Join Neil Barrow as he chats with Alissa Kolm, a seasoned Relationship Manager who built her career by launching into a brand new market with zero existing network. In this episode, Alissa shares the gritty details of how she went from "casting a wide net" to building a highly targeted referral engine using CPAs and bankers.

They dive into practical, low-friction tactics that actually open doors—like bringing competitors to prospect meetings and the "cookie drop" strategy to make cold calls less awkward. Alissa also breaks down why activity-based metrics (inputs) are far more critical than revenue goals (outputs) when you are starting out, and how to organize your week to ensure you never drop the ball on a lead.

Outline:

00:00 Starting BD in a new market

01:42 Choosing sales over accounting routes

02:40 Identifying key referral partner buckets

03:33 Casting a wide networking net

04:54 Adding value with no clients

06:16 Being a connector for others

07:11 The strategy of joint calls

08:43 Doing drop-ins with partners

10:25 Focusing on activity-based metrics

12:17 Planting seeds for long-term wins

14:07 Cold calling strategies in 2025

16:32 A multi-year win story

18:29 Organizing with calendars and CRMs

About the Guest: Alissa Kolm is a Business Development professional and Relationship Manager. She launched her career by building the Fort Worth market for NowCFO from the ground up before transitioning into commercial banking. She specializes in activity-based selling and leveraging COI (Center of Influence) relationships to drive long-term growth.