The Short List: How to Drive Business Development by Focusing on the People Who Matter Most
David Ackert
Greenleaf Book Group Press (January 2025)

How to have “the right conversations with the right people at the right time in the right place at the right time”

As David Ackert explains, “The Short List is a system for creating a more intentional network of trusted relationships, prioritized according to their ability to help you achieve your goals. This book will show you how to focus your network down to the most crucial people and ensure you provide each with meaningful value. When you put some care into selecting the people you interact with and ensure the number isn’t unmanageable, you make business development easier, with more sustainable outcomes.”

I urge you to think of the material in The Short List as a means by which to collaborate with Ackert. He is eager to help you create content and formulate a structure within which to organize it so you will be well-prepared to have “the right conversations with the right people at the right time in the right place at the right time.”

To accomplish what?

GOALs

o Increase QUALITY of business network
o Fill specific information needs
o Expand value creation opportunities
o Fill major information transfers
o Reactivate prior relationships of special relevance
o Increase and improve the selection/completion of knowledge transfers
o Increase/expand impact of networking efforts
o “Broadcast” the nature and extent of what you offer

This is a partial list.

David Ackert can and will help you to increase possibilities and comparison/contrast options as well as sharpen focus when prioritizing.

The healthiest relationships are based on mutual respect and trust; they are also of mutual value and benefit.

* * *

Here are a few suggestions while you are reading The Short List: First, highlight key passages. Also,  perhaps in a lined notebook kept near-at-hand to  record your comments, questions, and action steps (preferably with deadlines), and your responses to end-of-chapter “Exercises.” Pay special attention to questions and suggestions that are of greatest relevance to your greatest needs, interests, and aspirations.

These two simple tactics — highlighting and documenting — will expedite frequent reviews of key material later.