Michael Harris on Making Business Development
In this Rick’s Room episode, Rick Grant welcomes returning guest Mike Harris, owner of Genic Asset Management and Managing Partner at Blackfin Group. This time, Mike flips the script—interviewing Rick about the nuanced relationship between sales, marketing, public relations, and business development.
Rick explains how modern business roles are no longer siloed the way they once were, with blurred lines requiring collaboration between departments. He uses an airport analogy to illustrate how marketing identifies the right prospects (planes), sales closes the deal (guiding planes to the gate), and PR builds trust so the customer even wants to land in the first place.
They discuss the importance of PR in both external and internal communications, especially in establishing CEOs as credible leaders. Rick emphasizes that PR should play a central role in the buyer’s journey, ensuring prospects get the right information at every stage to move them toward closing.
Mike shares his perspective as a leader with both sales and operational expertise, highlighting the need for companies to clearly decide their outreach focus, find real differentiators, and present a consistent vision to prospects. They agree that sincerity, alignment across teams, and trust are critical for success.
The conversation wraps with Rick noting they’ve gone over their time and hinting that the topic of differentiation will be the focus of a future episode.
Show Highlights:
Rick:
Hi, and welcome to Rick’s Room. This is my thought leader lounge—where I invite smart, experienced executives to relax and share their insights. It’s always a valuable experience.
Today’s guest is someone you’ve met before: Mike Harris. Mike owns Genic Asset Management and is also a Managing Partner at Blackfin Group. Mike, thanks for being here.
Mike:
Always a pleasure, Rick.
Rick:
I love having you here because we can talk about important business issues and get your take. When I was a reporter, your insights always added value.
Mike:
Thanks. Today, I thought we’d do something different. I want to turn the tables and interview you about the nuances between sales, marketing, PR, and business development. You’ve helped me so much over the years, and I’d love your take on how they work together.
Rick:
Sounds good. This is a question I get from executives all the time. Years ago, these roles were clearly defined—today, the lines are blurred, and companies can structure them however they want.
When someone asks, “Rick, what should you be doing for me?” I start with the end goal: sales. No matter how good your website or newsletter is, if it’s not driving sales, it’s not working. Salespeople are closers—they guide prospects to the finish line. But they’re not typically the ones finding new leads.
That’s marketing’s role. Marketing identifies the right prospects, just like air traffic controllers guiding planes to the right airport. Sales is the ground crew, guiding the plane to the gate. PR’s role? Building trust—because if the pilot doesn’t trust the tower, they won’t land.
In B2B, trust is everything. Buyers won’t take risks without fully vetting you. PR communicates your values, your track record, and your credibility.
Mike:
I’ve always appreciated how you start by understanding a leader’s vision—where they want to go—and then find the right tools to get there.
Rick:
Exactly. PR isn’t just external—it’s internal too. Half of our work should be aimed at employees, partners, and even regulators. We help leaders establish themselves as credible, trustworthy voices.
In the past, sales, marketing, and PR were separate silos. Today, they overlap. Take content marketing—it doesn’t fit neatly in any one silo. That’s why we create cross-functional teams, ensuring PR has the core messages, marketing knows the audience, and sales gets the materials that help close deals.
Mike:
From a CEO’s perspective, the challenge is deciding where to focus—sales, branding, or PR—and finding true differentiators. Many companies sell similar products. You have to decide how you’ll stand out and present a consistent vision every time you’re in front of a prospect.
Rick:
That’s a perfect topic for our next conversation. We’re already over time, but I appreciate you turning the tables today.
Mike:
It’s been great, Rick.
Rick:
Thanks for joining us. We’ll see you next time in Rick’s Room.
