, the day when you realize that someone is afraid to make a cold call to you should make you realize the silliness of all that dread.
Is there anything you’d like to share about your personal life?
I have two girls, Callan and Caysen, ages 13 and 14. Our dog is a Lagotto Romagnolo named Alexis, and we are obsessed with her. I have lived in Louisville for 22 years, but I’m originally from Bellevue, Ohio, and grew up in Columbus — my parents were huge Browns fans (sorry, Cinci). My husband is a big data guy in the media space, and he would play golf every spare hour if he could. I enjoy my time driving kids to activities in the evenings, but I am told I can have real hobbies soon.