S.I.G.N.A.L.

Development is where direction becomes daily practice.

Direction tells the firm where to win. Development tells the doer-seller what to do when something changes in the field: a client comment, a capital plan, a role move, an event conversation, a loss debrief.

Without a repeatable loop, those moments stay anecdotal. They live in memory, email threads, and hallway conversations until the RFP makes them urgent.

Spot. Interpret. Ground. Navigate. Act. Log.

Together, the six moves answer the question every doer-seller faces after noticing something changed: what do I do next?

Each letter is a distinct move. Skip one and the loop breaks: signals get missed, misread, acted on too early, or forgotten.

Spot

Notice what changed: a role move, a capital plan, a project rumor, an event roster, a win/loss pattern.

Interpret

Decide why it matters now. Not every signal deserves pursuit. Interpretation keeps BD focused on the right next move.

Ground

Connect the signal to people, organizations, markets, timelines, and proof points so it becomes actionable.

Navigate

Find the warmest credible path. who has trust, context, and the right to reach out before you act.

Act

Take a specific next step with an owner and a date, not a vague "follow up."

Log

Capture enough context that the signal stays visible, trackable, and reusable for the firm.

The essays that follow walk through each move in detail. Read them in order, or return to the step you need most when a signal lands in your inbox.